Many of the movies mentioned so far are indeed tear-jerkers of the most manly variety, particularly the awesome The Iron Giant
But Armageddon? Frickin’ Armageddon? From, as The Onion terms him, “Producer and Antichrist” Jerry Bruckheimer? I was laughing out loud at how stupid and preposterous that movie was, and almost got physically attacked by other, more sensitive, moviegoers.
On the other hand, I loved Independence Day, although it certainly didn’t make me cry.
Any movie where, as the ship is about to (perhaps) blow up, one of the crewmembers turns to the captain and says, “Sir, it has been an honor to serve with you” (or words to that effect). Works on me every time.
Apollo 13 and Deep Impact come to mind.
If you could see me you’d probably be surprised that I cry at anything. In fact I’m weird - I don’t cry at traditionally ‘sad’ movies, but I tend to be affected by “happy endings”, where a character succeeds against all odds and ends up doing OK or even great.
e.g. (I suggest revealing the spoiler a little bit at a time so you can see which movie is being spoiled!) Erin Brokovitch - where she gets the bonus check at the end for a few million dollars also Billy Elliot - where the kid is shown as a grown man at the end, playing the lead role in a ballet at a prestigious theater in London, while his dad and brother look on from the audience <snivel>
Shadowlands.
“Me too”.
De Niro, not Pacino.
I love Independence Day, but I must confess that I find the Randy Qaid character so irritating I watch his scenes with the sound turned down, and first time I saw the scene where he flies his plane into the mothership, I cheered with relief! Maybe it’s because I’m English but I just find that whole “Yessir, Mr President Sir” stuff so embarrassingly mawkish. Can’t imagine any British pilots saying that kind of thing to our wonderful Tony Blair.
I am a total weepie at the movies. Disney, kids dying, unrequited love, etc.
Some that do me in have already been mentioned. (Interesting note: I received Grave of the Fireflies from Netflix yesterday; my wife and I are going to watch it tonight. I expect I’ll be a basket case.)
Here are a couple I didn’t see mentioned:
Comrades, Almost a Love Story
Failan
The Bride with White Hair
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but not necessarily at the ending. During the fight scenes, especially the first one. I think my reaction is a visceral emotional response at the sheer artistic beauty I was experiencing. This was the first “Asian/fantasy/wuxia” film I ever saw and I suppose it was like someone viewing the Mona Lisa for the first time, and really getting it. There is no logical explanation, it just is.
I do remember when I saw Forrest Gump for the first time. I was in grad school and had gone to the theater by myself. When Forrest was talking to Jennie’s grave and had the letter from Forrest, Jr., I totally lost it. Tears streaming down my face. At the time I was too self-conscious to wipe them off, so I just sat there and let them fall into my lap.
There was a scene in Armageddon that got me misty eyed…it’s where they show a montage of scenes from around the world of people holding death vigils. There was one shot of some MIddle Eastern people sitting together at a sunset, marking time with a hollow stamper.
thoom thoom thoom
Also, first time I saw FotR was with a bunch of friends and we were all really psyched to see it. The intro, which showed the battle of Elves & Men vs Sauron, had a big wide shot of the all the armies clashing, and got me teary-eyed.
Then at the end, when Aragorn puts his hands on the shoulders of Legolas and Gimli and tells them, “We will not abandon Pippin and Merry to butchery and torment. Let’s go hunt some Orc!” Aw damn, got more tears flowing.
OK, here’s my embarrassing confession: Remains of the Day sorta gets me. The last twenty minutes or so. (Damn, I’m a big softie…)
Boyo Jim wrote:
The ending of Rocky doesn’t do it for me. The scene that gets me is when Burgess Meredith comes to Rocky’s apartment and begs to be Rocky’s manager. Rocky turns him away, and he departs a broken old man…but then you cut to the scene outside Rocky’s apartment, Burgess Meredith walks down the street alone, dejected, and soft-hearted Rocky comes running up behind him and puts an arm around him… [lump-in-throat]
Sylvester Stallone rightfully catches a lot of grief, but bless him for writing that movie, and that scene in particular.
Also, count me among those who don’t understand all the bawling over Armageddon. From where I sit, Deep Impact did a better job of pushing emotional buttons.
In addition to Braveheart and a few others mentioned already, movies that got to me are:
Contact - So many scenes… I’m surprised I’m the first to mention it. Am I the only one affected by this movie?
Life as a House - I never would have seen it on my own, but I had an oppurtunity for a free screening. I’m glad I went.
Darn. I know there are more, I just can’t think of them. That one where Robin Williams played a robot; I think that was one, but I don’t remember it well. Outside of movies: the final episode of Cowboy Bebop had me really worked up…
“Bang.”
I don’t exactly cry, but I always get choked up at the part in Field of Dreams where the young Archie Graham steps over the field boundary and becomes Old Doc Graham to save the little girl.
He can’t go back again, and yet he chooses the high road, saving just one life. It’s terrible and wonderful all at the same time.
I first saw that movie with my father; took him to see it for his birthday, in fact. And he mentioned later that he was touched by the catch Ray has with his father at the end of the film. It reminded him of his own father playing catch with him when he was a kid, and how he taught his own four sons to play ball, too.
Powerful movie, that.
Sorry, can’t agree with you there. My father, bless him, is very much alive, and I have no unresolved conflicts with him. Still, it’s not the catch at the end that does it for me. (See my previous post)
You nailed it Doghouse. What an amazing actor Anthony Hopkins is. After already seeing Debra Winger going off to “the big sleep” in the sappy Terms of Endearment, I wasn’t about to tear up for an encore. After that scene though, I completely lost it.
I just watched Grave of the Fireflies for the first time last night. I cried uncontrollably for about half an hour toward the end of it. The trip to the doctor was what really started it. What an amazing film. I’m still in a daze over it.
Dancer In The Dark… everytime.
Anyone who’s seen it knows what I’m talking about.
Just FYI, The actress who played Ponette also played the daughter in the movie Chocolat. She was very good, very natural in that movie too.
Mr. Michele, like me, is a soft-hearted sort who frequently cries at movies. That said, his most recent sob fest was My Dog Skip when it was on HBO.
Oh yes. The scene at the very end of the movie when they go marching through the lines of Union troops on the way to a suicidal charge of Fort Wagner.
“Give 'em hell 54 !”
Pass the kleenex.
There are several scenes in Ken Burns Civil War (its a personal subject for me) that choke me up. The worst (best?) one is the letter from the Union soldier to his wife before the First Battle of Bull Run . . .
[paraphrase] “but if the dead can come back and flit among the living, you will never be alone”[/paraphrase]
Then you find out he did indeed die.
Water works. Gets me everytime.
The Iron Giant got to me, as did Fearless.
Sure it counts as a movie! The very first words to appear on screen are “A film by Ken Burns”, aren’t they?
ok, just added The Iron Giant to my list… to the very top of it…