# Scenes that are poignant for offscreen reasons **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 26, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384 "2011-07-26T14:23:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/21 "2011-07-27T01:18:22Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > I thought the scene where real life father and daughter Angelina Jolie and John Voight play family in Tomb Raider was poignant given their occasional estrangement. And their estrangement since filming the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/22 "2011-07-27T02:19:46Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > I thought the scene where real life father and daughter Angelina Jolie and John Voight play family in Tomb Raider was poignant given their occasional estrangement. I’ve never seen it, but I’ve read that there was some irony or poignancy or something similar reflected in Henry and Jane Fonda’s onscreen father-daughter relationship in [On Golden Pond](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Golden_Pond_%281981_film%29). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/23 "2011-07-27T02:30:23Z")
Robert Downey, Jr., doing an amazing impression of an out-of-control cocaine addict in _Less Than Zero._ ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/24 "2011-07-27T03:00:36Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > In the documentary **Gigantic,** about They Might Be Giants, there’s a scene of them playing a great acoustic version of “New York City,” in a Manhattan record store. It’s just before midnight, when they’re new CD will be released. There’s nothing particularly special about the scene, until you notice the date: September 10th, 2001. They don’t talk about it at all (except for in the commentary), the only mention of the date is the subtitle at the bottom of the screen. Similarly, but even more on this point, is this [Ryan Adams video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmHgY_J63Ik), which was filmed 9/7/01 and prominently features the WTC. Not really an “offscreen” reason, but very poignant. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/25 "2011-07-27T03:22:46Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > Similarly, but even more on this point, is this [Ryan Adams video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmHgY_J63Ik), which was filmed 9/7/01 and prominently features the WTC. Not really an “offscreen” reason, but very poignant. Led Zeppelin in 1973, the year the WTC was completed: [“I think this is a song of hope.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q7Vr3yQYWQ) ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/26 "2011-07-27T04:02:53Z")
All of _The Crow._ ---
**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:** [July 27, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/27 "2011-07-27T04:07:58Z")
Weird…I was coming in to say Heath Ledger in TDK, too. But it was the tunnel chase scene that did it for me…in a split second, my thoughts went from “this is _incredible!_” to “…oh. And this is the only time I’m ever going to get to see him doing this, isn’t it?” ☹ ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/28 "2011-07-27T05:16:55Z")
“Under the Boardwalk.” Not a scene, but a song: [QUOTE=Under the Boardwalk] The song was set to be recorded on May 21, 1964, but the band’s lead singer, Rudy Lewis, unexpectedly died of a suspected heroin overdose the night before. Lewis had sung lead on most of their hits since the 1960 departure of Ben E. King, including “Up on the Roof”. Rather than reschedule the studio session to find a new frontman, former Drifters lead vocalist Johnny Moore was brought back to perform lead vocals for the recording. [/quote] The song is supposed to be about horny teenagers. Instead it was about pain and loss and why a friend was gone. The pain is palpable as the singers try to work through their grief while propping up a, “The show must go on,” attitude. Maybe the saddest pop song ever. > **[Under the Boardwalk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Boardwalk)** > > "Under the Boardwalk" is a pop song written by Kenny Young and Arthur Resnick and recorded by The Drifters in 1964. It charted at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on August 22, 1964. The song has since been covered by many other artists, with versions by Bette Midler, Sam & Dave, Tom Tom Club, The Rolling Stones, Billy Joe Royal, The Beach Boys, Bruce Willis, Bad Boys Blue, John Mellencamp and Lynn Anderson all charting in the United States or overseas. The song ranked number 487 on Th... ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/29 "2011-07-27T08:14:34Z")
Cordelia mourning Doyle’s death in Angel Season 1, watching his video. “Is that it? Am I done now?” In real life, the actor who played Doyle died a few years after. Similarly, Lorne’s last scene in the final Angel episode, walking away in despair/disgust after killing Lindsey, saying they’ll never see him again. Andy Hallett died four years later ☹ ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/30 "2011-07-27T08:28:03Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > The montage at the end of the excellent HBO docu-drama _And The Band Played On…_ about the researchers who “discovered” AIDS shows photo and video of famous people who died or were otherwise affected by AIDS. In the middle of the montage is Princess Diana in an orphanage in Africa, surrounded by emaciated toddlers and children. Every time I see it, I get profoundly sad. Of all the people in this montage, most of whom were dead when it was created, she wasn’t supposed to be one of them. I don’t particularly care about royalty, but this one picture just hits home about what a caring person she was, and now she’s gone. > > [Here it is, just in case you wanted to watch it.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlD_XNMCjuo) THIS, THIS, THIS! A thousand times THIS! No matter how many times I’ve watched this montage before the end credits, I still tear up. And the Elton John tune “The Last Song” is just as fitting and tearjeaking. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/31 "2011-07-27T09:25:27Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > River Phoenix walking away in **Stand By Me** The night he died, I went out with Mr. Rilch-to-be, came home and watched **Dogfight**. I wasn’t sure which scene would be the one to make me break down. It was the one where Rose/Lili Taylor plays and sings the Joan Baez song. _Just a little boy standing in the rain The gentle rain that falls for years And the grass is gone, the boy disappears And rain keeps falling like helpless tears And what have they done to the rain_ And Eddie/River sits smoking and watching her intently. My eyes are stinging a bit now, in fact. [tangent]And 1993 was the same year DiCaprio first started getting noticed, with **Gilbert Grape** and **This Boy’s Life**. He stepped into Phoenix’s spot so neatly, it’s VVC. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/32 "2011-07-27T09:28:06Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > [tangent]And 1993 was the same year DiCaprio first started getting noticed, with **Gilbert Grape** and **This Boy’s Life**. He stepped into Phoenix’s spot so neatly, it’s VVC. Kind of like John Candy –\> Chris Farley –\> Jack Black ---
**Author:** ![browncoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f08c70/32.png) [@browncoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/browncoat)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/33 "2011-07-27T10:42:43Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Was just thinking about a few: [Vincent Price](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_kwFxbBY5U), [Oliver Reed](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q80IE32SlXM) and [John Candy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F99n9SydtM). Watching all of them makes me sad, for reasons not in the film. > > How 'bout you? I don’t mean to confine scenes to films where the actor actually died during filming. That scene where John Belushi visits the graves of all the other SNL original cast members would be pretty poignant, if I could find it. Or maybe not involving dying at all, but just an element of star-crossed-ness, e.g., maybe some scenes between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. River Phoenix in My Own Private Idaho, as I think it reflects the troubled life River led when he was younger, (Children of God Sect etc..) I was a big fan of River as a teenager this particular film seems to touch me more than others. His last words in the final scene: I’m a connoisseur of roads. I’ve been tasting roads my whole life. This road will never end. It probably goes all around the world." ☹ ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/34 "2011-07-27T12:48:39Z")
Hearing Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” was already hard to listen to without having a heavy heart before Saturday’s sad news. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/35 "2011-07-27T13:36:50Z")
Or in “[F-me pumps](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJhl1xQENpY):” Don’t be mad at me ‘Cause you’re pushin’ thirty And your old tricks no longer work . . . Needless to say, she herself never came close to pushing 30. Also really sad to see how healthy she looked way back when. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/36 "2011-07-27T13:44:33Z")
…this scene from the TV Series: Avatar: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFASos1G-5U) In itself, the scene was very sad. But then we find out the segment was dedicated to Mako, the voice actor for Uncle Iroh in the same scene, the result is devastating. I still cry every time I watch this. _“Leaves from the vine Falling so slow Like fragile, tiny shells Drifting in the foam Little soldier boy Come marching home Brave soldier boy Comes marching home”_ ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/37 "2011-07-27T13:51:35Z")
In\* The World Is Not Enough\*, Desmond Llewelyn, who played Q in 17 James Bond movies, introduced John Cleese as his replacement, and when Bond asks him a question he doesn’t want to answer, he says: “That’s one thing I learned from you Bond - always have an exit strategy.” and uses a platform in the floor to vanish from sight. It was his last on-screen performance and he died a month after the movies’ premiere. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/38 "2011-07-27T14:48:32Z")
The Phil Hartman/Jan Hooks “Love is a Dream” sketch from SNL. Without Phil’s death, it’s just a weird bit of odd left field sentimentality from a show not known for it… but it turned out to be Phil’s perfect “obit clip” when SNL returned from hiatus after his murder. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/39 "2011-07-27T15:50:07Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Kind of like John Candy –\> Chris Farley –\> Jack Black Okay, now speaking of Jack Black, the scene in **Tropic Thunder** where his character “confesses” his addiction, still thinking he’s got everyone fooled, is a bit uncomfortable, being as Robert Downey Jr. is in that scene. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384/40 "2011-07-27T18:41:04Z")
In season 5 of Dexter there’s a scene between Dexter and his sister saying how much they mean to each other. Watching it is kind of surreal knowing about Hall and Carpenter’s off-screen relationship, his battle with cancer with her by his side, and their eventual break-up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scenes-that-are-poignant-for-offscreen-reasons/590384.md?page=3)