Well, I finally did it. I finally watched La La Land from start to finish. And unfortunately, I regret it.
No, I don’t (solely) regret watching La La Land because Ryan Gosling simply isn’t as attractive as he thinks he is. (I’ve seen guys in the grocery store who are way more handsome than he is.) I honestly regret watching it because I felt convicted not to watch it…and I proceeded to watch it anyway.
Land of Regret
Prior to watching La La Land, I clearly sensed the Holy Spirit telling me not to watch it.
“You know what’s in that movie,” He gently but firmly whispered to me. “You know that movie isn’t going to build you up; it’s going to tear you down.”
So I wrestled with temptation for a short time…until I gave into it. And what I’d hoped would be a sweet, romantic movie about two passionate dreamers quickly turned into a disillusioning waste of time.
Maybe you’ve seen La La Land, and you genuinely enjoyed it. Yay for you. But I honestly had trouble finding any redeeming qualities in it.
Spoiler Alert
The premarital sex in La La Land wasn’t the only issue for me. Honestly, the entire theme of the movie was an issue for me. Because ultimately, why did Sebastian and Mia part ways?
Sure, you could claim that if they’d stayed together, they wouldn’t have been able to fulfill their dreams—so they had to part ways and were ultimately better for it. But more simply (and more accurately), they were selfish. They didn’t actually love each other because—last time I checked—love “does not seek its own” (1 Corinthians 13:4 NASB1995).
I admit I struggle with this definition of love because I want my future husband to be 100% on board with my dreams—no ifs, ands, or buts.
But that’s not what true love is. Unlike what La La Land showed, love ≠ cohabiting with someone until you can finally admit to yourself that he or she isn’t actually on board with wholeheartedly supporting you as you chase your dreams. Frankly, neither Sebastian nor Mia gave up anything for each other.
When the movie was over, I felt disillusioned with the world’s apparent definition of love and unimpressed with the tenacity of the film’s lovers to follow their dreams.
Enduring Love
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NASB1995)
Though humans aren’t perfect and thus can’t love each other perfectly, this definition of love is achievable through the grace of God. And this is the only real definition of love. The Creator of love—and the ultimate Demonstrator of this love—is the only One who can define it.
Sure, Sebastian and Mia seemed to be a decent couple. They both had an interest in the arts. They both liked having sex apparently. And…that was about it.
Their “love” for each other wasn’t patient, kind, humble, or selfless. Nor did it bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, or endure all things. When their dreams were at odds, they separated.
Friends, that’s not what love looks like. In fact, it’s a very poor substitute for genuine love.
Love ≠ me having sex with you without committing to you in marriage. Love ≠ me chasing my dreams at any and all cost to you. Love ≠ me making flippant decisions based on my fickle feelings, at your expense.
If Sebastian and Mia had truly loved each other, they would’ve waited to have sex until they’d gotten married and sacrificed their dreams to stay together, even if neither of their dreams ended up coming true. Despite the nice music and the lovely costumes, there’s no real benefit to watching this movie (or re-watching it, if you’ve already watched it). I recommend spending your 127 minutes in a better way.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 