La La Land's heartbreaking ending is secretly revealed by the movie's opening musical number. Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, the romantic musical comedy-drama La La Land has plenty of great songs, including the Academy Award-winning "City of Stars." However, the movie's opening number, "Another Day of Sun," ends up being impactful to La La Land's overall story in more ways than one. "Another Day of Sun" is a wonderful song with interesting choreography, but a closer look at the lyrics unearths hints of the eventual fate of Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian's (Ryan Gosling) relationship by the end of La La Land.
By the time La La Land's ending comes, Sebastian and Mia have broken up, as they go their separate ways to pursue their dreams. Mia has become a successful actress, while Sebastian has opened up his own jazz club called Seb's. One night, Sebastian notices Mia at his club while he's performing, and the film launches into a fantastical extended dream sequence showing what could've been for the couple. Once La La Land comes back to reality, Mia smiles sadly at him and Sebastian nods in response. This ending feels bittersweet and unexpected, but La La Land's opening number subtly foreshadows the film's final scene, as noticed by u/youvebeenshyamalaned on Reddit.
"Another Day Of Sun" Lyrics Tease Mia & Seb's Final Meeting
In the La La Land soundtrack opener "Another Day of Sun," a number of drivers break out into song and dance in the middle of a Los Angeles traffic jam, singing about how they hope to make it in Hollywood. The first driver to sing, a woman in a yellow dress (Reshma Gajjar), mentions that she left her boyfriend "at a Greyhound station west of Santa Fé" so she could pursue her acting dreams. Later in the song, she sings, "'Cause maybe in that sleepy town / He'll sit one day, the lights are down / He'll see my face and think of how / He used to know me."
These lyrics describe a Hollywood hopeful, while also teasing Mia and Sebastian's final meeting in La La Land. After Mia and Sebastian's breakup, Sebastian encourages Mia to attend an audition for an upcoming film to continue pursuing her acting dreams. During the end of the Damien Chazelle movie, Sebastian and Mia look at each other at the jazz club like two people who used to know each other. Like the woman in "Another Day of Sun," Mia leaves Sebastian and follows her dreams, something she wasn't able to accomplish while they were together. Unlike "Another Day of Sun," however, Mia's ex-boyfriend gets to follow his dreams as well.
Why The La La Land Ending Is So Great
The La La Land ending is great because it goes against the expectations of a typical romantic comedy film finale. There's no conventional "happily ever after" with Mia and Sebastian getting back together. Though the excellent romantic chemistry in the Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone movie makes Sebastian and Mia a couple to root for, keeping the couple apart at the end is a fresh decision, even though it sets the stage for a heartbreaking interaction between the former love interests. Sebastian and Mia were keeping each other from accomplishing their passions by staying together and settling, so going their separate ways ended up benefiting both of them.
Though La La Land is a romance, the heart of the story is about two people following their dreams. "Another Day of Sun" is about people hoping to find success in Hollywood, which Mia eventually achieves, even though she had to leave Sebastian in the process. However, Mia and Sebastian's silent exchange at the end of the Best Picture-nominated La La Land proves that although they may not be together anymore, the love between them isn't completely lost. Sebastian has impacted Mia's life — and vice versa. La La Land's opening number may reveal the ending, but it doesn't take away from the endearing and fascinating journey Mia and Sebastian embark on during the film.