Greatest Tearjerkers Films - Scenes and Moments

Greatest Tearjerker Films, Scenes and Movie Moments
of All-Time

Introduction: There are many names for tearjerker films - 'women's pictures', 'weepies' or weepers, melodramas, soap operas (or soapers), and more recently, 'chick flicks'. There are many kinds of touching, emotionally stirring films and dramas that bring a tear to the eye, and cause a swelling in the heart. Pathos-filled tales of doomed or short-lived romance, tragic deaths or losses (loss of life, loss of love, loss of dignity, etc.), recovery (recovery of life, recovery of love, recovery of dignity, etc.), or difficult domestic situations are common plot themes in these kinds of films.
Many sites and film books have attempted to compile listings of the most tearjerking moments, scenes and films throughout cinematic history. See various choices of great tearjerkers in Entertainment Weekly's choices for the Top 50 Greatest Tearjerkers, UK's Channel 4 website of 100 Greatest Tearjerkers (see below), and O Magazine's compilation of 50 Greatest Chick Flicks. The following sources are indicated by icons in this site's compilation:

- UK's Channel 4 website of the 100 Greatest Tearjerkers

- Entertainment Weekly's November 28, 2003 issue of the 50 Greatest Tearjerkers

Note: The films that are marked with a yellow star are the films that "The Greatest Films" site has selected as the 100 Greatest Films.

Greatest Film Tearjerkers, Moments and Scenes
(alphabetical by film title) - Part 29
Intro | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20
Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30

Movie Title
Brief Scene Description Example

Truly Madly Deeply (1991)

#44
#24

The scenes in which devoted husband and cellist Jamie (Alan Rickman) returned from the dead as a ghost to join his bereaved lover Nina (Juliet Stevenson) in playing Bach on the cello in their London apartment, and later recited Pablo Neruda's La Muerta to her - revealing himself and resuming their relationship.

The Truman Show (1998)

The triumphant moment in which unwitting reality-TV show star Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) left his virtual prison of Seahaven Island's massive set, and bid farewell to the show's omniscient, God-like producer Christof (Ed Harris) with a deep bow, and uttered cheerfully his catch-phrase: "In case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!", followed by his exit through a studio door to freedom - to the sounds of Philip Glass' stirring "The Opening from Mishima".

12 Monkeys (1995)

The sad, long drawn-out death scene of time-traveling convict James Cole (Bruce Willis), shot in an airport by security guards, and mourned over by grieving present-day lover psychiatrist Kathryn Railly (Madeline Stowe), as a young incarnation of himself (Joseph Melito) looked on, at the conclusion of the film.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

The scene in which David Bowman (Keir Dullea) incapacitated-lobotomized the sentient HAL-9000 computer (voice of Douglas Rain) by turning off its higher functions as it begged: "Dave, stop. Stop, will you? Stop, Dave. Will you stop, Dave? Stop, Dave. I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm a-fraid..." - before HAL ended his life by mindlessly singing "Daisy" or "A Bicycle Built for Two."

2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)

The scene in which the ghost of David Bowman (Keir Dullea) visited his former wife, appearing on a television, to say good-bye for one last time; also the tearful scene in which Dr. Chandra (Bob Balaban) told HAL-9000 (voice of Douglas Rain) the truth -- that they intended to sacrifice HAL to escape an imploding Jupiter, and HAL's quiet, dignified acceptance of his fate - and his thanks: "I understand now, Dr. Chandra...Thank you for telling me the truth", and Chandra's response and farewell: "You deserve it...Thank you, HAL"; and the fond, final exchange between an ethereal David and a doomed HAL: (HAL: "I'm afraid" - Dave: "Don't be. We'll be together").

Umberto D. (1952, It.)

#39

The melodramatic plight of pensioner Umberto Domenico Ferrari (Carlo Battisti), whose slashed monthly pension caused his heartless landlady (Lina Gennari) to evict him to rent out his room to prostitutes and their johns; the close-knit, dependent relationship between Umberto and his faithful dog Flike and his touching relationship with caring young pregnant maid Maria (Maria-Pia Casilio); and the tearjerking, ambiguous ending in which Umberto, unable to give away his dog, contemplated suicide by stepping in front of a speeding train near a park while holding Flike -- the dog yelped, and squirmed away before Umberto could step in front of the train, and for the first time ran away in abject fear from his beloved master - after he finally coaxed Flike back to him by having the dog perform tricks with a pine cone, he played with the dog in a long shot as the film ended, despite having no place to stay and no income.

An Unmarried Woman (1978)

Martin's (Michael Murphy) tearful admission of having a year-long affair with another woman to wife Erica (Jill Clayburgh) - and Erica's response -- first stonily asking: "She a good lay?", then fleeing and vomiting into a trash can; and the scene in which Erica "erased" Martin's memory by removing all of his belongings and piling them into the living room.

Walkabout (1971, Aus.)

The stunning mating dance (in his own native fashion) that the native aborigine boy (David Gulpilil) during his 'walkabout' performed for the civilized teenage girl (Jenny Agutter) - but that she ignored - with disastrous results when he committed suicide.

Waterloo Bridge (1940)

The scene of impoverished ballerina/prostitute Myra Lester's (Vivien Leigh) tragic end as she walked into oncoming traffic on the bridge, and Capt. Roy Cronin's (Robert Taylor) flashback memory years later on the bridge of her words in the film's final melodramatic moments: ("I loved you...I've never loved anyone else...I never shall") as the singing of "Auld Lang Syne" rose on the soundtrack and he fingered her good-luck charm.

Watership Down (1978)

#15

The "Bright Eyes" sequence in which Fiver (voice of Richard Briers) found out that Hazel (voice of John Hurt) had been badly wounded by a shotgun, and chased the ghostly Black Rabbit (voice of Joss Ackland) to reach Hazel before the angel of death could claim him, as Art Garfunkel's melancholy song was played: ("How can the eyes that burn so brightly suddenly burn so pale?"); and the touching final scene in which the Black Rabbit appeared to an aged Hazel, requesting: "I've come to ask if you'd like to join my Owsla [police force]. We shall be glad to have you, and I know you'd like it. You've been feeling tired, haven't you? If you're ready, we might go along now" - and reassured Hazel who had looked back at the young rabbits cavorting in the warren: "You needn't worry about them. They'll be alright, and thousands like them. If you come along, I'll show you what I mean" -- followed by Hazel's quiet death, his spirit joining the Black Rabbit's.

Way Down East (1920)

The spiritually affecting, melodramatic performance of Lillian Gish as Anna Moore, including the scene of the young, innocent country girl's ecstatic reaction to a marriage proposal, soon followed by the scene in which her playboy "husband" Lennox Sanderson (Lowell Sherman) revealed that her marriage was only a mock ceremony; the sequence in which Anna baptized her sick, newborn baby just before it died in her arms; also the innocent love scene on the grass next to the river between Anna and David (Richard Barthelmess) - with the title card: "One heart for one heart, One soul for one soul, One love for one love, Even through Eternity" - but Anna was reluctant to fall in love with David when reminded of the ghosts of her past - she sadly cannot allow him to say such things, feeling unworthy of him due to her checkered past: "So she tells him he must never speak like this again"; and the classic casting-out scene in which she accused and denounced Sanderson before entering into a fierce blizzard; and the final sequence of her daring, last-minute rescue by David from floating ice floes that were perilously close to a precipitous waterfall.

The Way We Were (1973)

#28
#64

The on-and-off, star-crossed romance-marriage-divorce between two radical opposites: Jewish political activist Kate Morosky (Barbra Streisand) and WASP writer Hubbell Gardner (Robert Redford), spanning from the 30s, through World War II to the McCarthy-era 1950's, and the tearjerking final scene in which they met accidentially in New York as she was handing out "Ban the Bomb" leaflets, to the strains of Streisand's performance of the title song (Oscar-winning music from Marvin Hamlisch - "Mem�ries, like the corners of my mind / Misty water-colored memories of the way we were") when she characteristically brushed the hair back on his brow.

Created in 1996-2008 © by Tim Dirks. All rights reserved.

Introduction: There are many names for tearjerker films - 'women's pictures', 'weepies' or weepers, melodramas, soap operas (or soapers), and more recently, 'chick flicks'. There are many kinds of touching, emotionally stirring films and dramas that bring a tear to the eye, and cause a swelling in the heart. Pathos-filled tales of doomed or short-lived romance, tragic deaths or losses (loss of life, loss of love, loss of dignity, etc.), recovery (recovery of life, recovery of love, recovery of dignity, etc.), or difficult domestic situations are common plot themes in these kinds of films. Many sites and film books have attempted to compile listings of the most tearjerking moments, scenes and films throughout cinematic history. See various choices of great tearjerkers in Entertainment Weekly's choices for the Top 50 Greatest Tearjerkers, UK's Channel 4 website of 100 Greatest Tearjerkers (see below), and O Magazine's compilation of 50 Greatest Chick Flicks. The following sources are indicated by icons in this site's compilation: - UK's Channel 4 website of the 100 Greatest Tearjerkers - Entertainment Weekly's November 28, 2003 issue of the 50 Greatest Tearjerkers Note: The films that are marked with a yellow star are the films that "The Greatest Films" site has selected as the 100 Greatest Films.
Greatest Film Tearjerkers, Moments and Scenes (alphabetical by film title) - Part 29 Intro \| Part 1 \| Part 2 \| Part 3 \| Part 4 \| Part 5 \| Part 6 \| Part 7 \| Part 8 \| Part 9 \| Part 10 Part 11 \| Part 12 \| Part 13 \| Part 14 \| Part 15 \| Part 16 \| Part 17 \| Part 18 \| Part 19 \| Part 20 Part 21 \| Part 22 \| Part 23 \| Part 24 \| Part 25 \| Part 26 \| Part 27 \| Part 28 \| Part 29 \| Part 30
Movie Title	Brief Scene Description	Example
Truly Madly Deeply (1991) #44 #24	The scenes in which devoted husband and cellist Jamie (Alan Rickman) returned from the dead as a ghost to join his bereaved lover Nina (Juliet Stevenson) in playing Bach on the cello in their London apartment, and later recited Pablo Neruda's La Muerta to her - revealing himself and resuming their relationship.
The Truman Show (1998)	The triumphant moment in which unwitting reality-TV show star Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) left his virtual prison of Seahaven Island's massive set, and bid farewell to the show's omniscient, God-like producer Christof (Ed Harris) with a deep bow, and uttered cheerfully his catch-phrase: "In case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!", followed by his exit through a studio door to freedom - to the sounds of Philip Glass' stirring "The Opening from Mishima".
12 Monkeys (1995)	The sad, long drawn-out death scene of time-traveling convict James Cole (Bruce Willis), shot in an airport by security guards, and mourned over by grieving present-day lover psychiatrist Kathryn Railly (Madeline Stowe), as a young incarnation of himself (Joseph Melito) looked on, at the conclusion of the film.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)	The scene in which David Bowman (Keir Dullea) incapacitated-lobotomized the sentient HAL-9000 computer (voice of Douglas Rain) by turning off its higher functions as it begged: "Dave, stop. Stop, will you? Stop, Dave. Will you stop, Dave? Stop, Dave. I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm a-fraid..." - before HAL ended his life by mindlessly singing "Daisy" or "A Bicycle Built for Two."
2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)	The scene in which the ghost of David Bowman (Keir Dullea) visited his former wife, appearing on a television, to say good-bye for one last time; also the tearful scene in which Dr. Chandra (Bob Balaban) told HAL-9000 (voice of Douglas Rain) the truth -- that they intended to sacrifice HAL to escape an imploding Jupiter, and HAL's quiet, dignified acceptance of his fate - and his thanks: "I understand now, Dr. Chandra...Thank you for telling me the truth", and Chandra's response and farewell: "You deserve it...Thank you, HAL"; and the fond, final exchange between an ethereal David and a doomed HAL: (HAL: "I'm afraid" - Dave: "Don't be. We'll be together").
Umberto D. (1952, It.) #39	The melodramatic plight of pensioner Umberto Domenico Ferrari (Carlo Battisti), whose slashed monthly pension caused his heartless landlady (Lina Gennari) to evict him to rent out his room to prostitutes and their johns; the close-knit, dependent relationship between Umberto and his faithful dog Flike and his touching relationship with caring young pregnant maid Maria (Maria-Pia Casilio); and the tearjerking, ambiguous ending in which Umberto, unable to give away his dog, contemplated suicide by stepping in front of a speeding train near a park while holding Flike -- the dog yelped, and squirmed away before Umberto could step in front of the train, and for the first time ran away in abject fear from his beloved master - after he finally coaxed Flike back to him by having the dog perform tricks with a pine cone, he played with the dog in a long shot as the film ended, despite having no place to stay and no income.
An Unmarried Woman (1978)	Martin's (Michael Murphy) tearful admission of having a year-long affair with another woman to wife Erica (Jill Clayburgh) - and Erica's response -- first stonily asking: "She a good lay?", then fleeing and vomiting into a trash can; and the scene in which Erica "erased" Martin's memory by removing all of his belongings and piling them into the living room.
Walkabout (1971, Aus.)	The stunning mating dance (in his own native fashion) that the native aborigine boy (David Gulpilil) during his 'walkabout' performed for the civilized teenage girl (Jenny Agutter) - but that she ignored - with disastrous results when he committed suicide.
Waterloo Bridge (1940)	The scene of impoverished ballerina/prostitute Myra Lester's (Vivien Leigh) tragic end as she walked into oncoming traffic on the bridge, and Capt. Roy Cronin's (Robert Taylor) flashback memory years later on the bridge of her words in the film's final melodramatic moments: ("I loved you...I've never loved anyone else...I never shall") as the singing of "Auld Lang Syne" rose on the soundtrack and he fingered her good-luck charm.
Watership Down (1978) #15	The "Bright Eyes" sequence in which Fiver (voice of Richard Briers) found out that Hazel (voice of John Hurt) had been badly wounded by a shotgun, and chased the ghostly Black Rabbit (voice of Joss Ackland) to reach Hazel before the angel of death could claim him, as Art Garfunkel's melancholy song was played: ("How can the eyes that burn so brightly suddenly burn so pale?"); and the touching final scene in which the Black Rabbit appeared to an aged Hazel, requesting: "I've come to ask if you'd like to join my Owsla [police force]. We shall be glad to have you, and I know you'd like it. You've been feeling tired, haven't you? If you're ready, we might go along now" - and reassured Hazel who had looked back at the young rabbits cavorting in the warren: "You needn't worry about them. They'll be alright, and thousands like them. If you come along, I'll show you what I mean" -- followed by Hazel's quiet death, his spirit joining the Black Rabbit's.
Way Down East (1920)	The spiritually affecting, melodramatic performance of Lillian Gish as Anna Moore, including the scene of the young, innocent country girl's ecstatic reaction to a marriage proposal, soon followed by the scene in which her playboy "husband" Lennox Sanderson (Lowell Sherman) revealed that her marriage was only a mock ceremony; the sequence in which Anna baptized her sick, newborn baby just before it died in her arms; also the innocent love scene on the grass next to the river between Anna and David (Richard Barthelmess) - with the title card: "One heart for one heart, One soul for one soul, One love for one love, Even through Eternity" - but Anna was reluctant to fall in love with David when reminded of the ghosts of her past - she sadly cannot allow him to say such things, feeling unworthy of him due to her checkered past: "So she tells him he must never speak like this again"; and the classic casting-out scene in which she accused and denounced Sanderson before entering into a fierce blizzard; and the final sequence of her daring, last-minute rescue by David from floating ice floes that were perilously close to a precipitous waterfall.
The Way We Were (1973) #28 #64	The on-and-off, star-crossed romance-marriage-divorce between two radical opposites: Jewish political activist Kate Morosky (Barbra Streisand) and WASP writer Hubbell Gardner (Robert Redford), spanning from the 30s, through World War II to the McCarthy-era 1950's, and the tearjerking final scene in which they met accidentially in New York as she was handing out "Ban the Bomb" leaflets, to the strains of Streisand's performance of the title song (Oscar-winning music from Marvin Hamlisch - "Mem�ries, like the corners of my mind / Misty water-colored memories of the way we were") when she characteristically brushed the hair back on his brow.