We saw Schindler’s List in the theater when it was still in fairly limited release. It was a cold foggy winter night. When it was over, the spouse and I just walked out like zombies. I remember wandering numbly around the parking lot looking for the car, absolutely stunned by what we’d seen. We weren’t alone.
That was the strongest one. The others that come to mind are:
Beyond the Mat: This was a documentary about pro wrestlers. The spouse was into the WWF at the time so he wanted to see it. It was the most depressing movie I think I’ve ever seen, with its stories of famous wrestlers who had all sorts of problems–substance abuse, just sheer abuse of their bodies, horrible working conditions…I lasted until near the end when they showed a match with Mick Foley and somebody else, and the somebody else was beating the crap out of Mick–he was covered in blood and cuts and looked like a particularly gruesome accident victim. Which was all well and good, except that his wife and very young children were in the audience. And the kids didn’t get that it was fake. So here are these two little kids watching somebody destroying their dad, having hysterics, while Mom tries to calm them down (but doesn’t actually…you know…take them out of there). I’m not describing it very well, but it was extremely depressing. I got up and left, telling the spouse I’d be out in the lobby.
The beginning of Up and the Jessie scene in Toy Story 2. I can’t watch either of those without losing it.
Oh, and a particular sequence about a cat from an Italian animated film called Allegro Non Troppo. I watched it on YouTube a while back after mentioning it in a thread here and it still made me go to pieces.
I came in to mention Jessie’s song in Toy Story 2. It’s a cartoon, damnit! But blubber-level tears.
In terms of visceral, holy shit type reaction (on multiple occasions), Seven, without a doubt.
Seems like I haven’t seen a lot of real emotional movies in a theater. But I’ll probably never forget seeing my dad crying at the end of Field of Dreams.
The Passion of the Christ. I sobbed from start to finish. At least I wasn’t the only one - the ladies room after was packed with tear-stained women.
Star Wars Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace. My roommate and I, after the show, walked home in a daze. About halfway home we looked at each other and said “What the hell was that?” Very disappointed.
I cried like a baby at the end of Saving Private Ryan in the theaters when he said, “Tell me I’ve lived a good life.” I was 17 years old and I didn’t give a damn who saw me.
There are lots to choose from, but I’m going to go with The Incredibles. When Bob thought he’d lost his family, I was as devastated as he was, and when he got them back, I sobbed like a lost child.
Pixar has done such a wonderful job with voice casting. Their animation is brilliant, but I suspect that a lot of their work would move you just as deeply even if you watched it with your eyes closed.
Moments that risk making me well up just remembering them:
Yeah. They kept breaking their own records for how long into the movie I’d start to cry. The current record holder is Up, during which I started crying as soon as I realized I hadn’t seen an old woman in any of the previews with the old man. ~5 minutes in, IIRC.
One movie that stunned me was “The Secret of Kells”. It’s a highly stylized animated movie, but somehow I found the images so beautiful - it really moved me.
I really loved this scene:
If I ever have a white cat, I’ll call it Pangur Bán.
I have written about this elsewhere but I saw The Sixth Sense very early before the hype and the end made me literally gasp.
I got really upset at the end of Ghost. Not so much because of the movie but I saw it the summer before I started college and it was one of the last things I did with my friends before leaving. The whole theme of saying goodbye got to me.
Aliens 4 made me nauseous and I felt disgusted on multiple levels for awhile afterward. I really wish I had walked out on that movie.
Apocalypto was seriously intense the first time I saw it. The violence and inhumanity seemed so believable.
I saw Office Space in a theater in Portland that lets patrons drink beer. The entire audience, including myself, laughed so hard. I almost fell out of my seat.
I was 17 when the movie came out. I went to see it in the theater on a Saturday with friends. Our AP English teacher thought it was a powerful enough movie that we should see it and planned a trip after I had already seen it the first time. IIRC, theaters were opening up screenings for schools at a discounted rate. On second (and subsequent) viewings, as soon as the red coat appears I lose it.
Precious was so moving in many ways. I laughed, I cried, I was just so taken in by the whole thing.
