Deconstructing the Oscar-Nominated Script: La La Land

La La Land is one of the most critically praised and commercially successful films of 2016, and is basking in awards glory with 14 Oscar nominations. It’s been lauded for Damien Chazelle’s stylized direction, which culls together a host of influences to create something new. But its success first began with a screenplay: the secret weapon that allows it to push the envelope visually while grounding its storyline in the goals and emotional reality of its characters. 

In the 3rd year of Stage 32's "Deconstructing the Script" series, we'll be deconstructing La La Land. Your host, Tyler Ruggeri, began his career as a talent manager at Exile Entertainment, where he represented screenwriters and directors in addition to developing the company’s slate of projects. While at Exile, he signed filmmaker Damien Chazelle and helped secure distribution for Chazelle’s first feature Guy & Madeline on a Park Bench, as well as advising on the scripts that would become the Academy Award-winning Whiplash and La La Land. 

Musical storytelling is one of the most difficult and specialized genres to master – especially on film. Its heyday was in classic Hollywood, from Depression-era MGM to the Cinemascope epics of the 50s and early 60s. Today, most musicals that make it to the big screen are either Broadway adaptations (Into the Woods, Les Miserables) or small-scale performance pieces like Once. It’s been a long time since anyone attempted a completely original musical with the ambition and scope of La La Land.

We’ll explore the elements that make up the script, from its many inspirations to its unique structure and character arcs, and ultimately its universal and timeless themes. It’s a homage that transcends nostalgia by not just following the conventions of golden age Hollywood movies, but also subverting and deconstructing them.