Mia and Seb has the most cinematic moment and When you think of the most cathartic cinematic moments from the last decade, the ending of La La Land immediately comes to mind. This scene which lasts barely 30 seconds made the audience cry rivers. In this scene, we see Emma Stone’s Mia and Ryan Gosling’s Sebastian sharing a profoundly intimate moment where Mia softly gazes at Seb with a smile, and Seb nods looking at her face. Those who haven’t seen La La Land might find this scene completely normal. 

However, those who have witnessed this dazzling story about the fools who dream must contemplate one thing about this scene which is why Mia and Seb smile in this scene. Why you may ask? Well for this, I will have to give the context of this scene and unfortunately give away the major plot points of the film. Hence, I am telling you now that you will find MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution. 

Mia and Seb: Ending Montage of La La Land

Preceding the ending scene of the movie where we start to wonder: did Mia and Sebastian end up together? There is a heartfelt montage where we see Mia and Seb reliving the moments they had experienced in the past but in a more ideal scenario. We almost live the happy ending we wanted where Seb follows Mia to Paris, they have a child together and live the life they always wanted. It was not long before this montage faded into nothingness and we were headed back to the harsh realities of our characters. This montage perfectly encapsulates what life could have been for Mia and Seb had they not left each other to pursue their dreams. 

We and our beloved characters are now back to the soul-crushing reality of life where one has to give up on one dream to pursue another. But the question still remains why did both of them exchange a smile looking at each other in such a tumultuous moment? The answer to this question leads us back to another key moment in the film. If you recall correctly, Mia and Seb had broken up before Mia got her dream job. 

They left each other because they thought things wouldn’t work out between them if they were together. However, this does not mean they do not love each other anymore. The love between the two is eternal. Even if Mia is now married to some other person (David) and has a kid, she still has a place for Seb in her heart for all the beautiful moments they spent together. 

The smile exchange at the end is the reflection of this love. 5 years have passed now, time has changed the world has changed, but the only constant is the love between Seb and Mia. From whatever context we have given, Mia is leading a happy life now. She is a popular actress and has a happy personal life, but there is still a void in her heart which becomes apparent when she stumbles upon Seb’s Club on a random night in LA.  

She is happy to see Seb owning his own club now where is living his dream every single day even if it is at the cost of them living separately. Seb, on the other hand, is happy to know that Mia has moved on and finally achieved what she always wanted. That nod at the end signifies the satisfaction he felt knowing that Mia managed to overcome all her struggles and emerge victorious. This single nod lets Seb convey all his feelings to Mia. Talk about powerful visual storytelling!

Mia and Seb: How does the Ending of La La Land Subvert Expectations?

One thing that makes the ending of La La Land cut above the rest is how beautifully it plays with the expectations of the audience. The montage prior to the ending is the ending that the audience so badly desires, but director Damien Chazelle has other plans in mind. He makes us root for Seb and Mia to end up together throughout the film, at a point we are almost convinced that we will see a “happily ever after” ending, but instead we only get a glimpse of it. 

The fleeting adorable yet bittersweet moment that Seb and Mia share at the end of the film strongly gives the realisation of the harsh realities of life where one cannot get everything they seek. Mia and Seb achieved what they wanted in life but there is still a part inside them that makes them yearn to be together, but oh well, if only life was this ideal. 

But is it a Sad Ending?

Well, that is for you to decide. La La Land might not have a conventional ending to a for lack of a better word love story, but it is true to life. You might hate the things that happen in your life, but most of the time, you do not have control over them. But that’s okay, it is life. In an alternate world, Seb and Mia might have pursued both their dreams and lived together, but that is not how things work in real life and Seb and Mia also made peace with this fact. 

In the end, they share a heartwarming smile, they might not even see each other ever again, but they make each other realize that they are happy for each other and that no matter what happens, the love between them will never die. Can you find me a truer definition of love than this? I think not!

Mia and Seb were the fools who dreamt, they even achieved what they desired, but they could not manage to do that while being together. But so what? they are not sad about this fact, the pure love between them makes them forget their sorrows of not being together and they feel a sudden wave of happiness at seeing their lover at a place they always wanted to be. That smile is a testament to the unprecedented happiness that felt at that very moment. So, why shouldn’t we fools keep dreaming too?