I went to see La La Land alone after work one day when it was still playing in the theaters. I couldn’t go home because potential buyers were snooping through my things so I bought my ticket and sat in the dark, cool theater and positively lost myself from beginning to end.

The ending is virtually impossible to describe except to say that it’s almost a movie within a movie within a song. I was awestruck and cried huge, warm tears when Ryan Gosling locked eyes with Emma Stone, smiled, and gave her that small nod that broke my heart in two.

Over dinner, I gushed to my family and told them they HAD to see this movie. I saw it again a few days later but hadn’t gotten anyone else to the theater with me. My kids especially resisted.

Soon after, my son and I were banished from the house by our realtor so he and I had dinner but still had a few more hours to make ourselves scarce while the house was shown. I suggested a movie. He looked up the movies and balked at the choices that included La La Land. Okay. We could walk around the shops, I guess. Apparently, that was worse torture than the movie, so he relented and I burst with joy while I bought tickets and dragged him, still unconvinced, to our seats.

When it ended, I asked him for his opinion. “That was better than I thought.” I’ll take it! When a few days later, I went to see it with a friend from work, my son joined us. He was hooked!

My strong-willed daughter still, to this day, absolutely refuses to watch it. My husband eventually saw it and liked it well enough but my son and I are diehards. I bought the DVD, the music, and, for Christmas, found a company that enlarged the dancing photo into a 6 foot canvas that my son has in his flat in England.

While working today, I had my iPad shuffling my music and the Epilogue came on. The movie within a movie played in my head as the song touched all the major points in the main plot. The song causes a visceral chain reaction of feelings that is eternally connected to my son and the shared affection we have for this amazing movie.

I am forever grateful that he gave in to finally seeing it and even more thankful for how much it has come to mean to both of us. It is a memory and feeling I wouldn’t trade for the world.