# Best tear-jerking line(s) in a modern movie. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971 "2005-06-20T00:58:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/141 "2005-06-28T11:52:38Z")
**Aliens**. “You always were an asshole, Gorman” – Vasquez, tough as nails and afraid of nothing, but grateful that her definitively-useless officer didn’t leave her to die alone. ---
**Author:** ![optikal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@optikal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/optikal)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/142 "2005-06-28T15:02:18Z")
Count me as another one with daddy issues. From **Deep Impact** , after one of the astronauts has been blinded by looking directly at the sun and he’s saying his last goodbyes via satellite to his wife and baby son who he’s never seen… _Be good, Orin…be good…_ From **The Incredibles** , that little laugh that Dash gives off after he finds he can run on water. I watch my own son experience the same joy from learning his abilities. From early on in **The Fresh Prince of Bel Air** , - That’s all right. That’s okay. I’ma go to school without him, I’ma get married without him, I’ma have a career without him. I don’t need him!! I don’t need him!!\* breaks down sobbing _Why don’t he want me, man? Why don’t he want me?_ ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/143 "2005-06-28T15:41:36Z")
It just hammered the meaning of true friendship into me when Aragorn told Gimli and Legolas at the end of FotR: “We will not abandon Pippin and Merry to misery and torment.” ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/144 "2005-06-28T15:54:52Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Rutger Hauer: “All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain.” > > Never fails to choke me up. > > Quasi And (same actor + film): “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams … glitter in the dark near Tanhauser Gate. All those … moments will be lost … in time, like tears … in rain. Time … to die.” ---
**Author:** ![Dio2112](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Dio2112](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dio2112)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/145 "2005-06-28T18:58:42Z")
I second **Forrest Gump**. Many moist lines in there. The one that never fails is when Forrest is describing the things he saw when running cross country, and Jenny says something like “I wish I was there with you.” Forrest replies, “You were, Jenny.” And since many people in here have connected weepy movie lines with father issues, I nominate Luke and Yoda: Luke: But I need your help. Yoda: No more training do you require, already know you that which you need. Sob. ---
**Author:** ![marymargaret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@marymargaret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marymargaret)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/146 "2005-06-28T19:27:29Z")
Kramer v. Kramer, Merly Streep saying, " I came here to take my son home. And I realized he already is home." ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/147 "2005-06-28T20:47:52Z")
> [@optikal](#): > > From early on in **The Fresh Prince of Bel Air** , > > - That’s all right. That’s okay. I’ma go to school without him, I’ma get married without him, I’ma have a career without him. I don’t need him!! I don’t need him!!\* breaks down sobbing _Why don’t he want me, man? Why don’t he want me?_ Same here! And as long as we’re doing TV shows, I’ve got an episode of **Murphy Brown**. In '92, they did an episode where all five leads reminisce about voting. Frank’s segment has him in 1972, being told by a cute female poll worker that he can’t wear his McGovern button in the building. They talk, they flirt, and finally he takes the button off. Looks at it for a moment and says, “He promised to stop the war. How could people not vote for him?” Just that quiet, resigned despair makes me tear up. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/148 "2005-06-28T23:06:48Z")
> [@carlb](#): > > For me, it’s Boromir’s dying line in _Fellowship of the Ring_: > > Damned if I’m not misting up just writing this. Yes. Bit of trivia related to that - apparently Bean had to argue with PJ to get that line kept in the final version. I’m not a weepy sort, but that line gets me every time. Every damn time. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/149 "2005-06-29T00:01:04Z")
Another one from Apollo 13 when the mother is explaining to her son that something has gone wrong on his daddy’s spaceship. > [@](#): > > Was it the door? I don’t know why, but that really gets me. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/150 "2005-06-29T00:30:22Z")
Just thought of two more, prompted by, of all things, the Kevin Costner thread: The last scene of **A Perfect World** (this was when I was about 11, so it may not hold true anymore). In **Testament** when one of the children dies (this isn’t really a spoiler- the a-bomb has dropped and people are dropping like flies) and the mother/narrator mentions it almost in passing, because she knew it was coming and she herself is pretty much waiting to die. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/151 "2005-06-29T00:46:07Z")
I just remembered another one. In Saving Private Ryan, the whole movie is a big ol’ tearjerker. (Damn Spielberg). But the scene I can’t even watch is the scene when they come to tell the mom about her sons and as she says the Army car turning into the drive, her legs can’t even hold her up anymore and she just falls down on her deck. Any scenes like that, where parents have willingly given up their sons (and these days, daughters) to their country and yet hope day after day to see them home…only to be confronted by the Official Car or Official Notice in the mail. 'Scuse me. I feel a lump in my throat. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/152 "2005-06-29T02:57:09Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Any scenes like that, where parents have willingly given up their sons (and these days, daughters) to their country and yet hope day after day to see them home…only to be confronted by the Official Car or Official Notice in the mail. > > 'Scuse me. I feel a lump in my throat. You just reminded me of the scene in _A League of Their Own_ when the one woman gets THE TELEGRAM. Always kills me when she starts wailing. ---
**Author:** ![DarRRva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/53a042/32.png) [@DarRRva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarRRva)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/153 "2005-06-30T07:13:24Z")
Well if we’re doing tv shows as well, then the scene from the final episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer when Xander is asking Andrew about Anya, and he says: "She died saving my life.’ And Xander replies: “That’s my girl. Always doing the stupid thing.” Makes me break down completely. Sorry to anyone who hasn’t seen it, I wish I knew how to do those black spoiler boxes… anyone want to let me know for future reference, would be much appreciated… ---
**Author:** ![DarRRva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/53a042/32.png) [@DarRRva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarRRva)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/154 "2005-06-30T07:14:11Z")
Well if we’re doing tv shows as well, then the scene from the final episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer when Xander is asking Andrew about Anya, and he says: "She died saving my life.’ And Xander replies: “That’s my girl. Always doing the stupid thing.” Makes me break down completely. Sorry to anyone who hasn’t seen it, I wish I knew how to do those black spoiler boxes… anyone want to let me know for future reference, would be much appreciated… ---
**Author:** ![DarRRva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/53a042/32.png) [@DarRRva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarRRva)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/155 "2005-06-30T07:14:29Z")
Well if we’re doing tv shows as well, then the scene from the final episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer when Xander is asking Andrew about Anya, and he says: "She died saving my life.’ And Xander replies: “That’s my girl. Always doing the stupid thing.” Makes me break down completely. Sorry to anyone who hasn’t seen it, I wish I knew how to do those black spoiler boxes… anyone want to let me know for future reference, would be much appreciated… ---
**Author:** ![DarRRva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/53a042/32.png) [@DarRRva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarRRva)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/156 "2005-06-30T07:16:39Z")
woah. dunno what happened there. sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/157 "2005-06-30T08:15:48Z")
> [@Cat Fight](#): > > In **Testament** when one of the children dies (this isn’t really a spoiler- the a-bomb has dropped and people are dropping like flies) and the mother/narrator mentions it almost in passing, because she knew it was coming and she herself is pretty much waiting to die. Here’s how I remember the scene: It opens with a close-up of the mother working with a needle and thread. We can see that she’s sewing, but at first we can’t tell what she’s working on. She is quite deliberate in her actions. As the camera pulls back, we see that she’s sewing up her daughter in a sheet. This is scene devastated me when I first saw it. One reason it was powerful was that it was underplayed. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/158 "2005-06-30T11:57:05Z")
> [@DarRRva](#): > > Sorry to anyone who hasn’t seen it, I wish I knew how to do those black spoiler boxes… anyone want to let me know for future reference, would be much appreciated… {spoiler}This text would be spoilerboxed if the squiggly brackets were replaced with square ones.{/spoiler} ---
**Author:** ![DarRRva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/53a042/32.png) [@DarRRva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarRRva)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/159 "2005-06-30T15:34:44Z")
thanks for that… I’ll remember that next time I’m giving away big secrets like He’s actually a ghost the whole time! _Gasp!_ ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971/160 "2005-06-30T15:41:55Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I just remembered another one. > > In Saving Private Ryan, the whole movie is a big ol’ tearjerker. (Damn Spielberg). But the scene I can’t even watch is the scene when they come to tell the mom about her sons and as she says the Army car turning into the drive, her legs can’t even hold her up anymore and she just falls down on her deck. > > Any scenes like that, where parents have willingly given up their sons (and these days, daughters) to their country and yet hope day after day to see them home…only to be confronted by the Official Car or Official Notice in the mail. > > 'Scuse me. I feel a lump in my throat. On a related note, the scene in _Big Fish_ where Allison Lohman gets THE TELEGRAM, and all she can do is fall to her knees beside her mailbox. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tear-jerking-line-s-in-a-modern-movie/308971.md?page=9)