I’m with you here. A variation of this are movies/scenes where the protagonist is telling the truth and no one believes him/her. An example would be Jodie Foster in Flightplan (spoiler in case it hasn’t already been spoiled for you by the advertisements).
It probably says something deep and dark about my childhood or something, but I just can’t stand 'em. The Fugitive with Harrison Ford was about the only exception I can think of.
:smack: Oops, forgot to look before I leapt…
There’s a scene in Todd Solotz’s HAPPINESS that’s like, the worst thing I’ve ever seen. Bill Maplewood is sitting on a bed next to his 11-year old son, Billy, and is about to confess that he’s a pedophile who’s had sex with Billy’s friends.
[spoiler]Billy: You, um… uh… with… Johnny Grasso and Ronald Farber?
Bill: Yes.
Billy: What… did you do?
Bill: I touched them.
Billy: What do you mean, exactly, touched?
Bill: I fondled them.
Billy: What for?
Bill: I couldn’t help myself.
Billy: What else?
Bill: I… I unzipped myself.
Billy: You… you mean, masturbated?
Bill: No.
Billy: Then what?
Bill: I… made love.
Billy: What do you mean?
Bill: I fucked them.
Billy: What was it like?
Bill: It was… it was great.
Billy: Would you do it again?
Bili: Yes.[/spoiler]
Just when you think this conversation couldn’t possibly get any worse, we get this gem:
Billy: Would… would you ever… fuck me?
Wait for it…
Bill: No! I’d jerk off instead.
…Yeah… That’s probably the winner right there.
Train Spotting
Spud.
Sheets.
Kitchen.
Is that what you mean by cringe?
I was going for SOTL as well, but for me it is the scene where he has the girl in the well. He continually refers to her in third person neuter: “It rubs the lotion on its skin.”. When he finally has to talk to her as a person instead of an object, he totally loses control.
Remains of the Day. The bit where Lord Darlington is debating democracy with his friend, and the guy proves his point by interviewing Stevens.
Yep, Askia wins! Just when you thought** Happiness ** couldn’t get any more depraved after Philip Seymour Hoffman’s perverted phone call/masturbation scene, we get that gem of an exchange that all fathers have with their ten year old sons.
The most cringeworthy scene I can remember was in The Secret of Santa Vittoria. Anthony Quinn’s daughter is complaining about her being a virgin (something about her juices flowing) and I cringed as I heard the godawful dialog.
The scene in The Bad Lieutenant where Harvey Keitel gives a ticket to that pretty young girl.
**One Hour Photo ** where Robin Williams breaks into the people’s house and proceeds to use the bathroom. I still don’t know exactly why it made me cringe, either him doing that in their house or expecting them to walk in and see him doing that.
Three Extremes - more specifically…Dumplings .
I’m no lightweight and I’ve seen enough Asian horror films to know that they’re much more disturbing than any American filmmaker could ever manage. However, when Mrs. Li first bites into a dumpling and it crunched , I just about hurled. Ugh, just the thought still makes me shudder. I didn’t know what was in the dumplings and didn’t want to know. I watched the rest because I’m a masochist. I was massively grossed out when I found out what was in the dumplings and even more so when Mrs. Li continues eating them at the end. But, that first crunch was still worse.
The dumplings are made from
aborted human fetuses
Oh damn- I so wanted Stevens to pwn him by rattling off a totally learned analysis of the geo-political-economic situation… and to sneak a bit of animal product into the old vegan fascist’s meal.
I actually read a negative review of the movie (in Newsweek, I think), where the critic complained that Evelyn Waugh’s Jeeves would have put those aristocrats in their place, and Stevens should have done the same thing.
That was violent.
In The Company Of Men.
[spoiler]Aaron Eckhart (Chad) and his buddy (Howard) are playing a cruel joke on a deaf woman to get back at other women who mistreated them.
Howard falls for her, but she falls for Chad, completely believing his line.
Finally Howard tries to tell her, and gets pissed off at her:
(Paraphrasing) “Are you so desperate you can’t see it? Chad? He doesn’t like you. He LOATHES you. He DETESTS you and your pathetic “retard” voice. That’s what he calls it. You bought that shit? It was meant to be a SPORT. Fun to watch you fall apart. You are fucking handicapped! You think you can get men to fall at your feet?”
She doesn’t believe him, so she later confronts Chad…
(Paraphrasing)“It turned into sort of a contest because we both wanted to…shit. (Starts to smile) I was gonna let you down easy, but I can’t keep a straight face… so fuck it. SURPRISE!!! (laughs) So how does it feel? I mean right now - this instant? How do you feel inside, knowing what you know? Tell me!”
And she breaks down weeping. Ugh.[/spoiler]
Neil LaBute is great, but…damn.
Ohhh Dooku’s name reminded me… I cringed at the whole “Nooooooo!” scene in ep. 3
Yep - I still remember watching that since with a feeling of dread and horror.
I could also mention, most of Leaving Las Vegas.
Wait - we can include cringe-worthy crappy love scenes?
In that case, I nominate: “You’re not like sand…you’re soft…and smooth…and…”::vomit::
Or the entire movie Love Story. “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Um, what? That’s some spectacularly bad advice right there.
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” 