Ten Deep 7.08.10: Top Ten Unexpected Tearjerkers

Posted by Mike Gorman on 07.08.2010

From Wall-E and Rudy to Up and even Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, 411’s Mike Gorman breaks down his top 10 unexpected tearjerkers in the latest edition of Ten Deep! Check out the full article to see which movies made the list and why!

" The Top Ten Unexpected Tearjerkers"


Last weekend I had some free time and wanted to escape the heat, so I decided to go grab a tub of popcorn and find some eye candy at the local movie theater. I usually am drawn towards darker fare but I had heard good things about an animated sequel. That's right, I saw…



I figured, what could it hurt to catch up on one of Disney's juggernaut franchises? I settled into my seat expecting to see some great animation and maybe a well developed albeit wholesome story. Little did I know I would be seeing one of the most suspenseful and emotionally challenging films to be released this summer. Don't get me wrong, it was a great film but I clearly was not prepared for what came towards the end. I will not get into spoilers here because I would rather encourage you to see it for yourself. What I can say is that by the time the credits were rolling I needed to use one of my butter drenched napkins from my popcorn, to dry my eyes. Was my reaction unique? Had I just been having a rough day? I found validation later in the week when director Kevin Smith tweeted, "Me and the kid went to TOY STORY 3 today, aka SCHINDLER'S TOYBOX. Jesus Christ, I haven't cried that much since my Dad died. A+ #PixarPwns."

On that afternoon, I felt like the victim of a bait and switch, drawn in by the promise of whimsical 3-D animation and sucker punched with an emotional rollercoaster ride. It got me thinking about other times I had fallen victim to this phenomenon. After a trip down memory lane and several discussions with friends and colleagues I realized that the unexpected tearjerker could stand alone as its own genre. There is an important distinction to be made here as the films I am talking about are not movies you go into knowing your heartstrings are going to be tugged at. They are the films that set up for a much different reaction and then pull the carpet out from under you at very specific moments. Here I have listed ten films that caught me off guard and yes, brought out some tears.


10. Wall-E





As I prepared this list I began to see that Disney and Pixar have a long standing history of making tearjerkers. Just look at Bambi, Dumbo and The Lion King. In those films you expect some kind of emotional hit as they deal with growing up and the loss of a parent. Wall-E appeared to be different with its tale of human kind's inflated obesity, out of control consumerism and the little robot left behind to clean up the mess. Little did you know that in that soft spoken robot you'd encounter a deep river of emotion. One that breaks the damn in your tear ducts right around the time he dances in space with Eve. There is a beauty and simplicity to their space waltz. They become bound together and we get set up for a wallop at the film's climax when Wall-E is reset and we may lose him.



9. Cast Away





I expected to be taken on a journey of deep emotion in this tale of a man lost on an island who eventually finds his way home. What I did not expect was to be so upset at the loss of an inanimate object! Wilson becomes like a beloved pet by the time Tom Hanks is able to get his raft to leave the island and perhaps that is why one cannot help but shed a tear when the bloodstained ball floats away in the ocean's strong current.


8. Bridge to Terabithia





Come see the adventures of two kids who build a mystical fantasy land together one summer! Marvel at the special effects! Oh this film promised a lot of things and what it delivered was a punch to the gut. See those two kids above, I won't go into full detail but let's just say that one of them does not survive the summer. This film is a part of a sub-genre of the unexpected tearjerker that also includes the movie My Girl. I call them the "Let's make you think this will be a light hearted film but then kill a kid and point & laugh at the people who came to sit" films. Definitely good times!


7. Red Dawn





This is one of my favorite movies of all time. It is a fantastic story of what a group of resourceful teenagers accomplish when the US is invaded by Communists. It plays out all kinds of childhood dreams of running away to the hills and battling the forces of evil. The tearjerker moment comes when the teens venture back into their town to find their parents who have been placed into a kind of internment camps. They find their father and he delivers one heck of a speech to inspire them to keep going and seek vengeance for what has been done to him. It is a classic movie moment regardless of how wet your eyes are by the time it is over.


6. Alpha Dog





I think this one could be a bit contentious but I believe it deserves a place on this list. This story based on true events takes a decidedly dark turn towards the end, obviously. It is the story of a drug dealer who takes one of his client's brothers as collateral for a debt. Zach is held as a prisoner of sorts throughout the film but it is more of a fun romp for him; Meeting new people and girls, having fun and seeing the lighter side of these "friends" of his brothers. Reality sets in when he is taken to the desert and sees that his grave has been dug. There is no way out at this point and Anton Yelchin plays the scene to perfection. You can see his heart break as he realizes what is really going on. It is that moment that grabs you.



5. Rudy





With this film you do expect some kind of emotional build up as it is the tale of a man who attempts to live out his dream on the football field at Notre Dame, regardless of how the deck is stacked against him. What is not expected is just how powerful his story would turn out to be. By the time he gets to put that uniform on you are right there beside him living the moment. It is the "everyman" aspect of his tale that makes it so relatable I think. Have some tissues handy for the ending of this one!



4. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan





Let's cut right to it, Spock sacrifices himself for the rest of the crew of the Enterprise! Bam! I did not see that coming. The moment of his death is powerful indeed but the real waterworks moment is when Kirk delivers his eulogy. Sure by the time we learned the title of the third film in the series we knew he would be back, but still his death had great import and meaning. It definitely stakes out a claim on this list.



3. Across the Universe





The tearjerker moment of this movie ranks so high because it comes completely out of left field in what is overall a pretty mediocre film. If you have not seen it, the film is a musical using the works of the Beatles. The scene that earns the film a spot on this list is the explosive portrayal of war juxtaposed with a young boy singing the song "Let it Be." It is the movies shining gem of a moment, which is beautifully shot and well presented against the power of the song. Music is a very visceral experience in and of itself, so it is no surprise in the end that it can be used to target your emotional center.


2. Deep Impact





Disaster films tend to want to evoke an emotional response but more often than not they fall short which is why I really expected no less from this the lesser run cousin of the asteroid impact films that came out in the late 90s. Most of the attention was paid to Armageddon but Deep Impact turned out to have some great scenes including one involving the crew of the space shuttle which will need to sacrifice itself in order to save the planet. Ron Eldard plays one of those astronauts. He was blinded during an earlier part of the mission and towards the end the crew gets to say goodbye to their families. It seems that Eldard's wife would not make it in time but she does and he gets to say goodbye to her and his child, never seeing them again. As his child reaches out for him and he does the same, your heart breaks. Sure the situation is a bit ludicrous but the emotions ring true.



And lastly…



1. Up





Disney & Pixar rear their ugly heads again on this list! Up's tearjerker moment is unique in that it does not come towards the latter half of the film, instead it is the merely the opening sequence. But do not take it lightly, this five minute or so sequence details the birth and development of an everlasting love. We see it blossom and then witness what happens when nature takes its course, and death steps in. I would state that I think this is probably the best 5-10min of animated film I have ever seen. It is one of the reasons that the movie stood out as one of the best last year.

Here is a clip of Carl and Ellie's life:



Any of these films get to you? Or did I miss the one that gets your eyes a waterin'? Let me know!


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