In the next-to-last Seinfeld episode, The Clip Show, there’s some clips of hilarious outtake moments, the actors not being able to act for laughing, etc, and then it immediately switches to the opening guitar from Green Day’s ‘Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)’ - as if the song and sentiment wasn’t enough, there’s something about that switch from happy to sad that will make me cry every time.
Thirding Johnny Cash performing Hurt. And adding Immortal Beloved. Awesome movie. A friend of mine and myself dropped by another friend’s house while she and her boyfriend were watching it. The credits roll, and the guy says “well, that was coo- wait are all you CRYING?” And we were.
Actually, I’ve seen “My Dog Skip,” and it didn’t affect me that badly. But then again,
Skip didn’t die. At least, not until several more years passed.
Some American films will make me tear up a bit, but the ones that really turn me into a blubbering fool are Indian films. One of the most tear-jerkery of all is Kal Ho Naa Ho. During one week I played and replayed the DVD 6 times, and I cried like a big baby every single time.
A few other Indian movies that I love and also cry over are…
Veer-Zaara
Chalte Chalte
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Monsoon Wedding
… but Kal Ho Naa Ho still beats all of them for making me cry.
The first Susan Boyle video.
When I really need something to pick me up, this always does it. I can’t stop smiling and crying.
Movies:
Homeward Bound
Marley & Me (Book does it too)
Dances With Wolves
Songs:
Run for the Roses
All By Myself
Books:
Where the Red Fern Grows
The Lady and her Tiger
Misc:
Video of Secretariat’s Triple Crown victory, especially his 31 length win in the Belmont with the announcer yelling “…and Secretariat is running like a great red machine!” Those words still send chills down my spine.
There are many, many more; most anything involving an emotional scene with an animal will send me blubbering.
*The Velveteen Rabbit *gets me in tears every time.
Good choices all, so far.
And how in hell could I have forgotten to mention Ikiru? Takashi Shimura’s performance as Mr. Watanabe is, I think, the best of his career. And if you’re at all familiar with his work, then you’ll know that that’s really saying something.
I have to link to this clip. There is a shorter version, but this longer one is worth watching because it shows what led up to the song. Love the movie, love the song, love Kate Bush, love John Hughes for choosing Kate so that she could write one of her most perfect songs, with or without the visuals.
Hate the Oscar people who totally ignored it.
Shadowlands. “Me too.”
The Navy Hymn was played at my Dad’s funeral, and now it gets me every time.
Also: “Silent Night”, especially this version.
Films:
We Are Marshall (several times through course of film)
**Breaking the Waves **(ending)
the aforementioned Toy Story 2 (that song)
Song:
“Volverás”, by Ricky Martin
Most of Michael Moore’s documentaries leave me bawling. I know that he emotionally manipulates me on purpose, and I hate him for that, but it still happens.
I’ve been known to get veklempt (sp?) at hearing the Godspell song “All Good Gifts”. And I’m an agnostic (almost atheist)!
Also, I’d like to second the film The Elephant Man.
The children’s book, “Are You My Mother?”
Thank you for posting that.
I’ll second Iron Giant. When I was young, West Side Story always made me cry at the end. And now, I cannot listen to Warren Zevon’s Keep Me In Your Heart. Even thinking about that song chokes me up.
On that note, Taps played at any funeral, IRL or onscreen.
I cry all the damn time at movies, TV, you name it, if it involves grief or despair, I’m crying. But the two things that immediately came to mind at the OP, because I’ve read them many times and damn me if I don’t cry every single time like clockwork are Tennessee Williams’ play Summer and Smoke and Milan Kundera’s novel The Book of Laughter and Forgetting.
Now that I think about it, both stories involve women compromising themselves and their principles in order to get love (or mementos of a past love), and watching these characters suffer as they suffer shame, self-loathing, and defeat just about rips my heart out.