Emotional Movie Moments That Made Audiences Cry
People love punishment. There’s something we love about seeing an emotional trainwreck play out before our eyes. That’s probably why some of the greatest films ever have a tragic scene or two that causes us to tear up and get in a really good cry. Some of the most shocking moments also happen to be extraordinarily sad for some reason. What can we say, who doesn’t love a heartbreaking Hollywood tale? Not only does it make us feel more alive, but we can see how long we can go without crying in public. Get ready, grab the tissues and turn your phone on silent because you’re going to want to pay attention.
Which of these movie moments had you crying?
The Shawshank Redemption
Brooks Hatlen is one of the most tragic characters in The Shawshank Redemption. This man did some pretty horrible things and has a tragic story. By the time we see Brooks in the movie, he’s become relatively worthless. He serves as a great allegory for what happens to people who get wrapped up in the prison system. After he was let out, he still didn’t get a happy ending.
The pressure of not being in a structured prison was too much to bear. Freedom became a foreign concept he didn’t know how to handle. After watching him write back to his friends in Shawshank about how terrible the outside world was, Brooks chose to take his life. What’s worse is the audience had to see the entire thing unfold.
Marley & Me
Any movie where the main character is a dog has a 50/50 chance of being a heartbreaking experience for everyone involved, especially if it’s not animated. Marley & Me is one of the sweetest and saddest movies to ever be released. Following Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston navigate their adult lives with one of the most misbehaved Labradors in the world is a blast.
It also took a few years off of our lives. What makes it such a compelling drama was how much all of us learned to appreciate Marley. We also were presented with the realization that we’ll almost always outlive those furry friends.
The Lion King
Disney movies have the innate ability to be both heartwarming and traumatic at the same time. Though they’ve calmed down in recent years, the 90s were chaotic. One of the first lessons we learned involving grief was from Mufasa and Simba. The Lion King isn’t merely a musical adventure, it also features a startingly murder scene.
After Scar murders his brother, he proceeds to blame the entire thing on his nephew. Why? Because family power struggles never end well. Before Simba runs away, we have to endure him trying to revive his father. The father lies motionless as his son tries desperately to wake him up. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work.
Forrest Gump
It seems Forrest Gump can fit on every single type of movie list. It doesn’t matter what the topic is, there’s a scene or central theme in this movie that can always be referenced. That’s probably because anything with Tom Hanks in it is both inspiring and horrifically sad in surprising ways. Watching Forrest experience some of the greatest moments in American History, while also remaining blissfully positive is inspiring.
It didn’t matter what was going on around him, Forrest was always looking on the bright side. When he finally meets his son, everything changes. For the first and only time, Forrest asks Jenny if his son would experience life the way he does, or if he was like the rest of the people in his life.
Click
Most movies featuring Adam Sandler are generally silly comedies. Happy Madison productions is literally named after his two funniest films ever! Because of this, whenever the theme of one of his movies flips from funny to heartbreaking, people are thrown for a loop. Click is basically a retelling of A Christmas Carol without all the pesky wintertime nonsense and ghosts.
Instead, Sandler plays a workaholic who goes on autopilot during family time thanks to a magical time-traveling remote. Despite all of his success at work, the more he jumps ahead, the more fractured his family life becomes. At the climax of the film, he’s a dying man who uses the least of his strength to try and stop his son from repeating the cycle. Maybe Sandler should try more roles like this.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
If you’re looking to be surprised, watch Jim Carrey deliver one of the best performances of his entire career. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind features Carrey trying to erase the memory of ever falling in love and dating Kate Winslet. It’s a wild trip from beginning to end, so make sure to have tissues close by.
Joel’s acceptance of what happened in the past, combined with his inability to give up Clementine, is a one-of-a-kind experience. When he reaches a point where he can finally lose all of his memories, he realizes it’s not what he wants anymore. But sometimes, someone’s choices can’t be undone.
Saving Private Ryan
War may be glamorized in the movies, but it’s nothing like what we see. No matter how cool some soldier flicks may be, there are ones out there showcasing how horrible it really is. Saving Private Ryan isn’t solely an action-packed thrill ride. It also illustrates some of the most emotional moments in cinematic history. Remember when Wade ends up dying?
It’s not a quick bullet shot and he’s gone. We are subjected to this poor kid suffering until he reaches his bitter end. Our feelings take an even deeper dive when Wade starts begging for his mother. All he wants at the very end is to be with his family.
The Pursuit Of Happyness
What makes The Pursuit of Happyness such a great movie isn’t the well-known cast. It’s the brutal scenes of vulnerability and characters overcoming the adversities of being homeless while keeping up a family. And it’s not so simple, this story is based on actual events which are enough to have us all in a puddle of tears.
Remember when Will Smith and his son had to sleep in a public bathroom? This concept wasn’t cooked up in some Hollywood writer’s room for maximum emotional damage. It actually happened to Christopher Gardner and his kiddo when Gardner was working as a traveling salesman!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II
If you first attended Hogwarts in book form, this one probably didn’t come as much of a surprise. For everyone else who preferred a more visual option, Severus Snap was a love/hate relationship for most. This greasy villain always had it out for Harry and never seemed to care much for The Boy Who Lived. Here’s the deal, even though Harry wasn’t his favorite student didn’t mean Snape was entirely heartless.
Instead, he is one of the most passionate professors during Harry’s journey through the end of Deathly Hallows. After being attacked by Nagini, and left for dead, Snape extracts his memories for Harry and we get a flood of information thrown at us. Not only was he still madly in love with Harry’s mom, but his entire reason for defending Harry from the shadows was to honor Lily’s memory!
Toy Story 3
It’s weird to think an animated film about toys would cause grown adults to ugly-cry. However, almost every single Toy Story movie seems to have this effect. One of the most beautiful, and sad, moments of the series also happens to be a happy one. How you may ask? We’re not sure. At the end of Toy Story 3, once the toys avoid being melted, they go back home to settle down.
Instead of Andy’s room, all of them moved to a completely new house. Watching Andy drive away to college around the time the rest of us were growing up was a reality check. We weren’t just moving on, they all were. It’s a good thing we got Toy Story 4 as a fun bonus afterward.
The Pianist
Most movies about the Holocaust should come with Kleenex when people arrive at theaters. There’s no way these films can be watched without shedding a few tears. One of the most touching modern films to deal with touching on this horrifying event is The Pianist. Following a musician through the uprising of the Warsaw Ghetto, then later through the camps is absolutely soul-crushing.
In fact, every moment is a heartbreaker. Even those without dialogue, such as the climactic piece played by Szpilman left everyone in the audience with wet cheeks. Hearing and feeling his desperation being played out so beautifully surely made everyone emotional.
Bridge To Terabithia
It doesn’t need to be an adult movie to get us in our feels. Even Disney can make grownups bawl. It’s hard to discuss emotional movie moments without giving tribute to one of the most traumatic films to come from the House of Mouse in the last fifteen years: Bridge to Terabithia. This movie explores grief, growing up, and how to continue living when someone you love is taken from you due to a tragic rope-swing incident.
Jess’ reaction to Leslie’s death is pretty upsetting. This hero to an entire realm can bring back hope, but not his best friend who brought out the magic in him. As he comes to terms with having to let go of Leslie, we all had to come to deal with how Disney broke us down.
Shaun of the Dead
You’d think a zombie movie involving Nick Frost and Simon Peg would be a classic, and you’d be correct. Shaun of the Dead is one of the most satisfying zombie films to be produced. Not only does it manage to inject humor into the horror genre uniquely, but it can also stand on its own due to its strong writing and cast selection. All of the characters feel refreshingly authentic.
Even the non-zombie scenes, like when Shaun and Philip reconcile, hit all the right notes. Look, not everyone is going to like their step-parents, especially when they’re a bit older. However, as the world is ending around them, Shaun and his stepdad reach a sweet moment of understanding. It was cute until Philip turned into another shambling undead monster.
Up
Everyone loves when the first twenty minutes of a movie involve a beautiful love story. What about overcoming the odds and then ultimately losing your love to sickness and old age? You’re setting up the rest of the film to either be great or terrible. Up really slapped the audience in the face with a soap opera before anyone’s popcorn even had the chance to cool off.
Watching Carl and Ellie live their lives to the fullest right before she passes could be a movie on its own. Instead, Disney rips out everyone’s heart at the very beginning of the film. It had to be planned. Destroy everyone’s sense of hope and love for the future and then build them back up again?
Jojo Rabbit
Dramedies have to walk a fine line between keeping people laughing and tragically ruining people’s days. Jojo Rabbit manages to do both while throwing a healthy dose of irreverence into the mix for good measure. Set in Nazi Germany, the movie follows a kiddo coming to terms with growing up and changing his beliefs through direct experience with what he fears and loathes for no sensible reason.
As Jojo begins to befriend the Jewish girl hiding in his home, he also learns more about his family. Before he can accept his parent’s work as anti-Nazi freedom fighters are legitimate, he discovers his mother hanging in the town square! As he confronts the harsh realities of the times, all he can do is ensure his mom’s shoes are tied, despite not needing them anymore.
Love Actually
Not every devastating moment in cinema needs to be over-the-top. Some of the most impactful scenes can be subtle, or at least realistic, in their depiction of tragedy. Love Actually has one of the best examples of realism in film in regard to sad moments. Remember when Emma Thompson has to suppress her grief after discovering her husband’s affair?
Not only is it heartbreaking, but it’s devastatingly realistic. When you have kiddos depending on you, you don’t always have time to grieve or let your emotions out. Instead, you take a few moments for yourself and then put on a happy face.
John Wick
Every John Wick film seems to try its best to pack in as much action as possible while still maintaining Keanu Reeve’s impeccable hairstyle. They do a pretty good job of it too. However, it’s not to say there aren’t some scenes tugging at people’s heartstrings. While Wick is on a seemingly endless quest for vengeance, his desire for revenge isn’t only fueled by his wife falling ill and passing away.
His rage is completely justified to everyone once we see the scene where his innocent puppy has to suffer and die on-screen. There’s something about a dog dying in a movie, or at all, to get people fired up. It also leads us all to approve of every bit of carnage he unleashes after the particular scene.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Any movie starring the late and great John Candy is sure to bring a smile to your face. He just had a magnetic charm and humor about him which hasn’t been matched since his death back in 1994. One of his best performances, aside from Uncle Buck, is the quirky shower ring salesman, Del Griffith. This guy saddles himself to Martin’s character and tries his best to help him get where he needs to go (in the most roundabout way possible).
Despite eventually making it, Martin’s character is shocked to realize Del had no reason to do what he did. In fact, he’d only joined in on the adventure for the fun of it! Griffith became aimless after losing his wife eight years prior. His way of dealing with the grief was to keep wandering!
The Grand Budapest Hotel
All stories eventually have to end. Aside from The Neverending Story, it’s kind of the point of telling a tale. There’s always a beginning, a middle, and an end. Some people have issues with certain stories not having a thrilling conclusion. Some will end abruptly and anti-climatically. When it’s done well, those types of endings can be as catastrophic as over the top ones.
The Grand Budapest Hotel does this beautifully. Instead of giving Zero some magnificently tragic send-off, his own adventure ends off-screen with little fanfare. There’s no intense orchestra or build-up. He simply gets shot and the audience is expected to deal with it without any sort of emotional protection or ease-in into his end.
Big Fish
Regardless of your taste in movies, it’s almost universally accepted that Tim Burton knows how to direct a great film. While he’s known for his noteworthy macabre pictures, one of his best achievements is bringing the novel “Big Fish” to the big screen. Following the tales of a guy who’s lived an almost unbelievably fanciful life, this movie is packed with humor and drama.
As the story unfolds, and the audience learns how true everything actually was, we all begin to mourn those we’ve lost along the way. As the scenes continue to deliver sadness and comedy in equal doses, Burton maintains his grip on everyone’s emotions right until the river scene. Aside from his claymation masterpieces, this is easily one of his best and most emotional movies.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a shocking and somewhat truthful commentary on the dark history of mental healthcare in the United States. The star-studded cast told a pretty moving story while keeping things light (which in itself is impressive). Toss in a dose of trauma and surprise lobotomies and you instantly have a hit.
Once when we think we’ve reached the end of the tale, William Redfield surprises everyone and hits us with his last two acts of heroism and survival. His first is providing final relief to someone he could have sworn would’ve escaped. The second is his own attempt at fleeing the cuckoo’s nest with the memory of everyone who was trapped there.
Little Miss Sunshine
Cult-favorite and ridiculously good movie, Little Miss Sunshine, brings dark humor to a surprising place: child beauty pageants. Watching one of the world’s most dysfunctional families rally around little Olive so she can live out her dream is inspiring. It’s even more amazing after she helps her brother realize he’ll never be able to live out his own passion. All her brother wanted to do is be an Air Force pilot.
It was his biggest goal. It all comes to a crashing halt when he realizes he’s colorblind. The ensuing meltdown was enough to break any parent’s heart. It also hurts everyone else to see someone realize in real-time how unobtainable something is, due to something he has no control over.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy was an ambitious project with huge payoffs. However, this is one of the first times the grandeur and scale were shown in such a successful way. What made the films so successful was watching the Fellowship grow and change throughout their time wandering around Middle-Earth. By the time The Return of the King comes out, the remaining members of the Fellowship are pretty haggard.
They’re hanging in there though! Of course, once the journey is over it’s clear Frodo can’t return to life as usual with his friends. Watching the rest of the Hobbits learn they won’t be living out their lives with their friend is bittersweet. This ending was the perfect sendoff to the trilogy, as well as one that left viewers choked up with emotion.
In Bruges
Colin Farrell’s motion picture debut was a doozy. In Bruges stars him and Brendan Gleeson as hitmen on the run and hiding out in London, despite the title referencing Belgium, though it’s where they ultimately end up. Things go as well for two hitmen as you would think they would, and the job goes horribly wrong. A child dies unexpectedly and both men go off the deep end trying to make amends in their own way.
The pressure of what occurred becomes too much and Gleeson tries to kill Farrell’s character. Unfortunately, Ferrell escapes being killed only to try and commit suicide to escape the pressure and atone for his own mistakes. It’s terrifying all the way around and the lead-up to the film’s climax drops everyone down to rock bottom and leaves us all there. What a fantastic and terrible movie.
Never Been Kissed
Whoever says high school was the best time of their life peaked too soon. Looking back on those years, it’s easily the worst of times for many people. Everyone’s awkward. Everyone’s learning who they are, and a whole lot of people are bullies for no reason. Never Been Kissed showcases, everyone, in the worst light but in a great way. Plus, Drew Barrymore is in the film, which means it has to be a great movie.
When prom night comes and the fancy-dressed Drew is getting ready for a night she’ll never forget, we all think things will end well. Then she gets egged by some jerks! Not only is it a tragic scene, but the music stops and everything goes quiet. Why? Because the filmmakers wanted to draw attention to the tears.
Steel Magnolias
Sally Field, Dolly Parton, and Shirley MacLaine can do no wrong. Don’t believe us? Turn on Steel Magnolias and you’ll see what we mean. Watching the tale of these incredible actors’ characters is both inspiring and emotionally devastating. While they all deliver some funny moments, their best scenes are arguably centered around the funeral of Julia Roberts’ character Shelby.
You don’t have to be a mother to feel the grief emanating from the screen. Every time we watch it, it’s like we’re losing one of our own children. It’s almost too relatable. It never gets easier, and this is one of the reasons so many fans connect with this part.
I Am Legend
Watching a movie where a human dies is relatively uneventful. As cold-hearted as it sounds, it’s true. The entertainment industry has made people desensitized to some suffering. But when a pet dies? No, it’s never okay, easy, or forgettable. There’s something about watching someone’s four-legged friend pass away that’ll stir up all sorts of feelings.
One of the hardest deaths to witness was when Will Smith had to kill his dog in I Am Legend. She’s not simply his character’s only friend, they’re two of the last rationally-minded beings in the city (and probably the world)! Of course, without a cure in sight, it was either putting them out of their misery or something much worse.
Requiem for a Dream
If you’re looking for a feel-good film to inspire you to live life to the fullest, avoid Requiem for a Dream at all costs. This dark and soul-crushing movie is beautifully done. However, what makes it so good is nearly every character hits rock bottom and never recovers from it. The heavy drug use and addiction aside, one of the most unfortunate stories involves Harry’s mom.
Despite wanting only the best for her son, she also believes her own addiction will drive her to be someone. Unfortunately, all it does is consistently set her back and drain the life and funds right out of her. By the end, she can’t even afford to give her child a semi-normal or happy life.
Cast Away
Cast Away was an emotional tidal wave sweeping the nation back in 2000. Seeing Tom Hanks literally get cast away from civilization in a devastating way was epic. However, just because he was isolated from the world, didn’t mean there wasn’t anyone else with him. Hanks clearly shines, but someone else happened to be a bit more memorable.
Hanks’ costar Wilson stuck out to many. That’s the character’s name, but the actor’s name is Spalding (maybe). We never cried as hard as we did when Wilson left forever. There must have been magic in this scene because we wept harder in scenes involving a volleyball than we did with the lead actor!
Iron Man, Avengers: Endgame
Not all heroes are with us for a long time. Some of them are just here for a good time. That’s probably what Tony Stark’s entire life was about back when he was a member of The Avengers. Marvel’s billionaire party boy was one of the strongest and smartest in the multiverse’s arsenal of superpowered or super-equipped beings.
Despite being able to hold his own in a fight against the strongest being in the universe, he wasn’t a match for the evil those creatures brought with them. When it came time to save everyone in the multiverse, Tony had to make a choice. Was he willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save everyone else? If you’re reading this now, that means he made the only correct choice he had.