# What scenes always bring tears to your eyes, for non plot / acting reasons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896 "2009-11-01T00:55:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/41 "2009-11-14T23:18:36Z")
The scene at the end of _Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind_ where she’s standing in a blood-soaked dress among a sea of golden Ohmu tentacles and the whole town realizes the prophesy has become fulfilled, and that the legendary savior of mankind is, in fact, the Princess. An old blind woman weeps. Just beautiful animation. [Viewable here.](http://clip.vn/watch/Nausicaa-of-The-Valley-of-The-Wind-ending,zDGd) Such a fantastic film. ---
**Author:** ![AmericanMaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@AmericanMaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmericanMaid)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/42 "2009-11-16T15:20:57Z")
In the Two Towers, Gandalf’s fight with the Balrog, that one shot of them plummeting into a cavernous lake with that music is simply amazing. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Cedric’s father mourning his death right after Harry returns from the graveyard. A friend of mine had just lost her son in Iraq which probably made the scene extra emotional for me. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/43 "2009-11-16T17:32:03Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > They fly the missing man formation at Oshkosh and it gets me every time. I think of the 75% mortality rate of British fighter pilots and the mental toll that had to take. I’m a little startled by that number. Could you be referring to the numbers for [Bomber Command](http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/RAF_Bomber_Command_-_Casualties/id/4696474)? That site claims 27 out of 100 aircrew survived a tour of duty without being killed/injured/captured/missing. Although I may have missed it, I hadn’t heard comparable figures for fighter losses quoted anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/44 "2009-11-16T17:43:19Z")
A lot of these get to me, too, but one that never fails is telling parents their kid is dead. The scene in Saving Private Ryan where the car turns up the path and you see the mother run out onto the porch and then her legs just give out… well I want to cry just thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/45 "2009-11-16T18:24:16Z")
Another **Nausicaa** one : The part where Nausicaa sees the airborne gun turret dangling a tortured ohmu, and flies straight at them on an unarmed glider then hurls herself at them, all the time being fired upon and wounded by machine gun fire. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/46 "2009-11-16T19:51:32Z")
**Babe** , when James Cromwell sings that song to Babe and does his little dance to get him to eat. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/47 "2009-11-16T20:11:12Z")
When Father Fitzgibbons sees his mother walk into the church at the end of Going My Way. Gets me every time. ---
**Author:** ![Alma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alma)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/48 "2009-11-16T20:20:35Z")
The scene in Big Lebowski where they toss Donnie’s ashes into the wind. It’s hilarious and touching at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/49 "2009-11-17T14:31:35Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > I am curious about your selection, why did this scene affect you so much? I would guess because, before that scene, Doc Brown is assumed to be dead, and Marty has no way to go back in time to save him, this time. Regardless of the plot or acting, It is always an emotional scene when you find out that a character you liked, who you thought was dead (for good), somehow made it out alive. ---
**Author:** ![StoutHearted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@StoutHearted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StoutHearted)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/50 "2009-11-17T14:46:05Z")
“Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya…” When he’s on the brink of losing the fight to Count Rugen, but suddenly finds the strength to go on, with his voice rising each time… I can never watch that scene too much. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/51 "2009-11-17T15:50:11Z")
Tears, every single time, but not sad ones, from this: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLWhfxq8Jhs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLWhfxq8Jhs) ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/52 "2009-11-17T19:12:46Z")
The end of Home Alone. A silly and fun movie, but for some reason the creepy man hugging his family always makes me tear up. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/53 "2009-11-17T21:21:55Z")
Mmm. The first one I was going to mention is the aforementioned Beacons scene from RotK (Asidem since I just came from a related thread: so many people seem to find RotK the least satisfying of the three LotR films, but it seems to be getting the most mention in this thread.) but the two scenes in Nausicaa people mentioned blow it away entirely. I’m a dork though, I always cry at the end of Castle in the Sky too. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896/54 "2009-11-17T21:23:12Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > **Babe** , when James Cromwell sings that song to Babe and does his little dance to get him to eat. Yes! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scenes-always-bring-tears-to-your-eyes-for-non-plot-acting-reasons/515896.md?page=2)