I absolutely love to watch a good movie that can make me cry. There are a lot of movies out there that are tear-jerkers and it is probably safe to say that if a movie makes me cry it will make it onto my list of all time greats. I’m sure there are other viewers out there like myself, and that is why I wanted to share a part of that list here. Here are my top ten great movies guaranteed to make you cry. I know they made me ball my eyes out!
The Green Mile: This movie stars Tom Hanks as Paul Edgecomb and Michael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey. This movie is set in 1935 in a prison known as the Cold Mountain Correctional Facility. The “green mile” refers to death row because of the dark green linoleum that tiles the floor. Paul Edgecomb is the head guard at this prison and John Coffey is an inmate. He is convicted of the rape and murder of two young girls. He is a very large man yet despite his size and the reason for his conviction, John seems extremely kind and well-mannered. He himself is childlike in many ways. As the movie progresses, Paul and a few other guards at the prison discover that Coffey is able to perform miracles of healing. Can a miracle like John Coffey really be guilty of murder? This movie was excellent and had me crying through several different scenes. It also has a lot of humor in it as well which was refreshing.
Pay It Forward: Starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osment, this movie is about one little boy changing the world. Trevor (Haley Joel Osment) is the eleven year old little boy in this movie. His alcoholic mother Arlene (Helen Hunt) is trying to support Trevor as a single parent by working two jobs. And then in social studies Mr. Simonet (Kevin Spacey) gives the class an unusual assignment: think up a way to make the world a better place and put the plan into action. Trevor comes up with “pay it forward.” This idea is about doing a favor for three different people without being asked, and then asking them to do the same for three more people. A journalist gets word of this fast sweeping phenomenon and wants to find out more. This movie is based on a novel. The ending is a shocker and though very sad it was still extremely poignant.
Meet Joe Black: In this movie Death becomes romantically involved with a human. William Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) is a wealthy man who has a very successful business. He is happy with his life and very close to his two daughters, Allison and Susan (Claire Forlaini). And then one day he begins displaying the symptoms of a severe heart attack and is visited by a stranger named Joe Black (Brad Pitt). Joe Black is really the angel of death who has taken a man’s body so that he could see what life is really like for humans before he takes William to the next life. A deal is struck and Joe has is “vacation” while William has time to get his affairs in order. Joe falls in love with William’s daughter, Susan, which complicate the whole situation even further. Though the plot sounds strange, it is truly an amazing movie! The acting is superb and the story keeps you engaged.
Legends of the Fall: A tale of three brothers, their father, and one beautiful woman. It is set in the World War I time period and progresses through decades in the characters’ lives. Alfred (Aidan Quinn), Tristan (Brad Pitt), and Samuel (Henry Thomas) were raised by military man William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) in beautiful Montana. The brothers are extremely close, and when Samuel decides to enlist in the military during World War I, his brothers follow to protect him. Samuel dies despite their protection and now his fiancée, Susannah (Julia Ormond) attracts the romantic attention of both Alfred and Tristan. This conflict drives the brothers apart eventually. This movie is filled with love, loss, tragedy, death, and life. A great romance and a great drama for those that are interested!
Armageddon: This movie has tons of stars in it: Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton, and Owen Wilson to name a few. An asteroid the size of the Super Dome threatens Earth and mankind so NASA comes up with a plan to save the day. They send roughneck oil drillers to land on the asteroid and drop a nuclear bomb down a very deep shaft, hoping to crack the asteroid into two halves. You will find that there are a lot of intense scenes in this movie. There is also a great romance that is very sweet and has you routing for the characters. The relationship between father and daughter will pull at your heartstrings. This movie has suspense, humor, romance, drama, and so much more.
The Notebook: Based of the novel by Nicholas Sparks, this movie is a true love story. Noah is played by James Garner (elderly) and Ryan Gosling (young) while his romantic interest Allie is played by Gena Rowlands (elderly) and Rachel McAdams (young). Noah visits an elderly female in a nursing home regularly. He reads to her from an old notebook that contains the story of a young couple’s love affair. They were separated and then reunited years later, despite having taken extremely different paths. They take a second chance since all those years later are they still in love. SPOILER – The elderly female in the nursing home is in fact Allie suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. This is a sad and moving tale about love for better or worse.
The Passion of the Christ: This movie represents the last twelve hours in the life of Jesus Christ. The entire movie is spoken in the ancient Aramaic language, Latin and Hebrew, so subtitles are provided to understand the dialogue. Jesus is betrayed by Judas and condemned to death for blasphemy. He is to be crucified. In the movie Jesus is severely beaten and made to carry his cross up to where he is ultimately nailed to it. This movie is pretty controversial; however I wanted to include it on my list since I felt it was a great movie that did make me cry. You do not have to be extremely religious to enjoy this movie either. I got chills watching certain scenes play out. I believe it to be both very inspiring and soul warming. Jesus was played by James Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern played the Mother Mary, and Monica Bellucci played Mary Magdalene.
Pearl Harbor: Rafe (Ben Affleck) is a military pilot stationed with his best friend from childhood, Danny (Josh Hartnett). Rafe is ready to get involved in World War II. Since America had yet to enter into the war he fights “on loan” for Britain, leaving behind his wonderful girlfriend Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale), whom is a military nurse. Danny and Evelyn receive world that Rafe has been killed while stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Both filled with grief, they turn to each other and become romantically involved. And then the situation gets really sticky when Rafe turns up alive. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor happens so all of the romantic quarrelling is put on hold for a bit. Rafe and Danny are sent to Tokyo for a top-secret mission, where tragedy strikes and someone ends up dead. This is a very good movie about love and friendship. The actors did a great job and the historical aspect of this film made it even more interesting.
Million Dollar Baby: This is a boxing movie with a soft side. Frankie (Clint Eastwood) is a boxing trainer that Maggie (Hilary Swank) seeks out because she needs someone to train her. At first Frankie won’t take her on, saying that not only is she a woman, but she is too old, lacks experience, and doesn’t have good technique. After some persuasion and seeing Maggie’s boxing, Frankie finally gives in and takes her on as a trainee. She slowly becomes a great fighter, and throughout the process a friendship forms between Frankie and Maggie. And then a tragedy strikes that transforms the whole movie. I wasn’t expecting this movie to be so heart wrenching. I loved the dynamics between the two main characters and how their relationship grew. The ending is quite sad but sends a powerful message if you really examine it.
Forrest Gump: Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) is not a smart man. Regardless, he is able to be a part of some of the most memorable events in the second half of the twentieth century. He teaches Elvis to dance, meets John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, serves in Vietnam, becomes a football star and discovers the break-in at the Watergate. There is so much going on in this movie that it is hard to summarize. Throughout Forrest’s life he never forgets Jenny (Robin Wright Penn). He has always loved her and that is present throughout the film. She takes her own journey throughout the movie but their paths do cross and eventually they get together. The union isn’t as happy as it should be unfortunately. This is a hysterically funny yet tremendously sad film about one man’s extraordinary life.
And that is my list of great movies that are guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye. It is quite possible that you will be hysterical at some point during each of these films but that is definitely a risk worth taking. Some other movies that might bring out your emotional side include: A Walk to Remember, Message in a Bottle, Titanic, Terms of Endearment, Hardball, John Q, Man on Fire and Untamed Heart. So get your tissue box ready and curl up on the couch. Happy viewing everyone!
