Discuss: Movies that Make Guys Cry
Filed under: Lists
Over at Hollywood Elsewhere, Jeff Wells goes off on an eHarmony article about movies that make guys cry, specifically for including Love Actually, which Wells calls "repulsive." Leaving aside for the moment the more pressing question of why Wells happened upon an article on eHarmony to begin with, the list actually does include a few films that are definite tearjerkers, but some of them are over-the-top obvious -- Brian's Song, The Natural, Rudy, The Pride of the Yankees, Rocky (Seriously? Who cries at Rocky?) and Old Yeller, the most stereotypical "it's okay for guys to cry over this one" film ever. The list loses some credibility points with me for including sapfests like Love Actually and Terms of Endearment, but overlooking Once -- when they play "Falling Slowly" for the first time, I bawl my eyes out -- but moderately redeems itself with the inclusion of Schindler's List, To Kill a Mockingbird, and my all-time fave cry-your-eyeballs-out flick, The Iron Giant. I guess it's true (however much it may be a stereotype) that guys and chicks are moved to tears over different things.
For me, a baby being born gets me just about every time. I guess it must just push some emotional memory of my own kids being born, because no matter how often I say to myself I won't get sucked into crying by those scenes, they still get to me. The end of Juno, when Vanessa holds the baby for the first time, nails me every time I watch it, as does the end of Waitress (both the first time she holds the baby and falls in love with her, and the end scene when she's singing "Baby Dontcha Cry" while holding her daughter.) Heck, I cried watching The Business of Being Born, and that's a documentary.
Other films that have moved me to tears are Innocent Voices, the end of Life is Beautiful, and my all-time-favorite, guaranteed-to-get-the-tears-flowing scene at the end of Imitation of Life (damn you, Douglas Sirk!). Which of the films on eHarmony's list make you cry? And what other tearjerkers did they miss?
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(Page 2)22. totally agree w/ Private Ryan. I've seen it numerous times and the end at the grave is definitely strong stuff.
Posted at 7:44PM on Feb 18th 2008 by lw
23. Schindler's List did a number on me when I saw it in the theatres. I walked around in a daze for days.
Gallipoli makes me choke up at the end.
I haven't seen Atonement yet, but the book was devastating.
And Team America: World Police always makes me cry from laughing too damn hard.
Posted at 7:45PM on Feb 18th 2008 by Morteza
24. Thank you Men for this ammunition. mwahahahaha.
jk....
Posted at 7:47PM on Feb 18th 2008 by KateGee
25. The Champ. John Voight is a boxer that dies in the ring at the end & his son played by Ricky Shroeder is crying his eyes out while asking the trainers to wake up Champ.
The last three minutes of that movie is f**king brutal!!!
Posted at 8:18PM on Feb 18th 2008 by mello one
26. Can we say Forrest Gump? When Jenny first leaves him, he meets his son, and then Jenny dies and he gives the speech at her grave. Ughhhhhh. ;')
Posted at 8:22PM on Feb 18th 2008 by Skyler
27. I forgot to add Saving Private Ryan.
I saw that in the theater the day it came out & grown men were bawling their friggin' eyes out during the screening. The thing that I still remember to this day was when everyone was emptying out of the theater, there was a line of people waiting behind the velvet rope to get into the next screening. They had that "Oh Shit" look on their faces as they saw grown men still crying as they exited the theater.
The Green Mile & The Shawshank Redemption are up there too.
Posted at 8:30PM on Feb 18th 2008 by mello one
28. We saw Saving Private Ryan opening night also.
Of course I cried but that wasn't the humiliating part.
THAT part was when I used the restroom, washed up and walked all the way through the theater with toilet paper stuck to my shoe and pants leg. God I was so embarrassed.
Posted at 9:17PM on Feb 18th 2008 by Philip
29. you guys are all pussies. who CRIES over a movie?
Posted at 9:50PM on Feb 18th 2008 by T
30. People with depth, souls.
Posted at 9:54PM on Feb 18th 2008 by mezzanine
31. American Beauty and Philidelphia got me. My Dog Skip, Donnie Darko, Big Fish, and Spielberg's Artificial Intelligence came close.
Posted at 9:54PM on Feb 18th 2008 by mezzanine
32. "Who cries at 'Rocky'?" I DO. SO THERE.
Posted at 9:59PM on Feb 18th 2008 by Eric D. Snider
33. Not sure if it's too late but I just remembered this article from a while ago:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070924/MOVIE_moments_070924/20070926/
Posted at 10:39PM on Feb 18th 2008 by Jesse
34. It's odd that the two movies that make me teary the most are, well, really nerdy. Return of the Jedi and Return of the King.
I guess because of the attachment I have to the main characters in these trilogies, that the endings have a more profound impact on me than most movies (I really don't feel that strong about movies emotionally).
In Return of the Jedi when Luke burns Anakin at the end (John William's musical score helps), and in Return of the King when Frodo departs from Middle Earth with the others. And I still feel the same emotion every time I see those scenes.
Posted at 11:43PM on Feb 18th 2008 by Matt Korman
35. I am just going to admit this, I cried during these 3 movies:
Dancer in the Dark
The Namesake
The Kite Runner
and oh, I saw at least 2 guys crying in the cinema while watching Things We Lost in the Fire. That film did nothing to me, but apparently it hit home for them.
Posted at 6:34AM on Feb 19th 2008 by Jez
36. Armageddon. I tear up when Grace hugs Harry at the Apollo monument, but I really cry at the end when Harry says his goodbye.
Nanny McPhee. No, don't look at me like that.
League of Their Own makes me tear up.
I cried when Prime died.
Definitely, Maybe, Love Actually, The Holiday...
There's a few more.
Posted at 8:09AM on Feb 19th 2008 by Mike_NJ
37. HELLO PEOPLE?
Titanic?
Posted at 8:23AM on Feb 19th 2008 by Jay
38. Definitely "Field of Dreams" Any guy who has had a father or father figure in their life will cry at the end.
Armageddon get to me too. When they are doing the montage of all the people listening to the news around the world. That part is tough to watch. Then again when they get back and little boy runs up to his dad.
Posted at 8:57AM on Feb 19th 2008 by Dave
39. I'm not a guy but no "Brokeback Mountain"? Come on, that ending was incredibly hard!
Posted at 9:44AM on Feb 19th 2008 by Liz Newcomb
40. Joe vs The Volcano, especially the scene just after the doctor tells Joe he has a Brain Cloud...Joe leaves the office with Ray Charles singing Ole Man River in the background...sees the old lady with the great dane and just has to hug the dog. You can see how Joe's life is turning around at that moment. It's a beautifully filmed and touching scene. It gets me every time.....my favorite movie of all time.
Posted at 9:45AM on Feb 19th 2008 by dan
21. Courage Under Fire. I don't actually cry, but I get damn close and get choked up.
Posted at 7:34PM on Feb 18th 2008 by Dan Parmelee