Which films have made you cry?

[andrews]

I have found this interesting article online - The Science Behind The Weepy Movie.

From ‘Beaches’ to ‘Love Story’, everyone’s guilty of having had a good cry whilst watching a movie but what is it that makes us cry? Sky+HD and top psychologist, Professor Kim A. Bard, Ph.D, can now reveal the science behind the films that make us cry be it out of sadness, happiness, anger, fear or passion.

Kim also explains why watching movies in more detail in high definition will make us cry even more, and why ‘Beaches’ is officially the biggest tearjerker of all time.

Professor Bard, a psychologist at the Centre of the Study of Emotion at Portsmouth University who has written numerous articles on emotional and cognitive expression, analysed a selection of movies in both high definition and standard definition.

Through her analysis she identified four key triggers in movies that set our lips quivering and our eyes streaming. These include how often the characters wept, the overall sadness of the movie and the underlying positive message of the film, all moderated by the degree of happiness experienced.

She also reveals how, when used in the right combination, these elements can produce an intensive emotional experience, and that this is intensified even further when movies are watched in high definition.

From the elements highlighted by Professor Bard as being the key factors in movies that make us cry, the following equation was developed to reveal the ultimate weepy movies:

WEEPINESS = (TC x SI x II)
HH

Key:

TC = Tear Count
II = Inspirational Index
SI = Sadness Index
HH = Happy Highs

To read the full article: http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/movies/The ... -7688.html

[andrews]

Friendship favourite, Beaches, was crowned as the top movie tearjerker of all time, with the results revealing the following top ten as the ultimate emotional movies to watch in high definition:

Sky+HD Tearjerker Top Ten*1

1. Beaches
2. The Colour Purple
3. Schindler’s List
4. Philadelphia
5. Nights in Rodanthe
6. P.S. I love you
7. Meet Joe Black
8. Terms of Endearment
9. One True Thing
10. Love Story

So which film or films have made you cry? I haven't seen all of the above films. I haven't even seen Beaches ( will soon rectify that asap).
However, I have seen Love Story, The Colour Purple and Schindler's List and they all brought tears to my eyes. But so did ET! And more recently, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, and My Sister's Keeper. I even found a lump in my throat when I went to see Marley and Me!

[a_person]

Hmmmm this is a hard one... I really can't think of anything. Even from the list you gave! I must be cold-blooded....

[biggins]

Beaches was a weepy but I thought the film STELLA with Bette Midler was sadder. At the end of the film when Bette Midler is standing on the street looking throught the window trying to get a glimpse of her daughter brought tears to my eyes.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was too harrowing juist left you speechless - more shocking than a weepy.

[mattgad]

I'm going to say Titanic before anyone else does.

[Ms Thrifty]

I don't even like films which make me feel a bit tremulous - I certainly wouldn't go to see a known weepie. Admittedly there have been a few times recently when I've had a lump in my throat and felt cross with myself for getting soft in my old age. But films which make you cry with laughter - great - wish there were more of them!

[BettyBoop]

"Who will love my children" this one is a total tear jerker from start to end! just so sad...Ive never cried so much in all my life! Its set in america about a mum who is diagnosed with cancer (i think) she has quite a few children and if memory serves me correctly her husband was a drinker and not capable of looking after the children. The film shows her giving away all her children before she becomes too ill....I seem to remember that one or two of the children had disabilities and no-one wanted to take them on.

OMG this was so sad i only saw it once years ago (approx a decade) and it still hurts my heart to think about it now! I am such a softie!

[Spanner]

The champ.
it makes me cry so much i even get a snotty nose.

[ZombieFiend 616]

ET… but you didnt hear that from me!

[TheyCallMeMrGlass]

"Are you crying?...There's no crying in baaaseballl!".

The opening of Up, was beautiful, poignant, and mixed with subtle humour all rolled into one epic 10 minute montage. That had me stifling back tears already. Loved the rest of the film too but in terms of condensed emotional power, the beginning is unmatched. Pixar has made me shed a tear a couple times before with Finding Nemo and Toy Story, damn them for exposing a crack in my attempted macho-ism!

Basically, I would a few tears when I realise I am witnessing a masterpiece of story telling which at the same time pulls at the heart string. But many films forcefully attempts tugging the heart strings that simply dont work on me.

An old classic western called Shane has an ending that drew tears because it so beautifully shot and acted.