La La Land 2016 quotes

20 quotes · 2 characters
La La Land (2016) poster
Characters

Most scenes together: Sebastian Wilder & Mia Dolan (9)

La La Land quotes

Page 1 of 2
Keith

How are you gonna be a revolutionary if you're such a traditionalist? You hold onto the past, but jazz is about the future.

Bill

You're fired.

It's Christmas.

Bill

Yeah, I see the decorations. Good luck in the New Year.

Laura

When are you gonna unpack these boxes?

When I unpack them in my own club.

Laura

Oh, Sebastian. It's like a girl broke up with you and you're stalking her. You're not still going by there, are you?

That's... you won't believe that they turned it into a samba-tapas place.

Laura

Oh, my god, Sebastian!

Samba. Tapas. Pick one, you know? Do one right.

Mia

Honestly, I wish I loved something else. I've tried so hard to want other things. I left school after two years to come here, my fourth manager just dropped me, and my last audition was for a teen soap pitched as Dangerous Minds meets The O.C.. Should've been a lawyer.

Cause the world needs more lawyers.

Mia

Well it doesn't need more actresses.

You're not just an actress.

Mia

What do you mean, "just an actress"?

You said it yourself, you're a child-prodigy playwright.

Mia

That is not what I said.

You're too modest to say it but it's true. So you could write your own roles. Write something that's as interesting as you are.

Mia

Last thing I wrote was a stand-up routine for an open-mic night. It was horrible.

All I'm saying is Louis Armstrong could have played the marching-band charts he was given. What did he do instead?

Mia

I don’t know. What did he do.

Well, He made history, didn’t he?

Mia

OK, I'll stop auditioning and make history instead.

[laughs]

My work here is done.

Mia

I should probably tell you something now, just to get it out of the way.

Mm-hmm?

Mia

I hate jazz

What do you mean you hate jazz?

Mia

It just means that when I listen to it, I don't like it.

Mia

Why did you come here?

Because I have good news.

Mia

What?

Amy Brandt, the casting director? Yeah. She was at your play, and she loved it. And she loved it so much that she wants you to come in tomorrow and audition for this huge movie that she's got.

Mia

I'm not going to that. [pause] I'm not going to that.

What?

Mia

That one's gonna be...No. That one's gonna be...

I'm sorry?

Mia

That will kill me.

[shouting]

What?! What? What?

Mia

Shh! Stop!

No!

Mia

Shh! Shh! You have to be quiet. We're in a neighborhood.

If you want me to be quiet, you have to make some goddamn sense! Tell me why you're not going.

Mia

They'll call the police. Because. Because...

Why?

Mia

I've been to a million auditions, and the same thing happens every time where I get interrupted because someone wants to get a sandwich. Or I'm crying, and they start laughing. Or there's people sitting in the waiting room, and they're like me, but prettier and better at the...Because maybe I'm not good enough!

Yes, you are.

Mia

No...No, maybe I'm not.

Yes, you are.

Mia

Maybe I'm not.

You are.

Mia

Maybe I'm one of those people that has always wanted to do it, but it's like a pipe dream for me, you know? And then, you said it, you change your dreams, and then you grow up. Maybe I'm one of those people, and I'm not supposed to. And I can go back to school, and I can find something else I'm supposed to do. 'Cause I left to do that, and it's been six years, and I don't want to do it anymore.

Why?

Mia

Why what?

Why don't you want to do it anymore?

Mia

'Cause I think it hurts a little bit too much.

You're a baby.

Mia

I'm not a baby. I'm trying to grow up.

You are. You're crying like a baby.

Mia

Oh, my God.

You have an audition tomorrow at 5:30. I'll be out front at 8:00 A.M. You'll be out front or not, I don't know.

Alright, I remember you. And I'll admit I was a little curt that night.

Mia

"Curt?"

Okay, I was an asshole. I can admit that. But requesting "I Ran" from a serious musician? It's just, it's too far.

Mia

My Lord, did you just say "a serious musician?"

I don't think so.

Mia

Can I borrow what you're wearing?

Why?

Mia

Because I have an audition next week. I'm playing a serious firefighter.

So you're an actress? I thought you looked familiar. Have I seen you in anything?

Mia

Uhh, the coffee shop on the Warner Brothers lot, that's a classic.

Oh I see.

Mia

Yeah.

So you're a barista? And I can see how you could then look down on me from all the way up there.

Singer

Sebastian. Second set.

He doesn't tell me what to do.

Mia

He just told you what to do.

I let him. [pause] What's your name?

Mia

Mia.

Mia. Guess I'll see you in the movies.

I had a very serious plan for my future.

Laura

I know.

It's not my fault I got shanghaied.

Laura

You didn't get shanghaied. You got ripped off.

What's the difference?

Laura

I don't know. It's not as romantic as that.

Why do you say "romantic" like it's a dirty word?

Laura

Unpaid bills are not romantic. Call her.

I'm not gonna call her. And the thing is y-y-y-you're acting like life's got me on the ropes. I want to be on the ropes, okay? I'm just... I'm letting life hit me 'til it gets tired.

Laura

Oh?

Then I'm gonna hit back. It's a classic rope-a-dope.

Laura

Okay, Ali. I love you. Unpack the boxes.

I'm gonna change the locks.

Laura

You can't afford it.

I'm a phoenix rising from the ashes.

I thought you wanted me to do this, it just sounds like now you don't want me to do it.

Mia

What do you mean, I wanted you to do this?

This is what you wanted for me.

Mia

To be in this band?

To be in a band, to have a steady job, you know to be... you know.

Mia

Of course, I wanted you to have a steady job so that you could take care of yourself and your life and you could start your club.

Yeah, so I'm doing that, so I don't understand like why aren't we celebrating?

Mia

Why aren't you starting your club?

You said yourself no one wants to go that club. No one wants to go to a club called 'Chicken on a Stick.'

Mia

So change the name!

Well, no one likes jazz, not even you!

Mia

I do like jazz now, because of you!

What am I supposed to do? Go back to playing "Jingle Bells" so I can save money for some Shangri-La club no one wants to go to?

Mia

People will want to go to it because you're passionate about it and people love what other people are passionate about. You remind people of what they've forgotten.

Not in my experience. [pause] Anyway, it's time to grow up. You know? This is what I'm doing. If you had a problem, I wish you would've said something earlier, before I signed on the dotted line.

Mia

You had a dream that you were sticking to, that...

This is the dream!

Mia

This is not your dream.

Guys like me go their whole lives and never do anything that's liked. I'm finally doing something that people enjoy. What is wrong with that?

Mia

Why do you care so much about being liked?

You're an actress, what are we talking about? [pause] Maybe you liked me more when I was a failure because it made you feel better about yourself.

Mia
[long pause]

Are you kidding?

No.

I want to let you know you're looking at a new man.

Bill

Good.

A man who's happy to be here.

Bill

Excellent.

Very easy to work with. Yeah.

Bill

Right, and you'll play the set list.

Happy to. Even though I don’t think anyone cares what I play, but yeah.

Bill

Well, if by “anyone” you mean anyone other than me, that would be correct. I care and I don’t want to hear the free jazz.

Right. Okay. Although I, I thought in this town it worked on a sort of “one for you, one for me” basis type system. How about two for you, one for me?

[Bill doesn’t answer]

How about all for you and none for me?

Bill

That’s perfect, yes.

Great.

Bill

Okay.

Okay, a mutual decision then.

Bill

Right, made by me.

Right, and I sign off on it, so.

Bill

Whatever. Tell yourself what you want to know.

Tracy
[after Sebastian honks car horn outside Mia's apartment]

Is that gonna happen every time?

Mia
[smiling]

I think so.