# I just bawled my eyes out over a CARTOON! (Iron Giant)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 24, 2001, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355 "2001-05-24T04:19:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/1 "2001-05-24T04:19:42Z")
Good lord. My day care provider lent this video to me, and I’ve been watching it in dribs and drabs. Well, Cranky Jr. just woke up crying and I rocked with him and watched the last third of it.
Is it just hormones that had me heaving with sobs? When the Iron Giant said “Superman” that last time… _grabs for another tissue_
This movie was pretty good, yet I think it’s sleeper. I know parents who know about it, but I don’t recall (for example) Iron Giant Happy Meal toys issued when it came out. Whenever that was.
Anyone else into this film?
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### Author:  [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/2 "2001-05-24T05:04:24Z")
That moment makes me tear up, too.
Mr. Rilch and I liked it a lot too. [obscure children’s book ref]In some ways, it reminded me of **The Enormous Egg** by Oliver Butterworth. If anyone’s read that, they’ll know what I mean.[/obscure children’s book ref]. When Connick’s character first appeared, I squealed “Oo! A beatnik!” Liked John Mahoney as the general, and the mom was drawn in a way that called to mind Belle, from Beauty and the Beast.
Really floored me to hear that it was based on a story by Ted Hughes. “ **That** Ted Hughes?!” In any event, it went over well with the people who did see it. I think there’s another thread somewhere…
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### Author:  [@blur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blur)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/3 "2001-05-24T05:08:37Z")
I didn’t expect much of it when I took my daughter to see it. I figured I’d relax for a couple of hours while she watched the movie. Boy was I wrong. Its one of those rare kids movies that works for the children, but the parents can also enjoy.
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/4 "2001-05-24T06:03:21Z")
[I **adored** this movie](http://moviegeek.homestead.com/files/irongiant.htm).
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### Author:  [@Lux\_Fiat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lux_Fiat)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/5 "2001-05-24T08:16:44Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by CrankyAsAnOldMan \*
> This movie was pretty good, yet I think it’s sleeper. I know parents who know about it, but I don’t recall (for example) Iron Giant Happy Meal toys issued when it came out. Whenever that was.
I loved that damned movie. The horrifically incompetent marketing for _The Iron Giant_ is one of the great crimes of cinematic history. There should have been Happy Meal toys. There should have been talk show appearances. It had Harry Connick Jr. and Jennifer Aniston, for the love of God! Bah.
And as I’ve stated before, I cannot at this time confirm or deny allegations that I may have come close to losing my shit at the end. 🙂
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### Author:  [@tatertot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tatertot)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/6 "2001-05-24T10:56:39Z")
That was one of the best children’s movies I have ever seen; never fails to make me into a quivering mass of tears n’ snot. The book is really good, too.
And I have this odd love/hate relationship going on with Ted Hughes. Just thought I’d share.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/7 "2001-05-24T11:59:54Z")
Bpth Pepper Mill and I love **The Iron Giant**. It hasn’t actually got me to tears, but I’ve been choked up at the end. Shows you the power of good animation and a well-told story. IG has been shamefully ignored.
If you want to be similarly moved by an animated feature, seek out a copy of Will Vinton’s equally underappreciated **The Adventures of Mark Twain**. The ending of the “Diary of Adam and Eve” segment will have you in tears.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/8 "2001-05-24T12:58:39Z")
“Iron Giant” is one of the greatest animated films made. Warner Brothers was too busy hyping “Wild Wild West” to bother with this.
Thank God for video. Otherwise, this would have sunk without a trace.
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### Author:  [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/9 "2001-05-24T13:08:29Z")
I loved this movie so muched that I went back to the theater and stole the movie poster. Not one of my shining moments.
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### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/10 "2001-05-24T13:55:50Z")
As I’ve posted previously:
_I’m Supermaaaaan. . . ._
::sniff::
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### Author:  [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/11 "2001-05-24T14:50:50Z")
Thank God it’s not just me. I cried at the end of that movie too. Hell, I even cried when I was explaining it to someone and got to the “Superman” part. He thought I was crazy. I love that movie on so many levels. I can’t wait to show it to my so when he’s old enough.
I have to admit that I am glad there weren’t Iron Giant Happy Meals and stuff. I feel like I am watching a gem that only a few people can see.
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/12 "2001-05-24T17:37:39Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I can’t wait to show it to my **so** when he’s old enough
Are you sure this is something you want to be talking about in public? 😉
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### Author:  [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/13 "2001-05-24T18:40:28Z")
It is both a shame and a blessing that there wasn’t more merchandising for _the Iron Giant._ But the real villian here is the stupid, misleading, ham-handed marketing campaign that the studio mounted for this sweet-hearted anti-violent movie. The previews and TV commercials for it hyped up I.G. as killing machine, with lots of orgiastic shots of the military and the I.G. shooting at each other, etc. This was done in a misguided attempt to draw older kids and teens to the movie, with complete disregard for the fact that the campaign seems tailor-made to alienate the movie’s core customers - i.e., the parents of smaller kids. Seeing the violent promos, many parents wrongly concluded that it was a shoot-em-up and stayed away… despite the fact that in reality, the violence is restricted to a small section of the movie, is presented in a distinctly negative light, and is redeemed by a gallant sacrifice.
**DAMN** it. I don’t want to get off on a rant here, but the stupid syphilitic hollow-chested monkey-humping marketing morons who ruined _The Iron Giant’s_ chances to take off at the box office probably killed any slight chance there was for the studios to make more movies like it. Instead we get _Pokémon 3._ At least there are people like Robert Rodriguez working outside the studio system so we can get stuff like _Spy Kids._ Not as good as _Iron Giant_ was but better than most kids’ fare.
(pant, pant)
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### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/14 "2001-05-24T20:29:13Z")
Just standing up to be counted as yet another _Iron Giant_ fan. I will **never** forgive Fox for the crappy marketing they did for that movie – while Disney’s abominable _Tarzan_ was all over the place. At least I got the DVD.
And yes, I choked up near the end too…
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### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/15 "2001-05-24T20:56:29Z")
Just standing up to be counted as yet another _Iron Giant_ fan. I will **never** forgive Fox for the crappy marketing they did for that movie – while Disney’s abominable _Tarzan_ was all over the place. At least I got the DVD.
And yes, I choked up near the end too…
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### Author:  [@Melpomene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melpomene)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/16 "2001-05-24T21:47:41Z")
Yes! Yes! Yes!!
A guy friend of mine and I rented this for fluff one night and were surprised to find us both sobbing our hearts out at the end of it. Man oh man did we cry so unbelievably hard. Damn good movie. Solid in character, story structure, plot devices, performances, music, even the style of cartoon was perfect. Damn good movie that a lot more people need to see.
Yes, the marketing of it fell flat on its face, which is too bad because if it had been done better, this movie would have generated a _LOT_ of revenue! Ah well, I guess that they will never learn that sometimes the wholesome movies _can_ beat out the big money-makers in quality. Not that we needed to hear that, I know I’m preaching to the choir here…
It’s good to hear it touched so many others, though. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Shadowfox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadowfox)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/17 "2001-05-24T21:57:27Z")
I guess I’m just here to add another “me too”. We bought this movie for our kids and both my husband and I ended up loving this movie. My husband, the stoic who never cries for any reason, was caught one night by me watching this movie and sniffling and surreptitiously wiping his eyes. I myself choke up at the end too.
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### Author:  [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2001, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/18 "2001-05-24T22:06:22Z")
Wonderful film. I saw it when my English teacher used it as what you could call a lesson. Very sweet. If only Warner Bros. had done better with its marketing (though how DO you market a film like that?), it mighr have done well.
It seems Warners and Fox have the most trouble with animated films. The two D’s seem to hold the throne (Disney and Dreamworks-though Dreamworks is a newcomer to the throne, holding it only for two years with _Chicken Run_ and _Shrek_).
But still…“I am not a gun…” wonderful film…
I’m sure if I saw a giant robot in my hometown that everyone thought was evil, I would befriend it…but then again, I’m like Casper the Friendly Ghost, I’d try to befriend everybody I see if given the chance and if there weren’t so many evil people were out there…
Aaah. I’m done hijacking.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2001, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/19 "2001-05-25T01:26:06Z")
You like cartoons that make you cry?
Try— **Grave Of The Fireflies**.
Yeah, it’s Anime. But try it. It’s semi-autobiographical. Everything in it happened; either to the director, or to people he knew.
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### Author:  [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2001, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-bawled-my-eyes-out-over-a-cartoon-iron-giant/66355/20 "2001-05-25T02:21:10Z")
Another **Iron Giant** fan here. In the past 10 years, I can only think of two movies that were released that have brought me to tears: _Life is Beautiful_ and _Iron Giant_.
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