In 1927, the entertainment industry finally mastered the art of putting sound in a motion picture. Directed by Alan Crosland and produced by Warner Bros, The Jazz Singer was a groundbreaking musical film that set the stage for all musical pictures to come.

With The Jazz Singer as its inspiration, Gershwin’s An American in Paris stole the hearts and ears of moviegoers across the country in 1952. The Oscars weren’t broadcast on TV quite yet, so with their ears glued to their radios, listeners of the ‘52 Oscars ceremony were surprised when the film beat both A Place in the Sun and A Streetcar Named Desire for best picture.

Now, in 2017, the phenomenon is happening again. With an uncanny similarity to Demy’s Umbrellas of Cherbourg, La La Land is up for 14 academy awards in 13 different categories in the 89th Oscars.

With Damien Chazella as director, and Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as the leads, La La Land has the potential to break records and sweep the Oscars under the same charm that has captivated moviegoers across the world.

The movie opens with a colorful traffic number with dancing and singing, all to introduce the main character’s meet-cute and the beginning of their complicated relationship. Stone plays a gleeful and determined actress looking to make it big in Hollywood. Gosling plays a stubborn jazz pianist determined to keep the art of jazz alive in its purest form.

The characters are relatable and captivating, giving off the Hollywood charm while also bringing a harsh look at reality to the table. Though there were times when the introduction of songs seemed out of the blue and unnecessary, it added to the charm and bounce of the film.

Taking a look at the film graphically provides an even more impressive picture to analyze. The visual design is an art in itself. Depicting a classic Hollywood picture, the film utilizes vibrant colors and intricate costume design to bring the film to life.

“La La Land is a big love letter to Los Angeles and all the artists struggling to live there,” said Chazella in an Entertainment Weekly interview.

The story came at the perfect time, right at the end of a devastatingly dark year in social justice and politics. It gave humanity hope for a (realistically) beautiful ending to their stories. Although (spoiler alert) Gosling and Stone don’t end up together in the end, they find themselves in the best places that they could be as the best versions of themselves they could find.

The story teaches us that love is the most important concept to live for, but it may not always be the love you have for another person. In the case of La La Land, it’s the love of passion and the love of art

Overall, La La Land proved that talent and passion are still alive, and that there is still a trace of love and hope in a world currently consumed with hate. The Oscars air on Feb. 26, a day that could be historic for the musical picture universe.

Hopefully, with its increasing popularity, La La Land can induce that contagious passion into the hearts and minds of people across the world and teach us that following your dreams is the most important thing you can ask of yourself. And that although the journey to that point may be long and hard, it’s worth it.