# What's the first movie you recall seeing that made you cry? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047 "2011-02-20T21:11:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/101 "2011-02-23T00:51:31Z")
> [@Wakinyan](#): > > _Dersu Uzala_. I was 14 and home from school because of a cold and happened to watch this movie on TV. (Only many years later did I realize it was directed by Kurosawa.) I might have cried earlier from a movie, but this is the first I remember. It had a tremendous impact on me, and took me completely off guard, so to speak, because it appeared to be just a boring old film, but there was nothing else on, so I watched it and will never forget. _bonds with Wakinyan_ I love this post, to read that the movie has that impact on someone else besides me. I first saw it on video but have since seen it several times in the theater. Small screen, big screen, it gets me every time and the tears flow at the end. For those who aren’t familiar with it, it’s very atypical Kurosawa in that there’s no violence, no wars, no Major Moral Conflicts. It’s just a simple story of a decades-long friendship between two men, a Russian explorer/surveyor and a Mongolian hunter who becomes a guide for him. When the friendship ends, it’s because one dies of old age, not because of any clashes they have. It’s a very beautiful film, in look and in spirit. The tears flow naturally from the parting of two good and decent men you’ve come to care a great deal about. Dersu Uzala is considered “minor” Kurosawa, I think, but it is and will always be my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/102 "2011-02-23T00:58:37Z")
> [@MegaBee](#): > > That bunyip sequence was some serious nightmare fuel. [Yep](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtrYO-Mog60) ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/103 "2011-02-23T01:17:25Z")
I’m pretty sure I bawled during _The Fox and the Hound_, which I think is the first movie I can remember seeing in theaters. I know I was terrified of the witch in _Sleeping Beauty_, and we had to leave the theater. The first movie I can clearly remember crying at was _E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial_. God, I bawled when that little turd got sick. I’ve been a movie bawler ever since. I mean, er, those movie theaters sure are dusty! The most traumatic movie experience for me, however, was indeed _Transformers: The Movie_. Optimus Prime!!! It took me twenty years to watch the rest of that movie. _Sniff!_ ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/104 "2011-02-23T01:22:09Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > The only answer for all men between the ages of 27 and 33. > > [Ah, The Classics! - Penny Arcade](http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2000/12/8/) So, it’s not just my brother and his friends in that age-range, then? They told me a few years ago how horrified the movie left a bunch of them. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/105 "2011-02-23T03:55:50Z")
Bambi. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/106 "2011-02-23T05:24:07Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > So, it’s not just my brother and his friends in that age-range, then? They told me a few years ago how horrified the movie left a bunch of them. See my spoiler. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/107 "2011-02-24T05:03:34Z")
“The Good Earth.” I saw it on TV when I was a kid. I had no idea what was going on most of the time, but when O-Lan got trampled by the crowd it really got to me somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Walmarticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Walmarticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walmarticus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/108 "2011-02-24T07:55:20Z")
Castaway. when Wilson was floating away from Tom Hanks. Was the the only one that found this really sad? ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/109 "2011-02-24T08:27:45Z")
> [@walmarticus](#): > > castaway. When wilson was floating away from tom hanks. > > Was the the only one that found this really sad? wiiilllllsssson! ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/110 "2011-02-24T12:38:04Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > I’m pretty sure I bawled during _The Fox and the Hound_, which I think is the first movie I can remember seeing in theaters. I know I was terrified of the witch in _Sleeping Beauty_, and we had to leave the theater. > > The first movie I can clearly remember crying at was _E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial_. God, I bawled when that little turd got sick. I’ve been a movie bawler ever since. I mean, er, those movie theaters sure are dusty! > > The most traumatic movie experience for me, however, was indeed _Transformers: The Movie_. Optimus Prime!!! It took me twenty years to watch the rest of that movie. _Sniff!_ I remember seeing that movie in the theater for the first time. When Optimus Prime died, there was a moment of silence, then I heard the collective wail of a generation being scarred for life. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/111 "2011-02-24T15:38:07Z")
> [@MegaBee](#): > > I remember seeing that movie in the theater for the first time. When Optimus Prime died, there was a moment of silence, then I heard the collective wail of a generation being scarred for life. “It’s only a model.” Mine was Gandhi. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/112 "2011-02-24T19:03:48Z")
The first movie I cried at was _Barry Lyndon_, and I was an adult. It was the funeral procession scene, with the music swelling up, and that little coffin being borne along on the goat cart. _Sniff._ ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/113 "2011-02-25T08:08:12Z")
I forgot to mention _The Trouble With Angels_. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/114 "2011-02-25T13:34:43Z")
I cried when King Kong died. Damn, I loved that big monkey. Yes, I know he was an ape, and apes aren’t monkeys. It’s a term of endearment. ---
**Author:** ![DWSKAMS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b3f665/32.png) [@DWSKAMS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWSKAMS)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/115 "2011-02-26T22:29:54Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > When I was a kid in the seventies, certain movies were shown once a year on TV and the event was practically a national holiday as far as we were concerned. I remember well assuming the position to watch Snoopy, Come Home…lying on the floor on my stomach, propped up on my elbows with my hands concealing the side view of my face so my brother wouldn’t see me crying. Of course, he was doing the exact same thing. > > Snoo-oo-oo-oo-py, Snoo-oo-oo-py, why oh why did you roam? Come home, come home. I cried and cried and cried. A few years ago, when remembering this to my children, I rushed delivery a copy from [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com). We all sat down and immediately watched it. I teared up again and they laughed at me. Kids these days… ---
**Author:** ![wonder\_lust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecccb3/32.png) [@wonder\_lust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonder_lust)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/116 "2011-02-26T23:15:19Z")
_Charlotte’s Web_ Some Pig ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/117 "2011-02-26T23:19:09Z")
**Monster Squad.** What, am I the only one? ---
**Author:** ![Eeyore\_sgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@Eeyore\_sgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eeyore_sgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047/118 "2011-02-27T04:56:24Z")
Bambi [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-movie-you-recall-seeing-that-made-you-cry/572047.md?page=5)