Olivia Rodrigo names her favourite movie of all time
Every piece of Olivia Rodrigo‘s music feels somewhat out of time. When working on her biggest releases until this point, Rodrigo was cribbing from genres as diverse as new wave and post-punk, with songs like ‘Brutal’ sounding like something that Elvis Costello could have written. Although Rodrigo has her definitive style in front of the microphone, her taste in cinema is also somewhat nostalgic.
During her childhood, Rodrigo secured her first acting role when she was barely out of diapers, being one of the reactionary kids in commercials before she got picked up by Disney. Once she started listening to music, though, she began to get a taste for decades past, with her father exposing her to artists like Alanis Morissette and The White Stripes.
Although Rodrigo has spent her time in front of the camera starring in the Disney series High School Musical The Musical The Series, she has also found love for the traditional musicals of days gone by. Long before they became the de facto formula for ‘The House of Mouse’, plenty of independent companies were creating unique approaches to musicals, crafting characters that would sing what was in their heart.
While productions like Singing in the Rain may seem over-the-top today, it would become one of the sparks of inspiration for artists like Damien Chazelle. Fresh off making his beloved jazz thriller Whiplash, Chazelle had set aside time to work on La La Land, his first significant musical featuring a musical score by Justin Hurwitz.
Putting the audience in modern Hollywood, songs like ‘City of Stars’ encapsulate the golden age of Hollywood, where any potential stars could have their dreams come true instantly. While Rodrigo is still seeing the ins and outs of Hollywood at the moment, she thinks that La La Land is the ideal version of what Tinseltown is supposed to be.
When speaking to Letterboxd, Rodrigo would consider La La Land among her favourite movies, saying, “It’s just a timeless movie. I always wonder what pieces of culture are going to transcend. In 2050, what are they going to look back on and think about the 2020s? How we look back on, like, the 1980s and Madonna. I think La La Land will definitely transcend.”
It’s not hard to see why Chazelle’s film will transcend the usual slog of Hollywood movies. While traditional musicals might rely too heavily on the music, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone bring an added depth to the lives of Sebastian and Mia, each trying to realise their dreams while knowing that their passion may eventually swallow them whole if they aren’t careful.
Despite facing potential ridicule for spoiling a movie over five years old, the tragic love story that falls apart in Chazelle’s masterpiece has some deep parallels to what Rodrigo writes about in her songs. Regardless of how many years go by, every single person has had their heart broken at least once, and both Rodrigo’s music, as well as Chazelle’s film have the potential to nurse the broken hearts for decades to come.
