# Saddest line/moment in a movie...(Spoilers, probably) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 29, 2002, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379 "2002-10-29T08:42:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/41 "2002-10-30T04:01:46Z")
The final scene of _Manon of the Spring_. The rich old man is sitting on a bench next to an old blind woman, and she tells him the complete story of what happened to the woman he once loved after she left him. In _Funny Games_, the scene in the living room after the killers play eenie-meenie-minie-moe. In _Night Shift_ morgue worker/pimp Henry Winkler has just spent the night with hooker Shelley Long. He comes to work the next night with a spring in his step from his new found love, expecting her not to show up. She does. Co-morgue worker/pimp Michael Keaton takes her out for her first customer of the night leading to this exchange: “Don’t worry about him. He probably thought you guys were in love or something.” “So did I.” In _Notorious_ Cary Grant has been ordered by a higher up to have Ingrid Bergman marry the Evil Nazi. They are in love with each other by this point, but neither is sure if the other is in love with them, and they both use this as a test, her wanting him to tell him not to go back, and him wanting her to refuse. Both end up devestated and convinced the other doesn’t return their affection. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/42 "2002-10-30T05:02:10Z")
There’s a fantastic little movie called [Daikaiju Tokyo ni arawaru](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0313950) or _The Great Monster Came to Tokyo_, a semi-parody of the Godzilla/Gamera genre. The characters all live in a quiet rural town where the only news they get are sporadic, conflicting reports that Tokyo has been destroyed by a giant monster (which we never see) that is now wandering through Japan, after which the film follows how they all react even though their town is untouched. The movie’s last scene, of the festival the town holds years later, never fails to choke me up. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/43 "2002-10-30T05:04:10Z")
The reading of the poem in _Four Weddings and a Funeral._ ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/44 "2002-10-30T05:19:33Z")
Hell, the entirety of **Terms of Endearment** is sad, but the saddest thing I find in that movie is Emma’s marriage, or more exactly, Emma’s husband. Even though nobody will admit to it today, I have nothing to fear in saying that I pretty much was wracked up for the last 45 minutes of **Titanic**. Blatantly manipulative? Hell, yeah! That’s what I go to the movies _for_! Anybody here see the movie **Testament**? A relentlessly depressing movie about the slow breakdown of civilization after a nuclear war. There was no big scenes: no shots of bombs exploding, no riots, no rapes, just a quiet movie about a woman who’s world and family are coming apart on her and her efforts to keep the threads from unravelling. A shot near the end, showing a playground that has been converted to a cemetery is quite heartbreaking, as is Jane Alexander’s final speech. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/45 "2002-10-30T05:26:55Z")
When they shot the wolf in _Dances With Wolves_ I was still crying an hour later. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/46 "2002-10-30T05:33:34Z")
When I saw **Empire of the Sun** as a young’un in the theater, the closing scene of Jim reunited with his parents choked me up. I got it several months ago on DVD…and it _still_ choked me up. The song in **Toy Story 2** sung by the cowgirl toy figure that was abandoned. ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/47 "2002-10-30T05:36:09Z")
John Merrick removing the pillow from behind his head in **The Elephant Man**. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/48 "2002-10-30T05:43:23Z")
Damn, there’s just too many…yeah Liam Neisom in Schindlers’ List gets me everytime. I don’t know if it’s the acting, the movie or the knowledge that it’s not fiction. (911 still gets to me too though) I haven’t seen “Brian’s Song” in awhile, but I remeber it as being pretty damned tearjerking itself. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/49 "2002-10-30T05:49:03Z")
I don’t know how many people remember this one but for me it’s the end of SILENT RUNNING when the last little droid is left all by himself in space to tend to the last remaining plants from earth. I know he was only a robot but I felt so sorry for the little guy, all by himself, forever in space. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/50 "2002-10-30T05:57:52Z")
Apparently this submission is too powerful as the hamsters wouldn’t let it post last time. Thescene in **Gallipoli** when the order comes through that the final group of soldiers are to attempt to take the enemy position. They have just seen the two previous waves of attacks slaughtered when they are ordered to go. The sergeant tries to rally them with his reminder that they are members of the British Empire, etc. The men, knowing that they will all die, begin quickly writing notes, removing wedding rings and other tokens, and stick them into the sandbags lining their trench. Aaaggghhh. Kills me every time I see it. The first time was in a history class in college. Thankfully, the professor left the lights off for a couple of minutes when it was over so that we could all compose ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/51 "2002-10-30T06:02:13Z")
I guess none of you has seen **Where the Red Fern Grows**. Would make a helluva double bill with Old Yeller. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/52 "2002-10-30T06:54:49Z")
“Play it, Sam.” ---
**Author:** ![kspharm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ebca7d/32.png) [@kspharm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kspharm)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/53 "2002-10-30T07:30:16Z")
The scene in Last of the Mohicans when Daniel Day Lewis kills his rival - who is being burned at a stake - so he doesn’t have to suffer the pain of being burned alive. Gets me every time. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/54 "2002-10-30T08:00:34Z")
And an addition, or two… The death of the _Enterprise_, especially in **The Search for Spock** , but **Generations** wasn’t too cheery, either. “My God, bones…what have I done?” ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/55 "2002-10-30T08:04:13Z")
Damn, I keep thinking of them. The climactic scene of _Of Mice and Men_, specifically the version directed by Gary Sinise. So simple yet _so_ sad. The end of _Dancer in the Dark_. I was pretty much useless for a day after I saw that. I start to cry even listening to the soundtrack. The scene in _Jude_ in which the little boy kills his siblings. It disturbed me so much that I can’t stand to ever watch that film again. “We are too many.” **shiver** And the suicide scene in _Dead Poets’ Society_. Something about the simple, understated visuals and Maurice Jarre’s droning score really get to me. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/56 "2002-10-30T09:02:05Z")
dammit Avalonia!!! I’m listening to Art Bell’s guest host talking to David J. Skal about Universal monster movies- and Lon Chaney Jr… and I thought about his Lenny in OF MICE AND MEN… “I can see it, George! I can see it!” _BANG!_ I was in college, my brother in high school the afternoon we saw it on TV- we didn’t exactly cry but we did shout “Noooooooo!” rather plaintively. ---
**Author:** ![NotTheGreatGatsby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9a140/32.png) [@NotTheGreatGatsby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotTheGreatGatsby)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/57 "2002-10-30T09:12:21Z")
The very end of The Horse Whisperer, as the credits roll – and you think of all the other things you could have done with those two hours. ---
**Author:** ![Monkeypants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Monkeypants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkeypants)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/58 "2002-10-30T13:32:57Z")
If you’ve seen the French movie “Tout le Monde Cherche Son Chat”, there is a slightly retarded guy in the movie who is in love with the protagonist (a woman). Everyone makes fun of him throughout the entire movie, for various reasons, and he always laughs it off. There is a scene, though, where it becomes too much, and he goes from laughing with them to crying in an instant. It is well acted and very sad. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/59 "2002-10-30T13:46:42Z")
The ending of The Horse Whisperer was bizarre, in that it had nothing to do with the ending from the book. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379/60 "2002-10-30T13:49:38Z")
- The entire film of the French movie **Ponette**. I’m not exaggerating when I say I cried from the first scene to the last without a break. It’s about a little 4-year old girl who was in a car accident with her mother, and her mother died, and she spends the entire film trying to understand why her mother isn’t coming back. \*The scene in **Slingblade** when Billy Bob Thornton gives the little boy his books, along with a bookmark he made that says “You will be happy” on it. \*Most of **Ordinary People** , but especially the last scene, when the father and son hug each other and cry. _sniff_ \*One of the last scenes of **Glory** when Matthew Broderick’s body rolls on top of Denzel Washington’s corpse, and Broderick’s head falls on Washington’s chest. \*I saw **The Mission** many years ago, so I may be a little off on the details, but I remember sobbing in the theatre during the scene in which Robert DeNiro lies mortally wounded on the ground and looks through the flames of the burning mission and sees Jeremy Irons carrying the crucifix, undaunted. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddest-line-moment-in-a-movie-spoilers-probably/134379.md?page=4)