Have you ever been sitting next to a girlfriend and they’ve been blubbing away at a film while you’ve sat there completely stone-faced? The likelihood is, unless you’ve got a complete heart of stone, it’s something manipulative or overly earnest like Titanic or The Notebook, but every so often, a film comes along that, in our society in which men aren’t supposed to show overt emotion, can break even the toughest man and leave him as nothing more than a gibbering, tearful wreck. These are films that, for whatever reason – whether because they’re more “manly” films, or because their emotion is simply so wonderfully honest – will have all of us grabbing our inner-child and hugging them, holding on for dear life.
Here are 10 movies that it’s OK for men to cry at.
10. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
The first of several Steven Spielberg films to make it into this list, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is a children’s classic that most of us grew up with, telling the touching story of a young boy, Elliot, who meets a peculiar alien, and the two spark up an uneasy, often hilarious, and ultimately very moving friendship. While the adults are busy misunderstanding E.T. or wanting to experiment upon him, it’s Elliot’s curiosity to interact with E.T., like a strange twist on the boy-and-his-dog tale that make this film simultaneously thoroughly compelling and extremely heartfelt.
In the film’s desperate final dash to get E.T. home while evading the authorities, it all kicks off; firstly, we briefly think that E.T. is dead, which is enough to set off most men, hearkening back to their childhood memories of the film, no doubt, but it’s a veritable deluge by the time the goodbye finale arrives. E.T.’s heart glows, he tells Elliot, “I’ll be right here”, pointing to Elliot’s head, before he departs in his spaceship and all that can he heard is the sound of sobbing.
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18 Comments
Shane…..The green mile…..The Shawshank Redemption…The Champ..
Any of the Star Wars prequels. They’re sad enough to make anyone cry.
Oh for the love of all that is holy, just GIVE THE FRICK IT UP ALREADY.
Got to agree with number 1, its when they all reach out and hold hands, thats what gets you
U just gave me the goose bumps with your no. 1 entry . . . . . .truly excellent movie toy story 3 is . . . . . . It made me laugh and cry at the same time . . . . . . It was for the first time after ‘UP’ when the cartoons made me cry . . . . . . . . . .no words can express my feeling.
Why is the Champ not on this list. It should be number one no doubt, and yes I did blub at Toy Story 3.
Here is the heartbreaking final scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAhrqKqK_cA
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I Am Legend – After Will Smith kills the dog and the next day he begs the mannequin at the video store to talk to him cause he thinks he’s finally completely alone.
I’ve seen guys get emotional during the finale of Warrior!!
agree with toy story n i think thats it. green mile. marley and me has made many people i know cry
Where the Red Fern Grows and the beginning of Superman Doomsday. Also, there are a few moments in a few different Rocky films-most notably, the scene in Rocky Balboa when Rocky is dragging Paulie down memory lane on his and Adrian’s anniversary.
The final scene of Gladiator, where Marcus is mortally wounded and following the path to his home in his mind. And there, at the end of the path is his son and wife waiting for him. Quite possibly one of the most moving scenes I’ve ever seen.
Now we are free…
Green mile, Gladiator, Cast Away, I am legend, Shawshank redemption, and all these movies on the list waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa name them all i think im gonna cry just by reading the lissssssssssssssst :’( waaahahahahaahahaha lol
It’s A Wonderful Life.
Every bloody time.
I would put Warrior on this list. Anyone who didn’t cry at that movie is dead inside.
Mad Max 2:The Road Warrior-all of it,the first ten times or so(a heavy metal action comic,made just as I would have made it); the climax of MM3,when Max sacrifices himself so the kids can escape Auntie Entity,who spares his life.
The Dark Knight Rises (SPOILER ALERT!)
* * *
I’m a man, and I cried twice during The Dark Knight Rises; once, near the beginning of the film when a tearful Alfred reveals to Bruce Wayne the truth about Rachel choosing Harvey Dent over Bruce, and again near the end of the film when Batman tells Commissioner Gordon “A hero can be anyone…”
Rocky Balboa trying to get up in the 14th round in Rocky. Wall-E, The end of Dances With Wolves, Kevin Costner asking his dad if he wants to have a catch in Field Of Dreams, The Incredible Journey, and when Ralphie’s father gets him the Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas in A Christmas Story.