In the span of five years,Ryan GoslingandEmma Stonehave starred opposite one another in three movies, each playing a crucial role in the duo’s unofficial love trilogy. Although their entry into Hollywood differs slightly —Gosling starting his career with dramatic roles andStone beginning hers in comedy films—both actors are now celebrated for their range as performers, as evident in their collaborative projects alone. Throughout the years,Gosling and Stone have gradually cemented their place amongHollywood’s beloved acting duos, despite starring in only three films together:Crazy, Stupid, Love,Gangster Squad, andLa La Land.
Since their first movie together,Crazy, Stupid, Love,the undeniable chemistry and well-matched performances of Gosling and Stone have gained far greater attention from both audiences and critics.The collaborative efforts of Gosling and Stoneculminated in Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Actress, respectively, with Stone taking home the statuette. Though each of Gosling and Stone’s movies differs in tone, they feature the pair in a captivating on-screen romance that elicits both laughter and tears from audiences.
The Unofficial Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone Love Trilogy Explained
Gosling And Stone Gradually Fall In Love Throughout Their Collaborative Movies
Gosling and Stone first found themselves on-screen together in the romantic comedyCrazy, Stupid, Love. The movie follows various love stories that are connected to and centered around Steve Carell’s protagonist, Cal Weaver.Gosling’s habitual playboy Jacoboffers his help to Cal in his romantic endeavors, while simultaneously starting his own relationship with the more down-to-earth Hannah, played by Stone.The opposing personalities of Gosling and Stone’s characters are deftly captured in the actors' committed performances, with Hannah successfully altering Jacob’s perspective on love by the end of the movie.
AmidCrazy, Stupid, Love’s ensemble cast, Gosling and Stone stand out, and their on-screen relationship holds just as much weight narratively as Cal’s divorce. Contributing to a satisfying string of connected love stories and a hilarious plot twist, Gosling and Stone’s love story inCrazy, Stupid, Loveis a great start to their fictional romance.
2011
79%
2013
30%
2016
91%
InGangster Squad, Gosling and Stone’s love story is much darker. The crime thriller is significantly less romantic than the other films in the actors' love trilogy, but still sees the two in an alluring relationship that shines bright among the film’s otherwise lackluster elements. The romance between Gosling’s Jerry Wooters and Stone’s Grace Faraday is set against a backdrop of crime and undercover operations. Falling in love amidst a dangerous takedown operation,there’s enough tension surrounding Jerry and Grace’s relationship to get audiences invested, even if the characters themselves are mostly shallow.
La La Landworks largely thanks to Gosling and Stone’s palpable chemistry and career-best performances.
Gosling and Stone’s final film in their romantic trilogy isDamien Chazelle’sLa La Land, where the two play struggling artists in Los Angeles hoping to pursue their dreams as a musician and actress, respectively.La La Landhas received the highest critical praise of Gosling and Stone’s collaborative movies, and it’s easy to see why. Aside from the film’s rich visuals, compelling screenplay, and energetic musical numbers,La La Landworks largely thanks to Gosling and Stone’s palpable chemistry and career-best performances.
The Surprising Ending To Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone’s Movie Trilogy
The Most Romantic Gosling And Stone Film Has The Least Traditional Ending
Despite being the most straightforward romance film of Gosling and Stone’s love trilogy,La La Landdoesn’t have the same traditional happy ending asCrazy, Stupid, LoveorGangster Squad. Though their relationships in the previous films go through obstacles, both couples end up together in the end. However,La La Land’s endingis drastically different. The entirety of the film sees Sebastian and Mia being met with opportunities and setbacks in their respective careers before realizing that they must sacrifice a relationship with one another to pursue their passions.
Sebastian and Mia’s split is natural and realistic, easing audiences into the film’s heartbreaking conclusion.La La Land’s emotional storytellingresults ina surprising ending that subverts the audience’s expectations, especially those familiar with Gosling and Stone’s previous on-screen relationships that saw the pair work things outin the end. WhetherLa La Land’s ending is happy or sad varies on the individual, but it supports the movie’s core themes well and is highly affecting regardless, thanks to Gosling and Stone’s performances.
Gosling & Stone’s Chemistry Makes All 3 Movies Better
The Actors’ Pairing Is A Highlight Of Each Movie
Crazy, Stupid, LoveandLa La Landhave been met with considerably more praise from critics and audiences thanGangster Squad, andwhile the latter is by far the weakest entry in the actors' trilogy, it isn’t on account of Gosling and Stone’s performances. Within several ofGangster Squad’s negative reviews, the pairing of Gosling and Stone is noted as being a positive aspect of the film. The actors do a lot with the little their characters are given, particularly Stone, and present a convincing romantic connection between Jerry and Grace.
While the quality ofLa La LandandCrazy, Stupid, Loveisn’t as heavily dependent on Gosling and Stone’s chemistry, both movies greatly benefit from their partnership. Each movie has a well-written and clever exploration of romance, balanced with comedy and drama, andGosling and Stone’s performances make it difficult to imagine any other acting duo in place of them. The combined talent and shared chemistry betweenGoslingandStonehave made their unofficial love trilogy exciting for audiences to watch over the years, and should the two share the screen again sometime in the future, there’s no doubt it’ll be just as enjoyable.
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Cast
Written by Dan Fogelman and directed by both Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, Crazy, Stupid, Love is a Comedy and Romance film starring Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, Steve Carell, and Ryan Gosling. The plot sees a variety of characters and explores how all of their lives are interconnected by love.
Gangster Squad
Gangster Squad is a noir action-thriller that follows a group of officers that face off against a ruthless mobster with a firm grip over the city he operates in. Set in 1940s Los Angeles, mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the streets, from drugs and guns to prostitutes and gambling, with the help of corrupted police and politicians. It’s up to a secretive splinter group of honorable LAPD officers led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling) to put an end to Cohen’s reign.
La La Land
Written and directed by Damien Chazzelle, the romantic musical La La Land tells the story of Seb Wilder (Ryan Gosling) and Mia Dolan (Emma Stone), a jazz musician and an aspiring actress pursuing their respective dreams in Los Angeles. The pair meet and fall in love, sharing their passions and hopes with one another as they become closer. J.K. Simmons, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Finn Wittrock appear in supporting roles.
