Image Source: Everett Collection [1]

Here's to the ones who dream . . . about winning best picture at the Oscars. All anyone can talk about post-Oscars is the best picture flub [2] to end all flubs, in which La La Land was mistakenly presented with the award [3] before producers rushed out to fix the mistake and give it to the rightful winner: Moonlight [4]. It was a surreal moment that really seemed to take away the magic for both films, even though La La Land had already scored a handful of statues [5] (like for its leading lady, Emma Stone [6]), as had Moonlight.

Image Source: Getty / Kevin Winter [7]

But the scene — which can only be described as being like something out of the movies — had sort of a poetic echo of La La Land itself. See, the snafu was a strange parallel to the movie's ending (which, you know, most people hated [8]). Here's how they line up. (And of course, SPOILER ALERT if you haven't seen La La Land yet.)

In the end of La La Land, there's a gorgeous dream sequence in which Mia and Sebastian (Stone and Ryan Gosling [9]'s characters) end up together. It's the classic happy ending, but it's not the real ending. It's just a dream, a fake-out for the audience who desperately wants to see these two end up together. Alas, it's not to be, and the two end up apart, living separate lives. It's heartbreaking for a viewer who gets wrapped up in the romance of their relationship.

How weirdly fitting, then, was it that in a dream-like haze, the La La Land cast heard their film's name get called, make their way to the stage, only to have the triumph dash during their acceptance speech to have the mistake corrected? To watch everyone's confusion on and off the stage, as Moonlight was correctly given their award? It was sad for both sides, but you've got to admit — it was cinematic. Like director Damien Chazelle said about his controversial ending [10], "Real life doesn't always live up to the dreams in the movies."