Classic Movies Live Season 7, Episode 27 – La La Land
August 19, 2026
It’s been 10 years since Warren Beatty stood on stage at the Dolby Theatre and watched in horror as Faye Dunaway announced La La Land to be the winner of the 89th Academy Award for Best Picture. Why in horror? Well, because, as it turned out, La La Land was not the winner of that year’s award.
However, 10 years on, the movie has remained a cultural touchstone of the 21st century. Not only did it get as close as you possibly can to winning BP (without actually doing so), the film made Damien Chazelle the youngest ever recipient of an Oscar for Best Directing, scored Emma Stone her first acting Oscar, and helped cement both her and Ryan Gosling as two of our generation’s biggest movie stars.
In 2026, what is the enduring legacy of La La Land, and more importantly: how does it hold up? Our hosts discuss Chazelle’s modern Hollywood musical in the context of its year, his career, and what it feels like to watch it with older eyes.
Also in this episode: Jeff shows how bad he is at recognizing happy endings!
