I don’t know how this came to mind, but it did, so I’ll just spit it out…
“Guy movies” are often looked down upon, derided for their callous or “shallow” content. But, as I’ve personaly found, they can sometimes have moments and scenes of heartwrenching emotion—perhaps moreso than other films, because of the starker contrast to the rest of the story.
So, what I’m asking is…what are your picks for some of the most poignant moments from “guy” movies?
SPOILERS likely to follow.
So far, I can think of…
•On Her Majesty’s Secret Service…“We have all the time in the world.” :eek:
•Predator—Any scene where the trumpet theme “He’s My Friend” plays on the soundtrack.
Are you just counting blow-em-up action movies along the lines of “Die Hard” or “Rambo” as guy movies? If you expand the definition a bit to count movies that probably appeal primarily to guys…
*“Stand By Me” is full of poignant/nostalgic moments.
[SPOILER]*The Last Line of “Double Indemnity,” as Fred McMurry lies dying in his friend’s arms, is a heart-breaker:
Walter Neff: Know why you couldn’t figure this one, Keyes? I’ll tell ya. 'Cause the guy you were looking for was too close. Right across the desk from ya.
After what was clearly years of tension and mutual dislike between Shaun and his stepfather Phillip, the two share a genuinely touching moment as Phillip’s life slips away. Shaun, tearful, admits for the first time that his mother was right and Phillip (effectively) was his father and doesn’t correct her by saying stepfather, as had been his habit.
Ronin has several, between both Sam (DeNiro) and Vincent (Reno) (“You labor or management?” “If I were management I would not offer you a cigarette.”) and Sam and Jean-Pierre (Michael Lonsdale) (“And who are you?” “Just a guy like you, looking to make it to retirement.” “At then end of the day we are likely to be punished for our kindnesses.” “You have nothing to fear from me; I won’t hurt you.”)
The Wild Bunch has some poignant moments, particularly when William Holden and Ernest Borgnine are talking about what they’re going to do after their big heist (“I’d like to make one good score and back off…” “Back off to what?”), and the penultimate scene where the gang looks at each other outside the whorehouse and tacitly decide to go “rescue” Angel from Mapache.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, where Tuco talks to his brother (a priest) about why he became an outlaw.
Later in the same movie, when Blondie finds the dying soldier and gives him his coat to keep warm, before taking a poncho he finds lying nearby for himself.
The whole movie has been about the camaraderie between American and British POWs in trying to outwit and escape from the Nazis. They’ve just been through the hardest part, stealing the prisoner train and repairing the bombed tracks to route them out of Italy. As the train pulls ahead, Frank Sinatra’s character (the guy who pulled it off) is still on the ground, scouting for snipers. The train is getting away from him, and as he runs in vain to catch it, he is gunned down. Credits.
Scotty’s scene in sick bay with the badly burned crewman is a lot more poignant (not to mention that it makes sense) once a deleted scene from earlier in the movie (re-added in the Director’s Cut) introduces the crewman as Scotty’s nephew.
Is Serenity a Guy Movie? If so, then Mal’s “Love” monologue at the end of the movie, not to mention the scene immediatly after “My bag!” towards the end.
Sin City when Bruce Willis’s character takes his own life after his third time protecting Nancy from predators. His relationship with Nancy in general was really touching.
Sob Well, I guess it’s only poignant the second, third and eight hundred and thirty fourth times you see it. The first time, it’s just shocking.
And that moment in *Heat *when Val Kilmer keeps walking. You know the one I mean, right?
Burt Reynolds is about to be shot for escaping. It turns out that he was simply retrieving the game ball.
Yeah, I think Blade Runner counts. The climatic roof top in the rain scene, you know which one, has several spots that qualify. From what Roy Batty says, to the voice over, to the odd little comment from the other blade runner who was apparantly watching the whole thing.