What movie scene about your country gives you a lump in your throat, perhaps evokes tears, makes you damned proud to be patriot of your homeland?
For me, being an American, my current tear-evocation is from Apollo 13. The launch. My feeling as that bird soared into the sky of, “look, just look at what we all accomplished together. The sheer audacity to launch a 36 story building into the sky!” I can’t help but feel ready to burst in pride and joy.
What’s yours (wherever you’re from) ?
The President’s speech to the fighter pilots about to go out in Independance Day is another one.
The President’s speech before the shuttles go up in Armageddon.
I’m such a girl.
When they stormed the beach at Normandy in Saving Private Ryan. That got me right here. touches chest over heart
And you know that song “Coming to America.” That really gives me goosebumps even though that’s the only part of that movie that I saw.
When the half crippled Korean martial artist hobbles over to Eric Roberts and gives him his medal at the end of Best of the Best. Just chokes me up. Eric Roberts deserved an Oscar for his gritty portrayal of a single father following his dream of Karate greatness and bad hair.
When the bodies are being piled into the mass grave at the end of GLORY. Chokes me up.
I’ve got some, but not of my own “homeland” (I’m Canadian, so I have to vicariously live out other peoples’ successes: :))
The Russians kick the invaders’ ass in Alexander Nevsky
Stallone’s big moment at the end of Rocky IV (no kidding!)
The Israeli army strikes back in Operation Thunderbolt
The British SAS liberates the embassy in The Final Option
I get that way at some point during almost any movie with semi-realistic space travel. It does it to me even if the movie is generally lousy (unfortunately, these seem to outnumber the quality films on this subject). A short list of them (without saying which I thought were good and which I thought weren’t): Apollo 13, Armageddon, Deep Impact, Mission to Mars, Red Planet, Space Camp, Space Cowboys, 2010.
You mean in Born in East L.A., when Cheech storms the Mexican border with hordes of illegals – and “Coming to America” is blasting in the background?
My favorite is either Saving Private Ryan, Rocky dropping Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, or in “Life if Beautiful” when (SPOILER!)
…the Yanks liberate the concentration camp. (I hope giving away the Rocky ending doesn’t count as a spoiler;))
Oddly, the most lump-in-the-throat patriotic movie moment I can think of doesn’t involve the USA–it’s the Marseillaise scene in Casablanca. Gets me every time.
No I meant the remake of “The Jazz Singer”
Ooh, good one! Me, too.
Believe it or not that was the exact scene I was thinking of when I read the OP. A part of me thinks I’m a complete sap to get all choked up about this scene in the movie. Maybe it’s because my own family crossed the border illegally. Or maybe because I know of so many people who snuck over so they, and their children, could have a better lives.
Oh and I cry when Bruce Willis says “We did it Gracie” right before detonating the bomb, killing himself and saving the world in Armageddon. Then as he presses the button, they show her life pass before his eyes and really gets me every frickin’ time.
Maybe coming at this a little obliquely, but The Deer Hunter. Where Bobby D. does what he has to in the POW camp and especially the ending. (sniff)
Well it’s not really a movie, and I’m not really from there, but I first saw it as a movie and I’m from a country that was originally a colony of the country, so …
I can only think of Henry V (for a movie moment that makes it, the Brannagh version – mostly because of the soundtrack). Only Shakespeare could ever make me feel patriotic enough to fight a war, but he does it so well. I doubt anyone doesn’t feel the same (unless you’re French, maybe).
the apotheosis of Terry Fox at Toronto City Hall…
Oh, yeah. That one gives me chills – and I’m not English either (well, except by descent). I’m having trouble thinking of American movie moments, alas…
Me Three!
Lots of great ones from The Right Stuff
I love the end when they show Gus Grissom and say how he, White and Chaffe died in the Apollo fire but on that glorious day Gordon Cooper flew higher, farther, and faster than anyone ever had befor. He was the last American to go into space alone and for a brief time he was the greatest pilot anyone had had ever seen. (music swells, eyes tear up)
Of course the best is…
Mr. Smith goes to Washington
The whole movie.
I agree. I’m a Brit, and only very mildly patriotic–“Well, I like the beer… and then there’s that Hawking bloke–he’s pretty smart. And I really do prefer spelling “colour” with a ‘u’” etc, but Henry V brings a lump to my throat and my eyes begin to water. I was going to post some quotes, but they were a bit long, so here’s an URL where you can check them out:
http://tech-two.mit.edu/Shakespeare/henryv/full.html
Use the search function of your browser to find the parts that begin with
Once more unto the breach
and
To do our country loss
and read to the end of each speech
Cough, cough sniff… Erm, I have a cold. It’s nothing to do with the fact that I just read those speeches again,
The opening to Patton.
Patton never gave that particular speech (in that particular manner); it is a compilation of many different speeches that he gave throughout WWII.
But he should have, dammit.
When I saw this thread, I thought of Apollo 13. The scene after splashdown when Hanks says “the ship is secure, this is Apollo 13 signing off”. I always get choked up.
Another scene is from The Right Stuff. After Gagarin’s flight the mercury astronauts have the press conference then when walking back to the shop they start saying how they are tired of waiting and testing, then there’s acut to them walking down the hallway in their space suits while Bill Conti’s fantastic music plays.