Out of Africa, when Karen is at the funeral for Finch-Hatton, and she clutches the clump of dirt to her chest and walks away instead of tossing it on the casket. And then later, when she gets the letter telling her that lions have started to use the gravesite to look over the valley, and she says “Dennis would have liked that. I have to remember to tell him.”
Great, now I’ll be sobbing for the next 15 min.
Wow, so many good ones.
The first one I thought of was in Toy Story 3. At the end, when the little girl tries to take Woody, and Andy pulls him back. But there are more.
Schindler’s List, when Liam Nesson drops to his knees because he feels he has not done enough to save his worker’s. “How many, how many for this ring?” And then the end, when they show the real people that he saved placing the stones on his grave.
Okay, tears rolling down my face now just thinking about it.
Schindler’s List, when Liam Neeson drops to his knees because he feels he has not done enough to save his worker’s. “How many, how many for this ring?” And then the end, when they show the real people that he saved placing the stones on his grave.
Okay, tears rolling down my face now just thinking about it.
Final scene in Resurrection, with Ellen Burstyn.
-There’s a deleted scene on the “We Were Soldiers” dvd where a chapel scene back home is interspersed with the men flying into combat.
The wife is singing “My Hope is Built” and breaks down crying and the rest of the congregants join in singing with her.
-In “Passion of the Christ” Jesus stumbles while carrying the cross, catches Mary’s eye and says “Behold I make all things new”
- “Tin Cup” when Costner sinks the shot after losing all his remaining balls on the same shot previously
The movie that made me sob out loud in the theater was “Passion of the Christ” when Jesus is carrying the cross and He looks at Holy Mother and says “look Mother, I make all things new”. This makes me collapse in tears, like now.
The Joy Luck Club: a Chinese woman and her two infants are fleeing Japanese troops during the Rape of Nanking.
Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE in the theater was sobbing loudly (well, everyone but me...).
The whole movie. If you can make it thru that movie without shedding a tear you have no soul.....
It would have to be in Saving Private Ryan when the dying soldier is calling for his mother.
VON TRAPP: What's that?The Captain has forbidden music to the children. Enraged, he storms into the house to admonish them. But before he can speak, he is stopped short by the sight and sound of his children as they sing:
MARIA: It's singing.
VON TRAPP: Yes, I realize it's singing. But who is singing?
MARIA: The children.
VON TRAPP: The children?
MARIA: I taught them something to sing for the Baroness.
...my heart wants to sing every song it hears.And as the song swells to its chorus, the cold, frozen heart of Captain von Trapp melts. Suddenly, all the repressed tenderness and affection within him come bursting forth. With wonder, at first slowly and then faster, he steps into the room, walks toward the children and joins them in song...
(Every song that it hears)
My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds that rise
From the lake to the trees
(To the trees)
My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies
From a church on a breeze
To laugh like a brook when it trips and falls
Over stones on its way
On its way
To sing through the night
Like a lark who is learning to pray...
I go to the hillsAnd as he embraces them, I sob like a heartbroken teenage girl every time.
When my heart is lonely
I know I will hear
What I've heard before
My heart will be blessed
With the sound of music
And I'll sing...
...once more...
A few come to mind, some from Sci Fi.
Death of Roy Baty, BLADERUNNER.
“All these moments washed away in time.....like tears, in rain. Time....to die.”
Regardless of the arguments of Deckard’s humanity, in this scene, Roy Baty demonstrates his. He realizes how precious life truly is, and embraces life, by saving the life of his enemy.
The return of Anakin Skywalker, RETURN OF THE JEDI.
The scene where Darth Vader is watching Emperor Palpatine use Force Lightning on his son, Luke, is quite amazing. Owing to the fact we cannot see Dave Prowse’s face because of the costume, and there is no voice-over by James Earl Jones, we can nonetheless feel the emotions of Vader; what does he do? On the one hand, the Master he’s served for 20-odd years; on the other, his son. Finally, Vader decides, and in that moment, Anakin Skywalker comes back to life. Thematically, it illustrates no-one is beyond redemption, and that his humanity reawakened when he saw the truly evil nature of the Master he serves.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Kirk’s eulogy for the fallen Spock....first-rate acting by William Shatner, truly believable. I still get choked up even thinking about it. Top it off with the bagpipe rendition of “Amazing Grace”, and this perhaps the all-time greatest scene in the entire Star Trek franchise.
Dr. Chandra talking with HAL-9000 in 2010: Odessey Two.
An otherwise mediocre film (IMHO), the scene between Dr. Chandra (Bob Balaban) and HAL-9000 (Douglas Rain, voiceover) is quite interesting. If you’ve seen 2001, you know that HAL is a little.....psychotic. In this scene, toward the end of the film, Dr. Chandra is trying to explain to HAL that he may have to sacrifice himself to save the human crew. After a wonderful moment of tension (and silence), HAL responds, “I understand now, Dr. Chandra. Thank you for telling me the truth”. Dr Chandra responds, “You deserve it”. In this moment, HAL truly is AI in the most noble sense of this hackneyed phrase. He’s willing to sacrifice his existence to save the lives of other....he displays altruism, the very definition of humanity. For me, this singular moment elevated the film.
A small scene in THE ENGLISH PATIENT.
The scene where Ralph Fiennes comes out of the Cave of the Swimmers, bearing the body of his beloved. His is distraught, to put it mildly.....he’s sobbing in an uncontrolled fashion. What made this stand out, for me at least, is that all you hear on the soundtrack is a mournful piano repitition of the main theme music. By not hearing him crying, it intensifies the emotional effect. He’s just lost the love of his life, and he knows it (regardless of themes of adultery, etc). A magnificent scene.
SAVING PRIAVATE RYAN, opening/closing battle sequences.
All too often, in Hollywood films, we hear stirring martial music during a battle sequence. Not here....nothing but the music of war: the ricochet of bullets, the sounds of shells whizzing past in the air, of bullets tearing into flesh, the screams of the injured and the dying on Omaha Beach. When I saw this film in its original first run, you could’ve heard a pin drop when the end credits rolled. Speilberg is a damned good director. With this, he exceeded all expectations, and delivered possibly one of the greatest combat sequences in cinema history.
I’m sure I can think of more, and if so, I’ll return later and post. I agree with what many have posted as well...in RETURN OF THE KING, where Aragorn says, “You bow to no one” to the Hobbits, and kneels (along with everyone else) before them. A true leader of men recognizes, and gives credit, to where credit is due. If not for the courage of Sam and Frodo, Aragorn would certainly not be where he was. A great moment, and it encapsulated the spirit of J.R.R. Tolkein, and a great job by Peter Jackson; I’m anticipating THE HOBBIT eagerly.
"I will"
...and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.......the scene where the father has died, the mother is giving birth and the older daughter finally realizes her mother loves her.....
I cry every time.
“Our Vines Have Tender Grapes” when they’re in the church trying to raise money for the farmer whose barn burned down and people are only giving small change.
Until sweet Margaret O’Brien stands up and offers the cow she loves more than anything the world. Everyone in the church then starts offering up not money (because they just don’t have it), but crops and equipment and food.
It’s one of the most heartwarming scenes (and movies) I’ve ever seen.
The end of both Gladiator and Braveheart choked me up.