Which Movies Make Grown Men Cry?

FIVETHIRTYEIGHT ^ | 01/14/2015 | Walt Hickey

[SeekAndFind]

Argument — much like karaoke and online shopping — is at its best when done with friends and a drink. And so, here’s “Bar Fights With Walt,” a column devoted to solving the only questions that truly matter: the dumb arguments about life and pop culture developed and hashed out in barroom rants. We’ll use data and research to take these arguments to their logical statistical conclusion. If you’d like to submit a question or conundrum, corner the author at one of his typical haunts and pick a fight.

After an evening at Grassroots Tavern, some friends and I got into a heated argument about “Love Actually,” which I contend is a good movie (see this Ben Dreyfuss essay for more on that). This eventually became a slightly less heated argument about which movies make people cry. The consensus was that everyone has at least one movie that gets them. The lone dissenter was my friend Alex Kaufman, who claimed he had never cried during a movie. After we listed approximately half the films on IMDb, he eventually recanted, saying that “Saving Private Ryan” had, at points, briefly broken his steely resolve. This leads us to this week’s question:

What movies make people cry the most?

[Axeslinger]

amazing movie and if you don’t cry, you either aint’ got a heart or you ain’t American

[Grombrindol]

Gettysburg. At Little Round top when Chamberlain realizes that he has no where to go and makes the decision to charge. Also all of Picket's charge at the end.

[dfwgator]

The Sullivans were referenced in “Saving Private Ryan” as the reason to save Private Ryan in the first place.

[nodumbblonde]

The Notebook comes off as a very predictable chick flick but it has more to it than that. Kind of like how not many people saw The Shawshank Redemption because it wasn’t what most people thought it was.

I haven’t heard of The Hundred Foot Journey but looked it up and it sounds like it would be really good. I’ll definitely watch it! Thanks!

[dfwgator]

Remember “The Champ”, with Jon Voight and little Ricky Schroder?

[Lurker]

It’s a shame that movie isn’t available on Netflix. Duval and Caine are simply outstanding together.

Big Fish is another great. I’m not ashamed to admit that the ending makes me tear up every single time I watch it.

L

[miss marmelstein]

I made that up!

[central_va]

Deliverance, I really feel bad for Ned Beatty.

[LadyBuck]

+1

[CatherineofAragon]

Thank goodness...

[Oatka]

Not tearing up but clearing my throat a couple of times:

1) Best Years of Our Lives when some guy tells the sailor (Harold Russell) that his buddies died in vain and he grabs the guy by the lapels with both hooks and says “If I only had hands!”.

2) The ending of Saving Private Ryan (from IMDB quotes):
Old James Ryan: [addressing Capt. Miller’s grave] My family is with me today. They wanted to come with me. To be honest with you, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel coming back here. Every day I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that, at least in your eyes, I’ve earned what all of you have done for me.

Ryan’s Wife: James?...

[looking at headstone]

Ryan’s Wife: Captain John H Miller.

Old James Ryan: Tell me I have led a good life.

Ryan’s Wife: What?

Old James Ryan: Tell me I’m a good man.

Ryan’s Wife: You are.

[walks away]

Old James Ryan: [stands back and salutes]
(clearing my throat as I read this)

3) Gallipoli, where the Aussies make a suicidal bayonet charge (nothing up the spout) against the Turkish machine guns and the film ends with a freeze frame of the guy arcing backwards from the hits. The movie house was silent as a tomb for a minute or so, except for a bunch of guys repeatedly clearing their throats.

Thankfully, there are more movies that trigger tears of laughter.

[central_va]

I would say Rocky (original) had some good moments, especially the fight’s last round...

[CrazyIvan]

I see Secondhand Lions for $5 at Walmart all the time.

[miss marmelstein]

Yes, that is painful.

I tear up when John Candy removes his shoes on the plane.

[driftless2]

My wife almost forbids me to watch romance movies with her. Too many snide comments from me. But usually I just start dozing. Fortunately, she likes violent movies just as much as I do. Make of that what you will.

[right way right]

Passion of the Christ.
I only watched it twice.
Yes, perhaps it was enhanced a bit, but very effective.
The passion Jesus had in getting to the cross is overwhelming.
You could see there was only fear that he may not make it and the emotional exchange between Simon of Cayenne and Jesus is so powerful.

That is the name and the reason for the movie.

Every real man would prefer a heroic death and Christ did it in God's will and love,
The King of the universe who died for my sin so that I may live. There is that parallel in Saving Private Ryan.

[CatherineofAragon]

Oh, I’m with her...I have no problem with violence, either.

[SZonian]

If you haven’t seen it...The Lighthorsemen might be a movie you’d enjoy.

Australian movie about the Australian Lighthorse in Palestine...

One of the best quotes in the movie “They’re under the guns...”

Have to see the movie to understand why there’s a lump in my throat right now.

[SeaHawkFan]

Read the entire thread and would add:

“Red Dawn”

“Braveheart”

“Gladiator”

“The Last Samuri”

“The Patriot”

[Harpotoo]

Champ & Runaway Train:-(