The passage in Under a Wing when Reeve Lindberg describes finding her 18 month old son had died during the night while they were staying with hr mother Anne Morrow Lindberg. After they had made the necessary phone calls, Anne insisted that they sit with the baby’s body. Reeve did not want to do this, but she agreed.
As they were sitting, her mother said “I never got to see my baby after he died. I never got to do this for my son.” Suddenly Reeve realized that, while she was grieving, she was also helping her mother deal with the kidnapping death of her own son many years ago.
By day I am a stoic, unfeeling man. But undercover of darkness at the theatre I too easily tranform into a blubbering idiot - or at least that guy that has very itchy eyes all of a sudden, excuse me while I, um, scratch - yeah that’s it.
Five tearjerkers jump to mind for me:
Hurt by Johnny Cash
Already mentioned above - had to join the chorus. Just wow! >sniff<
Moulin Rouge!
My buddies joke that I have to renounce my hetero-man card for crying at the end of this movie. I maintain that if you are not moved by Ewan McGregor’s performance at the climax then you have no soul.
The Sound of Music (onstage)
I liked the movie all right. I appreciated the skill of the songwriters, enjoyed the scope of the vast vistas, and felt good at the overall feel goodness. But I would never say I loved it or anything.
So I was hopeless unprepared when I saw a stage performance in Toronto a couple years ago. The play opened at the abbey with the nuns holding candles and filing in - from left/right stage, back of stage, and from the back of the theatre - singing softly. Mrs. Call and I had ailse seats - close enough to hear the breaths of the singing nuns as they solemnly walked past. The overwelming beauty of the aural onslaught immediately turned on the faucet! And way too many times through the rest of the production was I sniffling or outright streaming tears. What a wonderful experience that was. phew!
Mozart’s Requiem
Another case where the recorded experience was a candle to the live experience’s sunburst. The concert just happened to occur days after Pope John Paul II died. The conductor solemnly and simply acknowledged the event saying, “We dedicate tonight’s performance to Pope John Paul - a man who worked for peace in a world in desparate need of it.” That brought a lump to my throat. But when the opening chords struck my ears - boom, gushing unashamed tears. I was not alone.
Because Of You (music video) - Kelly Clarkson
I owe Ms. Clarkson an apology. When that song was popular on the radio I was vocal in trashing it (perhaps even on this board). “Because of you I never stray too far from the sidewalk.” This made no sense to me. Okay, Kelly - I get that because of “him” you have been hurt and are over-cautious. But that metaphor - you’re not on the sidewalk which means you’re on the road - in traffic - just not too far from the sidewalk. How is that playing it safe? I would mock sing in reply “Because of you I don’t run with scissors as much as I used to.”
Then I saw the video. That’s when I realized she’s not a jilted lover blaming her ex for sapping her risk-taking emotional blah blah blah. No, she’s been hurt by her parents who should have known better. Now the sidewalk metaphor makes sense! It’s the concrete boundary of her childhood - and because of you (mom/dad) I never stray too far from it - try as I might your failures bring me back to this place.
But more than the lyrical clarification - in this newly realized context when Kelly sings into the camera, “I’m afraid of my life because it’s empty” with that anguisheed look on her face - >blubber< The coup de grace was the way the images signify the cycle was almost about to repeat with her own child - but there is hope that it will not (I won’t attempt describe the imagery here - it’s a must see). What a powerful statement - powerful imagery, and a (now that I get it) a beautifully sad song.
(Note: two of the five touch on religious themes. I am an atheist and was nonetheless profoundly moved)
IMO this thread should have tons more spoiler boxes. I’d personally like to know about the movies/books/songs, etc., that make others cry. It’s okay to say “in the last chapter I totally lost it,” because that’s not revealing anything important. But when you add the specifics to your comments about movies/books that I haven’t yet seen/read, I skip right over your posts. Sadly, I think I’m missing some good info.
The Passion Of The Christ… When Jesus saves the condemned woman from being stoned. He is writing in the sand and he says to the Jews…" Let he who has no sin cast the first stone". Gets me every time that they drop their rocks and walk away. I understand what it is like to be that woman for a second and what it is like to be forgiven. Also I cry like a baby watching Mary following Jesus to the cross but not interfering with his destiny. As a mother this moves me because of how hard this must have been for her.
Cold case files because every life has a story to be told and the endings where they fade out with the right song playing in the background. Sad to me but happy in that there is closure.