Nice, Phil, but you gotta throw in that last shot of Melora Walters smiling. I’m a little verklempt just thinking about it.
Also, when Pocahontas chooses Rolfe in The New World.
Movies just…don’t tend me make me cry very often. However, some have:
“The Lion King” – numerous scenes
“Million Dollar Baby” – final 15/20 minutes
“Gin gwai” aka. “The Eye” – when we discover the fate of Ling-Ling (if that isn’t her name, then I’ll be severely embarrassed but I’m pretty sure that was it); the fire scenes near the end
“Titanic”
There are probably more but I can’t think of any more.
Grave Of The Fireflies
one of the jazz singer scenes in Short Cuts
Nights Of Cabiria
the ending of Vive L’Amour
“You can see now?” in Chaplin’s City Lights. Gets me every time – even if I just happen to catch only the ending of that film, when it’s being broadcast.
Another one is the moment in Imitation of Life (Sirk), when the funeral carriage starts to move on the street.
The whole of Children of Men. Stunning cinematography, fantastic music choices and the end with the sound of children laughing. the movie has so much to say and it get the points across beautifully, it gets me every time.
The end of Nights of Cabiria, when the kids join her and she looks at the camera with a face full of sadness but at the same time hope that makes my heart break, the scene in All about my mother when Penelope Cruz knows that she is going to die soon and her father doesn´t recognize her anymore, and of course the last scene in Brokeback mountain with the shirt…
Takusakke: absolutely right on the ending of Chaplin’s City Lights. Everytime I see it, it has the same effect.
Dardanelli: the scene that really hit me was right towards the end of Children of Men, when all the army guys, everyone, stops to watch Clive Owen bring the baby out of the building. I totally choked up on that one, and I’m not even sure why.
Otherwise, Irene Jacob in Red, where she’s sipping the apricot brandy with the judge, and she asks for a bit more, and a heartbreaking smile comes up on her face as he pours her some. It’s not a sad scene, but it still brings a tear to my eye, because it’s a connection between the two characters that’s so sublime.
Some may hate me for this, but the scene between James Stewart and Donna Reed in “It’s a Wonderful Life”, when they’re on the phone together, and George gets so intensely angry with her cause he knows she’s gonna make him stay in Bedford Falls because he loves her so much and he can’t escape (again), but then they realize they’ve found each other and love each other so much. Damn. Pass the tissue!
Why would anyone hate you for that? I choke up several times watching that movie and I’ve seen it a dozen times.
The only time I’ve ever seen Cinema Pardiso was one night after having a rather unpleasant disagreement with a family member in another city, the kind of thing that you regret as soon as it’s over. I thought I’d put it out of mind, and as I began to watch the film, I didn’t even think I really cared for the film all that much, and then suddenly that last 3rd hit, and I was a wreck, thinking about my conversation of the night before.
I really agree with the end of Dancer in the Dark (that film made me want to slit my wrists) and Requiem For A Dream… when Sara Goldfarb is talking about her lonlieness.
There’s a scene in PARIS,TEXAS where Harry Dean Stanton as Travis after years of rambling around lost in his own world has finally gotten himself together a little bit (with the help of his brother Walt (Dean Stockwell)). He locates his estranged wife Jane (Nastassja Kinski) in a Texas peepshow and on his second visit there, relates to Kinski, on the other side of a one-way glass partition, a strange story about a lost soul who had tragically separated himself from his family years before. The slow realization that this is Travis talking to her (she can’t see him) is a marvelous piece of storytelling, and for my money, Kinski’s finest moment in film (gets to me every time). There’s an equally tear-jerking moment near the end of the film where Travis sets up the private reconcilliation between Jane and their seven-year-old son, Hunter, who also haven’t seen each other in four years.
Also, the final scene in A LITTLE ROMANCE, where 13-year-olds Daniel and Lauren (Diane Lane), and sly, oldster Julius (Laurence Olivier) say their good-byes; sometimes a first romance is the best, and in this film it’s much better than any of the so-called adult relationships. When Daniel chases Lauren’s car as she rides away (back to America), he waves while jumping in the air trying to see her above the traffic. The final freeze frame of Daniel in the air as the end credits start to roll- yep, chokes me up. This film of George Roy Hill, while not nearly well-known as his Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the Sting, or Slap Shot, is none-the-less top drawer.
There ‘s a list here….here goes….
“Robin and Marion” where Audrey Hepburn’s maid Marian tells Sean Connery’s Robin Hood how she tried to kill herself after he had left her for the crusades in Richard Lester’s film.
“Blade Runner” Rutger Hauer’s death scene.
“Papillon” The scene where Mcqueen bids farewell to Dustin Hoffman before he jumps off the cliff to escape devil’s Island.
“Shadowlands” The great biographical film of C.S. Lewis’s life starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger (yes she dies in this one too).
“The Godfather Part 2” where Conny begs forgiveness from Micheal in Fredo’s stead at their mother’s wake in the boathouse (magnificent scene).
“The Return of the King” where Frodo and Sam get picked up by the eagles off the volcanic mountain near the end; Shore’s music does not allow you to escape…another great great moment.
This is just a few of them
I’ll be back with more undoubtedly.
pretty sure i cried at the end of Forrest Gump when Tom Hanks is talking to jennies gravestone
Pretty much every movie mentioned so far that I’ve seen I cried during.
I cried in the first ten seconds of Love, Actually.
I cry during Joe Dirt. Seriously.
I have emotional issues. Someone hold me.
Rudy- when Rudy gets in the game and gets carried off the field after sacking the QB
Field of Dreams- when Kevin Costner and his dad play catch
The Royal Tenenbaums- When Ben Still and Gene Hackman at the end
Schindler’s List- the last scene
EDIT- double post
I get choked up near the end of The Life Aquatic, when he sees the Jaguar Shark and that Sigur Ros song starts playing. What a moment.
1. The moment in “Atonement” when you realize that the lovers never really met again.
2. The final scene in “Nights of Cabiria” with Giulietta Masina’s teary glance at the camera.
3. The revelation of the choice in “Sophie’s Choice.”
4. The final scene between Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette in “Sixth Sense.”
5. The end of “Bicycle Thieves.”
6. Most of the scenes between the old man and his dog in “Umberto D.”
7. Harriet Andersson’s death scene in “Cries and Whispers.”
8. When the old man sees his long dead parents in the final dream of “Wild Strawberries.”
9. The concluding “return of the dead” in “Longtime Companion.”
10. The end of “Brokeback Mountain.”
The end of City Lights, when Chaplin meets the girl who used to be blind.
I didn’t cry, but the scene where Mr. Clean dies in Apocalypse Now while his mother’s tape is being played in the background is one of the most powerful scenes I have ever seen.
Most certainly the ending of Requiem for a Dream. And I openly cried in the middle of my 7th grade history class at the end of Glory.
Random many moments in TEKKONKINKREET made my throat tighten. Gladiator and Passion Of The Christ as well.
For me, most of “La Jetee.” Also, the climax of “Fearless.” If I think of any others, I’ll post them.
I never used to cry during most sad movie scenes, but now I cry all the time, even if it is the type of movie that is cloyingly sentimental and designed to make you shed a tear. I used to be immune, but now I am obviously an emotional basket case. Stop bringing up these sad scenes and pass the kleenex!
The funeral at the end of Tokyo Story, plus Setsuko Hara’s performance throughout the film’s entirety, she wears a brilliant mask of fake happiness beneath which lies only sorrow and loneliness.
Reading SHOTZI’s posts makes me cry.
The scene in Spike Lee’s Get On the Bus, where the teenage son has run off into the woods and his father goes after him and they’re sitting on the ground and they have this heart to heart where the father agrees to be better and the son agrees to be better. And then they hug. And the scene is lit in this lovely blue light. And I weep every time.
Great choices Kevin.
I find a movie with powerful music almost does it more than the scene itself.
Field of Dreams: “Catch Scene”
In America’s final 15 minutes.
Cinema Paradiso: Toto’s return to Sicily. Morricone’s score is so moving.
The final minutes of United 93.
Rob Frenay
ALL THE REAL GIRLS. Good call, Mr. King.