Lauren NeillThe Quest To Cry During A Movie
October 20th 2007 03:41
For a long time, it was a dream of mine to find a movie so amazingly moving it actually made me cry. It felt like to truly affirm the power of cinema, I would need salty tears running down my face at least once. Just to prove to myself that it was possible. I'd watched my stepdad cry at the end of Rocky II (yes, really), heard about people bursting into tears during The Green Mile and seen my mother weep her way through What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?, but I remained dry.
There are a few moments in entertainment I knew of where not crying seemed almost inexcusable. There's an episode of Futurama, 'Jurassic Bark', that makes pretty much everyone except me cry. Grave of the Fireflies, a Japanese anime movie about two young children orphaned in Japan during WWII, a harrowing, devastating tale that my Screen Studies tutor once refered to as "the scariest movie he'd ever seen", moved me considerably, but not to tears. Not even the whole 'Mad World' bit of Donnie Darko made me give up the good stuff.
So after a while, I was getting desperate. I recall walking into the local videostore, picking up the copy of Schindler's List and thinking "Well, this is my last chance." And, like it does with everyone, it delievered. 3 hours in, during the final moments as they place the stones on his grave, I finally cried. It...it was weird.
But anyway, I was able to put crying behind me at this point....or so I thought. My second incidence of crying during a piece of entertainment is actually hugely confusing and embarrassing...and hence must be presented for your entertainment.
Warning: The next bit is going to contain spoilers for Season 5 of 24. Yeah, you heard me.
It was 2am, December 29. I was watching Season 5 of 24, a much desired Christmas present. Halfway through the season, terrorists have once again managed to infiltrate the appalling unsecure CTU and planted a deadly gasbomb in the air vent. The bomb goes off, and while most of the characters are able to make it to an airtight room before they get killed, good ol' Edgar, the big fat computer programmer with a heart of gold, doesn't make it. He runs out, surrounded by dead bodies, and spies his friends in the sealed conference room. Chloe walks up to the window and stares out the window. "Oh my God" says Jack, who up to this point has shown curiously little emotion for the fact that half the CTU staff are dead. "Chloe!", Edgar gasps. Chloe mouths his name back. And then Edgar goes into death-throws, gasping for air, collapsing to the ground, struggling and eventually giving up all life.
It is at this point I realise I am crying, and I have no idea why. Sure, Edgar was awesome, but I've gotten through much, much worse stuff than this. I've seen documentries on war, on the Holocaust, countless movies based on horrifying true stories- aside from Schindler's List, none of them got to me. This fat loveable computer programmer on 24 dies and I can't stop crying. What's all that about? Nearly a year later and I still can't grasp it.
So, for the sake of filling up my comment section, how often do you all cry during movies? Any specific examples that might move me so again?
There are a few moments in entertainment I knew of where not crying seemed almost inexcusable. There's an episode of Futurama, 'Jurassic Bark', that makes pretty much everyone except me cry. Grave of the Fireflies, a Japanese anime movie about two young children orphaned in Japan during WWII, a harrowing, devastating tale that my Screen Studies tutor once refered to as "the scariest movie he'd ever seen", moved me considerably, but not to tears. Not even the whole 'Mad World' bit of Donnie Darko made me give up the good stuff.
So after a while, I was getting desperate. I recall walking into the local videostore, picking up the copy of Schindler's List and thinking "Well, this is my last chance." And, like it does with everyone, it delievered. 3 hours in, during the final moments as they place the stones on his grave, I finally cried. It...it was weird.
But anyway, I was able to put crying behind me at this point....or so I thought. My second incidence of crying during a piece of entertainment is actually hugely confusing and embarrassing...and hence must be presented for your entertainment.
Warning: The next bit is going to contain spoilers for Season 5 of 24. Yeah, you heard me.
It was 2am, December 29. I was watching Season 5 of 24, a much desired Christmas present. Halfway through the season, terrorists have once again managed to infiltrate the appalling unsecure CTU and planted a deadly gasbomb in the air vent. The bomb goes off, and while most of the characters are able to make it to an airtight room before they get killed, good ol' Edgar, the big fat computer programmer with a heart of gold, doesn't make it. He runs out, surrounded by dead bodies, and spies his friends in the sealed conference room. Chloe walks up to the window and stares out the window. "Oh my God" says Jack, who up to this point has shown curiously little emotion for the fact that half the CTU staff are dead. "Chloe!", Edgar gasps. Chloe mouths his name back. And then Edgar goes into death-throws, gasping for air, collapsing to the ground, struggling and eventually giving up all life.
It is at this point I realise I am crying, and I have no idea why. Sure, Edgar was awesome, but I've gotten through much, much worse stuff than this. I've seen documentries on war, on the Holocaust, countless movies based on horrifying true stories- aside from Schindler's List, none of them got to me. This fat loveable computer programmer on 24 dies and I can't stop crying. What's all that about? Nearly a year later and I still can't grasp it.
So, for the sake of filling up my comment section, how often do you all cry during movies? Any specific examples that might move me so again?
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Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
I bawled in The Man From Snowy River when the horse fell down the hill. All I could gasp for the next twenty minutes was 'The horse fell down the hill!'
My family still does impersonations all these years later.
Michaelie
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
For some reason as I've got older, I now cry a lot easier at films and programs. I used to chuckle at my friend who would cry all the time and now it doesn't take much to get my tear ducts moving.
Once (and I'm ashamed to say), I cried at an ep of Neighbours. One of the regular characters was leaving and I was so sad. Can I blame it on PMT, old age...I'm not sure...
Ah well, nothing wrong with a good blubber really.
Tracy
Comment by 4bidnsnowflake