I’ve been meaning to do this for a while but have finally gotten around to it with this week’s blog.
It takes a lot to get me to cry in a movie. There’s a small part in the back of my brain that says “it’s only a movie” and it prevents the waterworks from flowing.
There are exceptions though. I sat down over the weekend and went through my database to see if I could remember any films where I’d shed a tear. The curious thing was that I seemed to come up with exactly one film for each year of release here in Australia.
I haven’t gone back beyond 1999 and so popular tear-jerkers such as Terms Of Endearment, Beaches, Steel Magnolias and Rudy (a personal favourite of mine) have not been included.
Now before I continue, I should point out that these films made me cry (or at least moistened my eyes) in a good way. It’s not like The Bounty Hunter – which made me cry for the future of the human race.
So if you don’t mind sitting in front of the television with a box of tissues by your side, here’s are some titles which you should soon be acquiring.
I haven’t gone into a lot of detail regarding which scenes in the film made me cry in particular. In most cases it revolves around the end and I don’t want to give too much away.
Here then is the list...
October Sky (1999)
IMDB Plot Description: “The true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes.”
Why I Cried: The scene where Homer launches his rocket into the sky (backed by Mark Isham’s score) is a thing of beauty.
The Cider House Rules (2000)
IMDB Plot Description: “A compassionate young man, raised in an orphanage and trained to be a doctor there, decides to leave to see the world.”
Why I Cried: The ending involving the fate of Tobey Maguire and Michael Caine (in his Oscar winning role).
Cast Away (2001)
IMDB Plot Description: “A FedEx executive must transform himself physically and emotionally to survive a crash landing on a deserted island.”
Why I Cried: I can’t believe I’m saying this but I felt sad for the demise of an inanimate object (as opposed to a living human being).
Last Orders (2002)
IMDB Plot Description: “Jack Dodd was a London butcher who enjoyed a pint with his mates for over 50 years. When he died, he died as he lived, with a smile on his face watching a horse race on which he had bet, with borrowed money.”
Why I Cried: There are plenty of sad moments in this film but it really hits home in the final half-hour.
Seabiscuit (2003)
IMDB Plot Description: “True story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of their nation.”
Why I Cried: I had a heads up here in that I’d read the book and it made me cry too. When Seabiscuit wins his last race (against all odds), it was simply incredible.
The Notebook (2004)
IMDB Plot Description: “A poor and passionate young man falls in love with a rich young woman and gives her a sense of freedom. They soon are separated by their social differences.”
Why I Cried: For the same reasons that most people did. This film shows up in almost every list of tear-jerkers posted by others on the interweb.
Million Dollar Baby (2005)
IMDB Plot Description: “A hardened trainer/manager works with a determined woman in her attempt to establish herself as a boxer.”
Why I Cried: I wouldn’t have picked it half-way through but this film goes off on an unexpected tangent in the final moments and I felt the full emotional impact.
Brokeback Mountain (2006)
IMDB Plot Description: “Based on the 'E. Annie Proulx' story about a forbidden and secretive relationship between two cowboys and their lives over the years.”
Why I Cried: I had friends who refused to see this film but it’s their loss. The final scenes involving Heath Ledger are very sad indeed.
Bridge To Terabithia (2007)
IMDB Plot Description: “A preteen's life is changed after befriending the new girl at school.”
Why I Cried: I didn’t think I’d be crying in a family film but this did catch me off guard. It prompted much discussion about whether people should be warned about the ending before they took kids to see it.
The Diving Bell & The Butterfly (2008)
IMDB Plot Description: “The true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralyzed body; only his left eye isn't paralyzed.”
Why I Cried: This whole story is both tragic and uplifting. Jean-Dominique and his relationship with his father perhaps the saddest of all.
My Sister’s Keeper (2009)
IMDB Plot Description: “Anna Fitzgerald looks to earn medical emancipation from her parents who until now have relied on their youngest child to help their leukemia-stricken daughter Kate remain alive.”
Why I Cried: When I saw this in the cinema, the lady next to me (who I didn’t know) apologised to me for her blubbering as the credits started to roll. Says it all.