20 Saddest Moments In Film History

2. Billy Bibbit's Suicide - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Movies that expose the horrible practices of American psychiatric institutions are rarely what you might call cheery. But there are a lot of soul-sucking, depressing moments in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest -- you might not cry, but you'll probably feel more than a little dead inside after watching the film. Billy Bibbit is the emotional heart of the film, and it's his downfall that touches us the most. MacMurphy convinces him to lose his virginity with one of his lady friends, and the next morning, he's like a different person. The tightly wound ball of anxiety inside him was, at least temporarily, loosened, and the little guy is so adorably proud of himself. But then Nurse Ratched cruelly brings up his mother, whose disapproval has always terrified Billy, and you can see his entire world come tumbling down around him. He desperately begs her not to tell his mother, but when he gets no such guarantee, he goes into the other room and slashes his wrists. The loss of such a sensitive, gentle soul who had so much potential is nothing short of tragic.