Movies That Make Men Cry

I admit it – I occasionally cry during movies. And if you were to ask Mrs. Goldwater, I cry a little too much during movies. Recently, my brother and his family were in town for a quick visit, and I got to talking with him on movies where it’s OK for a man to cry. Obviously, this conversation is hypothetical, because it’s NEVER appropriate for a man to cry during a movie, but if it was, here are my top five scenes:

LOTR: Return of the King – You bow to no one
The scene where Aragorn stops the Hobbits in mid-genuflect and utters, “No my friends, you bow to no one” as the kingdom then bows in unison before them is guaranteed to make even the most heartless cretin cry like a ten year-old schoolgirl.

Field of Dreams – Hey Dad, You want to have a catch?
If you watch it, he will cry.

Rocky – The final scene
Rocky’s fights are better than real heavyweight bouts. A beaten, but not defeated Rocky Balboa gets the girl and the respect – a real winner.

It’s a Wonderful Life – The community rallying at the Bailey house
This movie is a holiday favorite for which, unfortunately, I’ve become desensitized to from one-too-many airings over the years. It’s still good for a misty eye or two though…

Saving Private Ryan – (tie) The scene in the cemetery and the D-Day landing
I visited the American cemetery at Normandy a year following the release of this movie – the scene with the older Ryan looking to his family for validation came flooding back into my head as I passed by each simple grave marker. The D-Day recreation is just sheer terror.

Honorable mentions:

My Dog Skip – if you’ve ever owned a dog, you’ll know why
Big Fish – Surprising tenderness from Tim Burton
Parenthood – the children’s play and closing montage (I’m a sucker for montages)


Have I missed any?