Visual Parallels: Mulholland Dr. + Young Adult

Mulholland Dr. and Young Adult. Both focused on female heroines who are fighting with severe depression, jealousy and the feeling of being a failure. They both conjure an image that is not real - for Diane it's a dream where she is innocent, she has a chance at big career and where the woman she loves is in love with her. The naivety of the illusion is reflected in film's first images when we see Diane, smiling and hopeful, ready for her big dream to begin.. For Mavis it's living in her memories, repeating herself over and over again, though the world she lives in moved on. She looks at the picture from her wedding day - different kind of dream from the one she relives now, the scenario from high school, but another shattered dream nonetheless.

They both see things that cause powerful and ultimately destructive emotions in them - the girl who has it all, who isn't Diane, the picture of the baby which Mavis will never have. The blue key representing the guilt Diane can't cope with, the broken car - a wreckage, much like Mavis.

They live their lives in similar kind of hopelessness and lonely routine - drinking, staying in bed, not caring about their looks unless there is a reason to go out, which usually means chasing their dream. They both can't hide their jealousy or they rage and they both have honest conversations with strangers, probably not even realizing how sad it is that those people became their only confidants.

Next in the series - Taxi Driver and Drive