Analog Thoughts on a Digital Age

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Cry Me A River: My Favorite Tearjerker Scenes

When someone dies in a movie (like Bambi's mom, or whoever Judy ann Santos' onscreen mom is) we are expected to feel the protagonists sullen emotions, in other words, we are supposed to cry. Sometimes it works and we bawl our eyes out. Sometimes it looks forced and pathetic and we end up laughing instead.

I asked a few people in the office and went to their workstations to give me examples of movies with the best tearjerking scenes. After staring at me like a registered sex offender, they gave me their suggestions. I put some of those which I thought were right on and didn't include the ones I didn't like. Here are some, IMO, that made it right (because I'm perfect and can do no wrong).

"The Green Mile" : John Coffy's Execution

Walang laban si Paquiao sa 'yo

The irreversible decision on John Coffy's execution raised the emotional level among the guards in The Green Mile. Knowing that Coffy was innocent of all charges and that he harbored no ill feelings towards his accusers, the guards were bound by their apalling duty to fry him to a crisp.


"Ghost" : The Unchained Melody

bakit amoy Mena ka?Sam visits Molly everyday but she doesn't know it. Since his death Molly has been miserable. Sam's unusual friendship with psychic Oda May Brown (Whoopi Goldberg)enables her to serve as as a bridge for them to meet again and communicate. Through Oda's body, Sam touches Molly (In an eerily homoerotic moment) and dances with her to the tune that was mercilessly overplayed in radios accross the world after the movie came out.



"Titanic" : "I'll Never Let Go, Jack"

ganito ka ba mnyansing?Jack and Rose meet in a boat. Rose (Kate Winslet) finally learns to let go of his passionate love Jack (Leo DiCaprio) while they are floating on a wooden door (or was it a closet) by prying her hands out of his and letting his stiff corpse sink into the depths of the Atlantic. Well, yes it was heartbreaking back then...









"Forrest Gump" : "You're His Father, Forrest"

I See Dumb PeopleForrest Gump relates his lifes story to every stranger who sits on the same bench as he is waiting for the next bus to Jenny's house. He then finds out Jenny lives a few blocks away. He then find Jenny and that she has a kid. "His name is Forrest. I named him after his Father". The facial expression on Forrest (courtesy of the masterful Tom Hanks) once he finds out he is actually looking at his offspring triggers heart flutters for new dads and women everywhere.




"My Sassy Girl" : "I'm Sorry"
natatae na ako pero, dyahe magpaalam...

My Sassy Girl is the kind of movie that a lot of people have seen
but you wouldn't know if somebody has seen it until you talk to them. It has kind of been an open secret in social circles everywhere. It is now going to be released dubbed in Tagalog this month, as if they were saying "Hey, lets take a really good movie that everyone loves and ruin it, and make money doing it".

The scene starts off with the girl (Jun Ji Hyun) and Gyun Woo (Cha Tae Hyun) sitting on top of a mountain as they are about to break up. She tells Gyun Woo to go climb a hill on the other side to see if he can hear her shout over to him. She's a pain, but he always obliges. Like all romantic fools he climbs over and waves to her. The girl then shouts "Im Sorry. Im just a hopeless girl". Guys turn into saps when they watch this part.



"The Lord of The Rings The Return of The King" : "Go Home, Sam"

Ako rin, napapa-jebs naIn the previous movies we see Frodo and Sam fall into cliffs, run into orcs, wade into swamps and deal with the whiny but treacherous Gollum, but it is in this scene where we first see Frodo's confused mind reach breaking point and lose trust in the man who promised to protect him with his life. Setting all homoerotic innuendo's aside, this is a break up that can rival and even surpass any romance drama flick.



"Failan" : "...But You are the Kindest of All"

ok na to, walang papel sa bukid
If there was a movie designed to turn hardened criminals and gangsters into girly-crying saps, it's Failan.

Kang -Jae is a gangster, and a bad one at that. Poor and disrespected by his younger peers, he looked into marrying a Chinese immigrant for money, even if they were not to meet. In exchange for his name on a marriage certificate, Failan lives the rest of her short life in Korea being grateful to the man who decided to sell his name for her convenience in getting a job.

Before Failan died. He writes Kang-jae a letter thanking him for everything. He reads it after he claims her body. He is afer all her husband. She expresses in the letter, "Everybody has been kind, but you are the kindest of all.", referring to the husband she had never met. This scene where Kang-Jae breaks down shows Choi Min Shik in his finest.



"I Am Sam" : "In your Heart of Hearts..."

dad, tsinelas ko. dad...daaaad.
Other than people dying, or children hurting, nothing else makes us cry in movies than...retarded people.

Sam's courtoom scenes are some of Sean Penn's best work. The introduction of acting prodigy Dakota Fanning also elevated this movie into the ranks of the top dramas of recent years. The best and most dramatic scene would be the very last where Lucy scores her first goal and Sam, who also happens to be the referee grabs Lucy and runs around the field embracing his little champ.



"Transformers, The Movie" : "...The Wounds Are Fatal"

pag ibig ko'y metal
If you weren't a 9 year old during the time of The Transformers, you wouldn't understand.
Optimus Prime as not only a leader. He WAS the Transformers. Kids like myself didn't know what to expect what was to happen now that Prime was dead less than halfway through the movie. Then, his spirit of leadership was passed on to Hot Rod through the Matrix, and became Rodimus Prime.





the four brothers were quiet. they all heard it.  but none of them would admit who it was....

"The Lord of The Rings; The Return of The King" : "You Bow to No One".

Ok so I made two entries coming from the same movie. There is a reason. This the once scene where I felt my eyes well up and I had to wipe out the tears. The thought of the entire world bowing dow to the most insignificant creatures not because of what they are but for what they did, can inspire anyone at any level. In the back of your mind you go, "Hobbits Rock!"

13 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The thought of the entire world bowing dow to the most insignificant creatures not because of what they are but for what they did, can inspire anyone at any level.

Yeah, exactly. I was goosebumps all over on that scene, too.

10:19 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Any of you seen "Rudy"? That made me cry.

11:03 AM

 
Blogger the rocketboy said...

cristi: Exactly! My reaction was more girly than yours! Hahahaha.


Franch: I haven't seen Rudy. I wish I had. I believe Sean Astin was selected as Samwise because of his role in Rudy.

1:32 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey there...
i'll bring the viddy this friday..

2:38 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i'd go for lord of the rings of course. especially the unconditional love of Sam towards Frodo. The hell with the narrow minded prudish filths. and not to forget the shawshank redemption.

3:06 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

judy ann's on-screen mom? LMFAO! that cracked me up!

how about mel gibson shouting "freedom!" in braveheart?

...or the old private ryan getting teary-eyed in the cemetery in saving private ryan?

...or any scene in men of honor where cuba gooding was being called "cookie"?

...or the old couple dying together in the notebook?


just my thoughts...

10:21 AM

 
Blogger the rocketboy said...

pimpstar: The Braveheart one was a good idea. I missed that one.

I never saw "Men of Honor". just parts.

I saw the Notebook. uuuh, the scene was not as tearjerking for me as it was for other people. Maybe if u had a girlfriend u would feel some sort of flutter.

I dont have a girlfriend...(sob)..I gonna go sulk in a corner now.

11:11 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i rarely cry, but some movies are just bummers, i understand. hehe. sassy girl made me cry a lot, i dunno why. pero ung scene ko is the one on the train. and then, finding neverland, when the kids' mother died. wonderful yet sad scene. and another mother-son scene: crying ladies, nung maghihiwalay na sila nung anak nya. galing.

6:47 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I cried when Optimus Died

8:28 AM

 
Blogger drei said...

i cried in The Cure. wait. i cried in many films pala. hehe. :)

last movie that made me cry, If Only. haha. i know it's not a great film, but i felt the love in the movie.

3:30 PM

 
Blogger the rocketboy said...

Sedricke: Same sentiments on Sassy. There's a mysterious appeal to it I just cant put my finger on...


CHip: Kids our age....we get it!

Drei: Hmmmm, If Only? I haven't seen it. Is it good? Is it worth the ticket price?

6:31 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i cried me a river when the "big fish" swam in the river (sniff)

5:36 PM

 
Blogger the rocketboy said...

ann: Yes. Big Fish was a great movie. Cool.

5:40 AM

 

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