# Top Five Cinematic Moments **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 7, 2000, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-cinematic-moments/18864 "2000-05-07T23:40:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2000, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-cinematic-moments/18864/41 "2000-05-09T14:11:14Z")
**Ruffian** wrote- > [@](#): > > **Awakenings** I bawl like a PMSing baby (hey, it could happen!) when Leonard–“awakened” after 20 years of a catatonic state–opens his arms and cheerfully, lovingly greets his now elderly mother who has cared for her unresponsive son all that time. A bit of an obvious heart-string tug, but I still succomb. A close second from this film is the “fucking miracle” when the entire wing of catatonics was treated with L-Dopa. I bawl more there.(Yes, this is my crying movie.) Yeah, it’s a manipulative movie, but I’m a sucker for this one, too. As for a favorite “moment” from the movie, mine would be the scene where all of the employees of the facility, right down to the janitor, turn over their paychecks to finance the treatment. Now, I’m a guy, so I can’t admit to bawling, but I do get a manly lump in my throat at that moment. I also like the double meaning of the title, since Robin Williams’s character undergoes an awakening of his own in the film. I really thought that Williams deserved an Oscar for this performance. One more “moment” has occurred to me, from **Planes Trains and Automobiles** : When John Candy falls asleep at the wheel, winds up on the wrong side of the interstate, and then the car has to squeeze in between two tractor trailers coming in the opposite direction. The sparks are flying as the car screeches through the gap, Candy and Steve Martin are screaming, then Martin turns to look at Candy, and Candy, for a moment, appears as a maniacally laughing Devil…I just about fell out of my theater seat laughing when I saw that. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2000, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-cinematic-moments/18864/42 "2000-05-09T14:19:17Z")
> [@](#): > > 3) **Heavenly Creatures** : “Go on, Mum…Treat yourself.” Mum’s daughter and her friend are twenty minutes from murdering Mum; the flat hate in the daughter’s eyes will curdle your milk.\*\* Rillchiam, I **love** you! That is one of my favourite movies of all time. It is also proof that Kate Winslet can actually _act_, contrary to what one might think after witnessing _“Titanic”_. This also brought back the momory of the **Mario Lanza Shrine**. Thanks, there’s a big grin on my face now 😃 Peter Jackson (the director of _Heavenly Creatures_ and also _Brain Dead / Dead Alive_, oddly enough) is an absolute hero of mine. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2000, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-cinematic-moments/18864/43 "2000-05-09T15:15:45Z")
Jophiel - Gawd, you just brought down my whole day, thanks ☹ at least now i know never to rent this movie. Full Metal Jacket - The scene at the end when they are all singing the Mickey Mouse club song Stripes - The graduation ceremony Empire Records - The chasing the shoplifter scene Barefoot in the Park - Robert Redford drunk in the park Moll Flanders - (I bawled through that whole movie) The end when in finally falls together for her Mandingo - When the plantation owner boils the slave and stabs him with a pitchfork Searching For Bobby Fisher - When he offers that little brat a draw Batman Returns - Catwoman’s introduction - I’m a heterosexual woman but MEOW! Legends of the Fall - When the youngest brother gets shot, that look of helplessness when they both realize. When Brad Pitt’s wife gets shot. American History X -the curb stomping scene and the prison rape scene. Primal Fear - i won’t ruin it for anyone who hasn’t seen it, the end American Me - the prison rape/murder/violation Blood in, blood out - when they drop the artist on the fire hydrant, ouch! ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-cinematic-moments/18864/44 "2000-05-10T02:33:12Z")
[QUOTE] \*\* > [@](#): > > Rilchiam, I **love** you! > > [Heavenly Creatures] is one of my favourite movies of all time. It is also proof that Kate Winslet can actually _act_, contrary to what one might think after witnessing _“Titanic”_. > > This also brought back the momory of the **Mario Lanza Shrine**. Thanks, there’s a big grin on my face now 😃 > > Peter Jackson (the director of _Heavenly Creatures_ and also _Brain Dead / Dead Alive_, oddly enough) is an absolute hero of mine. > \*\* Yes, I was beside myself with joy when Peter Jackson was announced as the director of **Lord of the Rings** There’s great potential to muck it up, but I know he won’t. Also, I’m sorry you don’t like **Titanic** , but I do, and I might not have seen it at all if I hadn’t known Winslet from HC. I made Coldfire smile! ---
**Author:** ![jjjfishe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jjjfishe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjjfishe)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-cinematic-moments/18864/45 "2000-05-10T03:08:20Z")
Sitting on the bench in the middle of the night - NOTTING HILL - Loved It!!! ---
**Author:** ![\_oo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e9a140/32.png) [@\_oo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_oo)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-cinematic-moments/18864/46 "2000-05-10T07:56:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > American History X -the curb stomping scene and the prison rape scene. > \*\* I still can’t get over this ‘curb stomping’ scene as you have named it…and especially at the part when his brother said he could hear that guys head crack open…can’t imagine ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-cinematic-moments/18864.md?page=2)