Part III: Rob's List
Okay, the doctor is finally ready to operate. Here we go, the top
five movies that make me cry like a newborn, in order of most tears
shed.
5. Whale Rider
I was skeptical of this film before viewing it,
but it's one of my favorite releases from last year. A superb
all-around effort in terms of acting, direction and script. I wasn't
expecting to tear up, but what really got me was the lead actress,
Keisha Castle-Hughes; she really turned it on late in the film. Her
heartfelt speech during the school play is moving, and the movie's
climax -- what a beautiful, beautiful series of images and scenes. The film's touching resolution brought on tears as well. And just for
the record, I thought the title was strictly a metaphor. Amazing ...
4. Good Will Hunting
Terrible title, great movie. The
emotional apex of the film -- "It's not your fault" -- could have gone
awry in so many ways and become a parody, a spectacular misfire. It
didn't. Gus Van Sant hits the mark, and Robin Williams and Matt Damon
play the scene to utter perfection. And that's just the first scene that made me weep. I also lost it at the end, when
Ben Affleck's character goes to pick up Will and finds an empty house. He gives a slight smile, simultaneously laced with sadness and joy. The film cuts to Will's junked
up car heading West, and I'm done. The perfect ending to a classic
film.
3. Dances with Wolves (1990)
This may be the odd choice of my list,
but I'm sticking with it. We may always associate Kevin
Costner's epic western as the film that robbed Scorcese's
"Goodfellas," but there's no denying this is a great film. A series of
emotional junctures -- Costner's Dunbar staying behind at
the outpost as his newfound Native Americans leave; Stands with a Fist
coming to terms with her grief; the tribe rescuing Dunbar from the
white soldiers -- all culminate at the final scene, where Dunbar and
the tribe part ways. Wind in his Hair, Dunbar's onetime enemy and now
close friend, stands atop a nearby peak and shouts out Dunbar's Indian
name and pledges his eternal friendship. It's deeply affecting, embodying
the love that has grown between the two, and the tragic realization that their bond cannot continue. A heartbreaking turn, it gets me every time.
2. E.T. (1982)
This one is self-explanatory, but it's worth
mentioning because the film is a timeless classic. Heartfelt
departures are always effective in generating tears, but no scene in
the history of moving pictures demonstrates this better than the final
scene of Steven Speilberg's early masterpiece. When E.T. leaves Elliot and
returns to his ship, it hits every emotional note. You must understand
that I'm replaying the scene in my head right now while trying to
write about it, and I can't type the dialogue without tearing up. I'm
29 years old, by the way. That's how powerful this film is.
1. Miracle
It may seem outrageous to put this film ahead of
the previously mentioned classics, but it's my list, so hear me out.
This is a great sports film. Not good. Great. It faithfully recreates
the greatest sports moment of the 20th century, the political and
cultural atmosphere around it, the action of the game (they shot 150
scenes for the Soviet Union game that are so close to the real footage, it's uncanny), but most of all, the hearts of the real-life players and their coach, Herb Brooks, played by Kurt Russell in
the role of his career.
When I first saw "Miracle" in the theater, I wept openly several
times. It was the kind of crying that leaves you drained and keeps you
in the dark theater through the credits because you'd rather not let
the rest of the audience see how bloodshot and puffy your eyes are.
The first part that gets me is when Ralph Cox becomes the final player
cut on the Olympic team just a couple weeks before the games. Ralph
isn't a big character in the film, but it doesn't matter. It's a tough
scene as Russell's Brooks, on the verge of tears himself, tells Cox
that he's a hell of hockey player and Cox thanks him for giving him
the chance to play. The next scene is when, just before
the team takes the ice against the Soviets, the young players walk
down the hallway covered with letters and telegrams from fellow
Americans; the players one by one touch the wall. Wow. But the most profound part of the movie comes after the team has won the gold and the film has ended. A note, just
before the credits roll, dedicates the film to the late Herb Brooks,
who collaborated on the movie with Russell and director Gavin O'Connor
but died in a car crash before the film was finished. "He didn't see
the film," the note states, next to a picture of Brooks. "He lived it."
Thank you, Herb. Thank you.
Whew. Kleenex time. Okay, that was the Top 5. Here are some honorable mentions.
Rob's Honorable Mentions
- Schindler's List - Like this needs explaining. Liam Neeson's
"I could have got more ..." speech at the end is great, but the
truth is, there are numerous sections of this film that move me to
tears, either from the sheer tragedy and brutality of the Holocaust or
the human triumph over it.
- Chasing Amy - Just one scene, with no dialogue (at least no
dialogue between the two principles of the scene). Ben Affleck and Jason
Lee's characters see each other once again at the end. They don't
speak, they just exchange looks and gestures, but the bond is still
there. A great moment.
- Jerry Maguire - "You had me at hello." So sue me, i cried at
this scene even after several viewings. I realized that I had no real
romantic entires in my Top 5, so this had to be included.
- Last of the Mohicans (1992) - A Michael Mann masterpiece, this
adaptation becomes a roller coaster during the final act, a
well-oiled, fast-moving series of tragic and intense action sequences.
There is very little dialogue, which is a testament to Mann's skills.
- Top Gun (1986) - Goose's death is one of the all-time saddest movie
deaths ever, but this gets me more: "You are still dangerous ... but
you can be my wingman anytime," Ice Man says. "Bullshit," Maverick
replies. "You can be mine." And I'm tearing up. Like you guys didn't
cry ...
Alright boys, have at it. Give me your comments.
-- McFly
The Film Junkies Respond to Rob's Picks
HOEY: Tell me the Top Gun one is a joke, or I'm never contributing to one of
these discussions again.
ROB: Wow, that's harsh, Hoey. But no, it's not a joke. I got choked up. Sue me ...
HOEY: I'm out.
FISH: Alright, Hoey, take it easy. We all have our faults. Like, say,
putting Braveheart on your list. "Frrrrreeeeeedommmmm!!" Come on.
I'm really not sure why I don't own Good Will Hunting. Boston.
Damon. Sox. Must amend this mistake soon in my library. The heavier
moments never get me in this, actually ("It's not your fault," etc.).
It's always that quiet moment with Affleck (yes, I just wrote that)
saying "you don't owe it to yourself, you owe it to me." What a great
movie monologue, as only two best friends could have written and
worked out together. As a writer, I sort of always took the running
theme of that movie as not wanting to "sell out," the way that Will is
terrified of doing so in front of Robin Williams. It's sort of a metaphor
for the way Affleck and Damon wanted to establish their careers. The journey of
the movie, and how it was embraced (then the inexplicable backlash) is
still inspiring to me. And then Affleck really did sell out. Sigh.
Well, did he sell out, or did we just find out he was untalented?
I cried like a baby during Dances With Wolves. I will never forget
the scene when Two Socks loyally follows the wounded Dunbar in the
wagon, only to be gunned down senselessly by target-shooting Union
soldiers. The ultimate symbol of a converted peace between two
entities, whether it be beast vs. man or white man vs. Native
American, only to be shattered by war. Costner will never have a finer
moment as an artist. This is a great choice, Rob, even if only because
we disregard this movie as a theft from Scorcese, as you mentioned.
This is still a great film.
For your honorable mentions, I have to say that Jerry Maguire has not
held up for me at all. I'm not sure why. I just don't think Tom Cruise
can handle any good material. And it's not like he's not getting any
(Eyes Wide Shut, Minority Report, and we'll see about Collateral).
It's just one of those things for me (see Dead Poets Society), some
things hold up over time for me and some don't.
Last of the Mohicans, what a masterpiece this version is. As you
said, has there ever been more emotion at the end of A) and action
movie and B) with barely a word spoken?
Editor's Note: And that's that. When you're done crying, you can find more Film Junkies stuff in the Film Junkies Column Archive and the Film Junkies Blog.
Jump to: Part I: Hoey's List | Part II: Fish's List | Part III: Rob's List
