Most effective crying scenes in a movie?

[dmbman32]

What crying scenes did you think were the most believable. A lot of them are half-assed or fake, but some are great. Which ones? Mine:


(SPOILERS)


Uma Thurman in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (Waking up from the coma)
Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge (The end)
Mel Gibson in Ransom (When he thought his kid was shot on the phone)
Tom Hanks in Cast Away (When he loses Wilson)
Nicholas Cage in Adaptation (When he has to call his mom about Donald)

[docholiday_13]

Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan after his bad call leads to another one of his men getting killed.

[idealdiscountdude]

Most recently:

Keisha Castle-Hughes emotional speech towards the end of the superb Whale Rider

--got me all choked up

Emma Thompson in Love Actually and her reaction to her Christmas gift......phenomenal!

[The Other]

Toni Collette at the end of THE SIXTH SENSE.

She didn't go over the top either, which is good cause I tend to like more subtle moments and performances. She was perfect throughout the movie, but that scene sealed it. Wow. It got me chocked up to the first time I saw the movie.

[LiquidSalt]

At the end of A Beautiful Mind....*tear*

[Jerk Shapiro]

Originally posted by docholiday_13
Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan after his bad call leads to another one of his men getting killed.


That's a good one.

But my pick has to go to Tom Cruise at his father's bedside in Magnolia.

[arby19]

Tom Cruise in Magnolia at his fathers bedside.
Tom Hanks in Cast Away after he looses Wilson.

[bankholdup]

Tom Cruise at his father's deathbed in Magnolia.


Perfect.

[FilmBuff84]

Uma Thurman in KILL BILL was the first one I thought of. So sad that scene.

I also agree with Mel Gibson in RANSOM, Ewan McGregor in MOULIN ROUGE and Emma Thompson in LOVE ACTUALLY.

[phelonious]

Actually, Emma Thompson's not a bad weeper. She had couple of crying scenes in SENSE & SENSIBILITY, that were very convincing.

Holly Hunter's crying jags in BROADCAST NEWS.

From FEARLESS: Jeff Bridges informs his business partners wife, that her husband is, indeed dead. I think the actress was Deirdre O'Connell, she was amazing.

And since I saw this a couple of months ago, Jackie Coogan in Charlie Chaplin's: THE KID. Apparently he was having a little too much fun and couldn't do the scene where child welfare takes him away from the tramp. So his parents told him if he didn't do it on the next take, they would really going to get rid of him ... He bawled his eyes out.

[Sad man]

Keisha Castle-Hughes and her crying speech in Whale Rider.
Emma Thompson and ger crying gift in Love Actually.
Björk crying to death in Dancer in the Dark.
Emily Watson's best friend crying in Breaking the Waves.
Julianne Moore in the bathroom in The Hours.
Meryl Streep's break down in The Hours.

And much more...

[zeppelin]

For me, it is easily Sean Penn in DEAD MAN WALKING.

[Michael Corleone]

Lamberto Maggiorani in The Bicycle Thief.

[Mr.HyDe807]

THE Return of the KING
Id say when Frodo tells Sam to go homeand Sam began to cry. That masde me tear up a bit

[therealjohng]

The ending of Lost in Translation had me tearing up a bit.



The ending of Rudy. No matter how many times I watch that movie, it just gets to me.

[notchreturns]

Originally posted by zeppelin
For me, it is easily Sean Penn in DEAD MAN WALKING.

Ditto. Penn at his most brillant.

[AceD]

"Mel Gibson in Ransom (When he thought his kid was shot on the phone)"

Gotta second that one. Excellent. Also, the Tom Hanks one in SPR.

"For me, it is easily Sean Penn in DEAD MAN WALKING."

Another excellent one. I'd add his back porch scene with Tim Robbins in Mystic River. I know this movie didn't "work" for some people, but if it did I think this is probably top-3 of all time (for crying scenes, not top 3 movies of all-time).

[bankholdup]

Originally posted by Sad man
Keisha Castle-Hughes and her crying speech in Whale Rider.


Forgot all about that. Definitely a great one. One of the few parts that I really really enjoyed from that film.

[Hannibal21]

A lot of great ones already posted, but the one I felt was most effective.....

Julianne Moore in Boogie Nights

[Erin123]

A few immediately came to mind:

1. Molly's (Demi Moore) tears throughout Ghost always makes me cry!
2. The Bride's (Uma Thurman) waking up from the coma was very good in Kill Bill, Vol.1
3. Elinor Dashwood (Emma Thompson) in Sense and Sensibility

[Unicron]

Originally posted by The Other
Toni Collette at the end of THE SIXTH SENSE.

She didn't go over the top either, which is good cause I tend to like more subtle moments and performances. She was perfect throughout the movie, but that scene sealed it. Wow. It got me chocked up to the first time I saw the movie.

my thoughts exactly

Also

Merry and Pippin when they leave Moria - Fellowship of the Ring

[Sublime]

I just saw Northfork and James Woods does an amazing job crying....in an outhouse.

[EvilComesHome02]

Kate Winslet in The Life of David Gale
Uma Thurman in Kill Bill

I know it's not a movie....but Alyson Hannigan on BUFFY when Tara got shot, or when Buffy's mom died. Alyson has a gift for tears.

[Briare Rabbit]

George Bailey at the end of It's a Wonderful Life. Auld Lang Syne, and surrounded by friends. He's half crying, half ranting. It was brilliant.

"atta boy Clarence"

[miguel_montes]

In the end of ROTK, when Frodo is saying goodbye to his friends Sam, Merry and Pippin.

[SAI]

Originally posted by Hannibal21
Julianne Moore in Boogie Nights

Absolutely. A peerless piece of screen acting.

[blankpage]

Me in Mystic River.

Just kidding. I did ball like a baby (as usual) in it, though.

My choice would have to be Tom Cruise in 'Magnolia'.

[NormanBates]

When Tom Cruise cries, I cry.

It's automatic.

Say what you will about Cruise, but I'll never ever change my opinion that both he and Brad Pitt -- when you ignore the "Hollywood Hunk" label -- are two of the very best actors there are.

And when Tom Cruise has bedside crying scenes -- both in Magnolia and Jerry Maguire (almost an identical shot as Magnolia when he, as Jerry Maguire, a man unable to express himself in any way, finally breaks down and, sobbing, reaches out and just barely touches the tiny hand of the sleeping Jonathan Lipnicki --) JESUS! I'm crying now just typing about it.

[Jon Lyrik]

I mostly agree with Bates. Cruise and Pitt--call them gay or pretty boys, and perhaps they are, but both of them can act. Look at Magnolia on Cruise's behalf, and look at Fight Club on Pitt's behalf.

[Antonio]

MALE: Clint Eastwood in IN THE LINE OF FIRE, as he explains the details of JFK's assassination to Rene Russo.

FEMALE: I'm going to go with a Quentinesque favorite and select Cloris Leachman in the great final scene of THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. She's the first actress (and most formidable for the purpose of this topic) that came to mind. Just thinking about that quietly powerful finale makes me want to search the vault for this classic tonight!

[thompsoncory]

The most effective recent scene is that of Emma Thompson in LOVE ACTUALLY when she opens her Christmas gift. You really feel so bad for her, and when she breaks down, you feel like you are going to as well. The most heartbreaking scene in an otherwise joyful movie.

[Squid Vicious]

Originally posted by bankholdup
Tom Cruise at his father's deathbed in Magnolia.

Really? I thought it was kinda funny. But then again, that whole movie was funny.

Anyway....

Tom Hanks when he loses Wilson in Castaway
Jack Nicholson at the end of About Schmidt
Jimmy Stewart at the end of It's a Wonderful Life
Ellen Burstyn talking to Jared Leto about her loneliness in Requiem for a Dream
Uma Thurman when she wakes up from her coma in Kill Bill Vol. 1
Julianne Moore in Boogie Nights

[VicVega]

Henry and Karen Hill in Goodfellas after Henry comes home from jail and finds out the coke was flushed down the toilet.

Michael Corrleone's silent scream at the end of The Godfather III

Nick (Chris Walken) crying during the Russian Roulette scene in The Deer Hunter.

Spoiler for Rocky III






Rocky crying at Mickey's funeral.

[martyds761]

Louis in Interview w/ the Vampire when he had 1 tear for Claudia.
Also same actor in Legends of the Fall after his wife is killed.

Sandra Bullock in a couple movies.

Julia Roberts has a couple.

That's all I can think of right now.

[BorderEevilIII]

Lemme see


SPOILERS!





Jennifer Lopez & Jim Caviziel in Angel Eyes. Lopez just will get emotional in a drop of a hat. But Caviziel talking to his wife who died at the cemetary always gets to me. :(







END

[Klownzilla]

Crispin Glover in WILLARD with the huge snot coming out of his nose. Snot usually does come out when people cry.

[MickeyKnox]

Robert DeNiro In Raging Bull -where he goes to prison and he is punching the prison wall crying "Why Why Why".

[Addi88]

Billy Crudup talking to his father in the hospital in Big Fish. That really got to me.

[bowieee]

I know it's cheesy but the whole crying and running scene from My Girl pretty much pops my heart every time I see it.

[bowieee]

Originally posted by Sublime
I just saw Northfork and James Woods does an amazing job crying....in an outhouse.

That's a great scene.

[jeo4]

*SPOILERS*

When Gandalf calls Frodo to join him and Bilbo on the boat, and all his hobbit friends start crying, my heart just goes out to them. Here they are together and they've known each other their entire lives, and yet one of them unexpectedly has to leave. After all they have been through together, it's heart-wrenching.

:(

*END SPOILERS*

[TheGodSon]

Sean Penn in Mystic River.

[CyclicNightmare]

Originally posted by Addi88
Billy Crudup talking to his father in the hospital in Big Fish. That really got to me.
DITTO

[Cottonmouth]

Asia Argento-Scarlet Diva

[fevers]

Originally posted by Addi88
Billy Crudup talking to his father in the hospital in Big Fish. That really got to me.


Same here. Also Nicolas Cage's grief at the end of Adaptation.

[ANavissi500]

Keshia Castle-Hughes in Whale Rider
Naomi Watts in 21 Grams
Emma Thompson - Love, Actually
Tom Cruise - Magnolia
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Magnolia
Uma Thurman - Kill Bill: Volume One
Ewan McGregor - Moulin Rouge!
Jack Nicholoson - About Schmidt


NOT SEAN PENN IN MYSTIC RIVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Antonio]

Another superb crying scene that still gets to me like a knife in the fucking gut:

River Phoenix's milk money confession in STAND BY ME.

[Sigur509]

Jim Carrey - Eternal Sunshine Of The Spottless Mind
Ben Stiller - The Royal Tenenbaums
Tom Hanks - Cast Away
Tom Cruise - Magnolia
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Magnolia
Tom Cruise - Jerry Maguire


A lot of people are saying Uma in Kill Bill, I found it rather long and wanted it to end. Got on my nerves.

[erinachan]

Keisha Castle Hughes in Whale Rider...absolutely broke my heart.

Also have to agree with everyone about Crudup in Big Fish.

[Succubus]

Boogie Nights

Amber Waves (Julianne Moore) sobbing outside the courtroom is so effective, it almost feels invasive.

Scotty J (Philip Seymour Hoffman) climbing into his car and crying after Dirk rejects his advances - "I'm a fucking idiot!"

The Passion of the Christ

Mary (Maia Morgenstern) had a lot of crying scenes, but she executed them with a real sense of dignity, despite the horrors that were being inflicted on her son.

Truly, Madly, Deeply

Nina's (Juliet Stevenson) crying scene always gets me. None of this 'single tear down the cheek' rubbish, this woman is grieving.

Dancer In The Dark

Bjork, finally breaking free from the fantasy, sobs and cries "I can't breathe!" Heartbreaking.

Catch Me If You Can

Frank Abagnale Sr. (Christopher Walken) retelling the story of how he met his wife. "200 men...and she was mine." I find this scene so emotional - Walken completely nails it.

American History X

Derek (Edward Norton) finally relenting and weeping to his old teacher after being raped in the shower.

The Silence of the Lambs

Clarice (Jodie Foster) leans on her car and cries after her first meeting with Hannibal Lecter.

Happiness

Timmy (Justin Elvin) sobs as his Dad (Dylan Baker) admits what he has done to his friends.

[martyds761]

There's a movie called Pure Country where the actress does a great job at the end.

ROTK at the end.

Also, me in the movie 8 Seconds because I knew him personally.

[Tayzlor]

Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt

Tom Hanks in Cast Away (this man made me cry over a volleyball, and yet the Oscar went to Russell Crowe?)

[Grebdron]

Not one person has mentioned Charlize in Monster. The scene at the bus stop had ME in tears.

[MickeyKnox]

Liam Neeson in Schindler's List when he is saying he could have bought more Jews and sell all of his posessions just to get one more, and then breaks down sobbing this in my opinion is the most effective crying seen ever put on film!

[Backstabba]

American History X
Edward norton runs into the bathroom and finds his dead brother. That sometimes really can just kill me.

The Passion of the Christ
Mary (Maia Morgenstern) was just effective in that movie.


theres probabvly alot more, those are just the best 1's

[Succubus]

Originally posted by MickeyKnox
Liam Neeson in Schindler's List when he is saying he could have bought more Jews and sell all of his posessions just to get one more, and then breaks down sobbing this in my opinion is the most effective crying seen ever put on film!

I can't believe I didn't mention this one. Fantastic performance from Liam Neeson throughout the film, but that scene where he breaks down is truly remarkable.

[martyds761]

Originally posted by Succubus
I can't believe I didn't mention this one. Fantastic performance from Liam Neeson throughout the film, but that scene where he breaks down is truly remarkable. Agreed...... Made me break.

[Jimmy"The Gent"]

Sean Penn at the end of the original Bad Boys (1983). He's been through so much mental and physical exhaustion and pain that he just breaks down crying.

[Black_Cherry]

Naomi Watts at the end of Mullholand Drive - heartbreaking stuff :(

[reeseville]

Originally posted by erinachan
Keisha Castle Hughes in Whale Rider...absolutely broke my heart.

And we have a winner. Keisha owns this thread. I don't know anyone...anyone, who wouldn't cry when watching her speech at the school presentation. It was so real and heartbreaking, I swear the whole theatre were in tears. That's not even acting, that's transcending it.

[DareDevil]

Tom Hanks - Cast away
Sean Penn - Mystic River
Ben Affleck - Jersey Girl

[DareDevil]

Originally posted by Addi88
Billy Crudup talking to his father in the hospital in Big Fish. That really got to me.

Agreed

[SykkBoy]

Ricky Schroder in "The Champ" a little hysterical, but damn effective

[FT13TH Addict]

When the dog dies at the end of Turner and Hooch.:(

[Sad man]

Let's see...(SPOILERS for each movie after the title)

Ponette: Ponette finds out about her mother.
Tinanic: Jack is gone.
Central Station: The ending.
Boys Don't Cry: Teena is discovered.
Dancer in the Dark: Bill wants the money/The ending
Agnes Brown: The best friend is gone.
Moulin Rouge!: Christian pays his whore
Ginger Snaps: Ending.
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence: Leaving David.
The Hours: Laura crying in the bathroom.
21 Grams: Hospital scene.
Big Fish: "Tell me how it ends"
Dogville: The figurines scene.
Lost in Translation: Goodbye scene.
Love, Actually: Emma Thompson and the wrong present.
May: Ending.
Monster: The last phone call.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Piano scene.
Thirteen: "I love you and your brother more than..."
Whale Rider: School speech.
Willard: Funeral scene.

[ERIN_LoJ]

Tom Cruise always cries but he's good at it. Especially in Cocktail.

Even though not the best actor in the world thought, well whatever the hell his name is, cant remember it, in The Devils advocate with the wife scene was very effective

Sally Fields in Steal magnolias

[giftedinpants]

Affleck makes me laugh when he cries,except in Armageddoen.Cruise made me weep like a bitch in Magnolia.

[TheDeadWalk]

********** SPOILERS FOR RAGING BULL ************


Originally posted by MickeyKnox
Robert DeNiro In Raging Bull -where he goes to prison and he is punching the prison wall crying "Why Why Why".



That's so cool. I just started watching this movie yesterday, and haven't had the chance to watch it all yet. Thanks for the heads up.



SAVING PRIVATE RYAN

Anytime an actor cries out "Mama".

[Buck Turgidson]

Originally posted by Antonio
Another superb crying scene that still gets to me like a knife in the fucking gut:

River Phoenix's milk money confession in STAND BY ME.

I thought of that brilliant scene about a minute after I heard that he was dead.


Julianne in Boogie Nights
Jack Nicholson with his father in the chair in Five Easy Pieces
Denzel in Glory
the late Howard Rollins in A Soldier's Story

[giftedinpants]

When Giovanni Ribisi talks about his mom in the church scene...made me weep like a bitch!!!!

[the minority]

Probably Kevin Spacey in Pay it Forward. When he was talking about his dad and the burns etc...

[Lazy Boy]

Cast Away: Tom Hanks sold the idea that losing a volleyball could be heartbreaking.

My Life Without Me: crappy movie, but Sarah Polley has a nice scene where she learns she has cancer, yet doesn't get overly emotional. A single tear runs down her face as she remains stoic.

Kill Bill Vol. 1: when Uma wakes up from her coma and cries over the loss of her child. It's an uncomfortable scene, because QT holds on it for over a minute without cutting, but it's also powerful.

Crazy/Beautiful: when Kirsten Dunst learns that Jay Hernandez can't see her anymore. Her lower lip trembles...wow, what an effective scene.

Magnolia: Tom Cruise failing to contain his emotions over the bedside of his father.

Boys Don't Cry: when Hilary Swank confesses about being raped and beaten.

E.T.: when Elliot thinks E.T. has died. Great, unforced crying from such a young actor.

Casualties of War: after the young Vietnamese girl has been raped and abused by the soldiers, and comes to Michael J. Fox for help, although he himself is helpless. Great scene, in an otherwise flawed movie.

Wit: At the end of the film, Emma Thompson's character is reduced to a dying, sobbing mess, and all she can do is emote into the arms of Eileen Atkins. Moving scene.

Good Will Hunting: the "It's not your fault" scene. I know a lot of people who hate the scene and find it too manipulative, but damn it all to hell, I loved it.

Autumn Sonata: Liv Ullmann breaks down while confessing to her mother (Ingrid Bergman) exactly what she feels about her.

May: the ending, May's sobbing realization of what she must do, and the after result, while gruesome to watch, is also quite moving.

[Antonio]

The most effective crying scene in recent memory was Emma Thompson in LOVE ACTUALLY. Does anyone know if that Joni Mitchell song is on the soundtrack?

[Erin123]

Originally posted by Antonio
The most effective crying scene in recent memory was Emma Thompson in LOVE ACTUALLY. Does anyone know if that Joni Mitchell song is on the soundtrack?

Yeah, "Both Sides Now" is on the soundtrack. I just watched Love Actually again last night...Emma Thompson is fucken fantastic in this movie. Her character has a spot on balance of wit, sadness and intelligence, and that crying scene really tugged at the old heart strings...a brilliant actress ;)

[Tayzlor]

Originally posted by Antonio
The most effective crying scene in recent memory was Emma Thompson in LOVE ACTUALLY. Does anyone know if that Joni Mitchell song is on the soundtrack?

**SPOILERS FOR LOVE ACTUALLY**

From Love Actually,

I burst when Colin Firth and the Portugease woman say that the worst part of the day is when they leave each other.

[BorderEevilIII]

Crying doesn't ALWAYS have to be linked to a saaad moment...............




A League Of Their Own, the there's no crying in baseball moment speech Hanks says to the then unknown Bitty Schram....


In Something's Gotta Give , Diane Keaton for some reasons starts crying when typing. May have looked FAKE and SILLY but the way she did it pulled it off IMO....

And in Far From Heaven Julianne Moore needs to compose herself when her best friend played by Patricia Clarkson suspects something is wrong w/ Moore. After Clarkson leaves Moore gets upset and starts crying. :(






END

[Erin123]

Originally posted by Tayzlor
**SPOILERS FOR LOVE ACTUALLY**

From Love Actually,

I burst when Colin Firth and the Portugease woman say that the worst part of the day is when they leave each other.

Oh God, I was crying heaps during this movie! I don't think I've ever watched a movie that made me smile, laugh and cry as much as this one...just so much joy...I wasn't bored for a single moment :) 10/10.