The greatest tear-jerk movies of all time?

August 17, 2002 | self / vanity

[The Other Harry]

In a completely unrelated thread, I recently got into a brief discussion with someone about tear-jerk movies.

I'm an absolute sucker for animal movies myself. _Where the Red Fern Grows_, Homeward Bound_ etc. Someone recommended _The Dog from Flanders_, but I'm not sure I could stand to watch it.

Anyway, my daughter's 22nd b'day is coming up. She has an intereset in film, and I've been thinking about getting her a selection of tear-jerk movies. Last year I got her a Leatherman, so this would seem to offset. Send her a box of those along with some Kleenex.

Any suggestions?

[The Other Harry]

TILL WE MEET AGAIN,

This sounds wonderful, but is apparaently N/A on DVD. (I didn't mention the DVD requirement before...)

[The Other Harry]

Imitation of Life.

This sounds excellent. Soon to be out on DVD.

[Rev. Lou Chenary]

"Old Yeller" Takes the cake.

In fact it's the onbly movie I've ever seen my dog actually watch...he seemed pretty sad at the end.

[The Other Harry]

"Old Yeller" Takes the cake.

Added to cart. That was an obvious omission on my part.

[another cricket]

The Spitfire Grill.

October Sky.

a.cricket

[Consort]

Tex, the Passive-Agressive Gunslinger

[balrog666]

More additions to the growing list:

Ghost,
Snow Falling on Cedars, and
Fireworks (Hana-bi)

[supercat]

Stepmom, perhaps? The scene with all the photos and such?

[supercat]

Ghost

My wife had been wanting me to rent that one for weeks, but every time I went to the video store I'd always come home with something else. Finally I rented it for her one weekend and we watched it together. The following Monday, she died unexpectedly. Coincidence?

[Flashlight]

"The Trouble With Angels", with Hayley Mills and Rosalind Russell.

It starts as a comedy about two rebellious teen girls in a convent high-school, but slowly Mary begins to learn about...

Sorry, I have to stop my review;

I keep getting emotional just thinking about this movie. There are so many poignant scenes, and a great tearful, but not sad, ending.

[PoisedWoman]

Definitely get Lassie Come Home (1943) with Roddy McDowell and 10-yr-old Liz Taylor. Other Lassie classics available too. From review at amazon.com

"Lassie Come Home is a classic for all the usual reasons: its timeless, universal appeal, its first-of-its-kind status, and its exceptional cinematography, direction, and performances. What makes this 1943 charmer especially fun for grownups who haven't screened it since their own preteen, pet-obsessed days, though, is a couple of cute-as-a-button cast members. An adorably over-earnest Roddy McDowall stars as Joe, the mostly hapless lad whom Lassie refuses to part with despite his down-and-out family's decision to sell her, for a paltry 15 guineas, to a wealthy duke; and Elizabeth Taylor, already stunning at around age 10, surrenders a sweet if mawkish performance as Priscilla, the Duke's tenderhearted granddaughter, who lends a hand in Lassie's escape from her family's unkind kennel master and winks her way into winning the fearless pup a permanent place at her true master's side. Beyond that, it's no mystery why generations of dog-loving audiences have marveled at the precocious collie's career--Lassie is a great actor. She so convincingly digs impossible trenches, leaps towering fences, swims raging rivers, knocks out bad guys, and betrays the essence of brokenheartedness with her bedraggled coat and woebegone expressions that it's sometimes hard to shake the suspicion that she's really an incredibly limber person in a cute dog suit. All told, Lassie Come Home delivers a lot to love, not the least of which is the deeply dramatic score--quirky sounding to the modern ear--which returns audiences to simpler, irony-free times, as does the movie's message of loyalty at all costs. "

[leadpenny]

Some candidates from my son and his girlfriend:

Pele the Conquerer (final scene)
Terms of Endearment (hospital scene)
Of Mice and Men (final scene)
Dead Poet's Society (last 20 minutes)
In the Bedroom (last half of the movie)
Rudy (acceptance into Notre Dame)
Steel Magnolias (hospital scene)
Titanic (elderly couple dying together in bed)
My Girl (Thomas J's death)
Schindler's List (but not according to Seinfeld)

[leadpenny]

Thanks for sharing that story. It must be very hard.

[Concerto in D]

"Shenandoah" and "How Green Was My Valley"--the latter's a bit hard to watch after seeing the miners rescued, though.

[Rocko]

The Whole Wide World.

[Guenevere]

Rudy...for sure!

It was just on the other night, and I found myself smiling through my tears, as I always do!!

[Guenevere]

#55...oh my goodness ....I didn't know anyone else had seen this one....

Buckets of tears!!!.....(but there were some adult-type words....not sure I would recommend)

[socal_parrot]

I'll second Field of Dreams.

"Is this Heaven?"
"No, it's Iowa."(sniff)

and

"Hey Dad? Wanna have a catch?"(ourtright sobbing)

[fellowpatriot]

I very highly recommend Penny Serenade (1941) starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. It's about a childless couple who adopt a baby girl. I don't think I've ever cried so much over a movie until I saw this one.

[andysandmikesmom]

I think that actress that played the daughter of the black woman at whose funeral Mahalia Jackson sang at, was Susan Kohner...