Boo Hoo (Cry Me a River)
Whether it's at home or the cinema, I always like to unwind after an exam by watching a movie...I guess you can call it something of a tradition. Which is why, after my exam on Sunday (the first day of the Chinese new year -- totally sucks, I know), I came home, plopped myself onto the couch, and proceeded to gorge on my favorite Korean films.
I've watched The Classic three times, My Sassy Girl five times, and Il Mare four times, but I always end up disgustingly weepy at the end. EVERY SINGLE TIME. It's so pathetic, not to mention embarrassing. As Il Mare was ending, my brother walked into the room and went, "Girls are so weird. Why do you watch these movies again and again if you KNOW they're going to make you cry?"
Hell if I know.
Because, um, it feels good?
But really, why do we re-watch movies that we know are going to make us cry? Is there some deep psychological reason why we like to revisit sad movies? Or am I the only freak around here?
Well, I don't know the answer to that, but I do know which movies have the power of making me bawl at the drop of a hat. And here they are:
LYNN'S LIST OF SURE-FIRE TEAR-JERKERS
- The Phantom of the Opera: Ah, a love triangle, unrequited love, and lots of opera and dancing. Although Christine left the Phantom for Raoul, he still loved her...even after she died. The thought of the Phantom living out the rest of his days alone in the sewers of the Opera Populaire is just heartbreaking. Le sigh.
- Big Fish: The scene at the end -- when the son tells the dad how he's going to die and takes him to the river -- gets me every single time.
- House of Sand and Fog: I was reduced to a blubbering mess the second the son was shot. Oh, sadness.
- My Girl: "Put on his glasses! He can't see without his glasses on!" :(
- Cold Mountain: Jude may be a scumbag in real life, but Inman isn't! Which is why he so didn't deserve to die.
- Armageddon: "Your job is to take care of my little girl." :(
- Love Actually: Technically, this movie shouldn't make me cry since no one dies, is left behind, or gets cast away. But you know that scene where Jamie travels to Portugal to propose to Aurelia? Yeah, well, it gets me every single time.
- And, OKAY, I admit it -- Titanic (please don't all laugh at once.)
Well, if there's one common theme here, it's probably that someone either dies, is left behind, or is cast away.
I hope this doesn't mean I'm a morbid person.
Soo, what movies have brought a tear to your eye? And I don't care if you're a guy and are immune to tears, there has to have been a movie or two that's tugged at your heartstrings...
Right?
P.S. You can watch My Sassy Girl here and here. Enjoy. :)
Currently Watching: Memoirs of a Geisha. Well, I'm not watching it now, of course, but I did watch it last night. The book is one of my favorites, so I was really excited to see the film adaptation. Some might beg to differ, but personally, it did not disappoint. The cinematography was breathtaking and the acting fantastic. Ziyi Zhang and Michelle Yeoh were great, but, um, is it just me or was anyone else absolutely FASCINATED with the way Gong Li portrayed Hatsumomo? She's seriously one of those very rare and talented actresses who possess that ever elusive je ne sais quoi. I loved every scene she was in and was sad to see her go, even though she was supposed to be the evil bitch and all (huh -- does that make me an evil bitch?). Oh yeah, this movie made me cry, too. I know, I know -- PATHETIC.
Currently Playing: The very pretty Pride and Prejudice soundtrack. I love the heavy usage of the piano and the fact that none of the songs sound Hollywoodized at all. What I DON'T love is how the movie still isn't playing in a single theater in the city!! Why must they torture me so? Why??? But yes, about the soundtrack -- this is perfect for lounging around on those lazy Sunday afternoons.
Currently Learning: How to operate my new cell phone. The camera isn't perfect, but it's loads better than my old one, as seen by this pic I took yesterday morning before heading off to class. (P.S. I am so in love with wavy hair now, I may never return to straight locks again!).
posted by Lynn @ 6:11 PM
20 comments
20 Comments:
I'm a guy and I would have to say movies like 'I am Sam' get me. Badly.
Ditto Green Mile, The House of Sand and Fog, Big Fish, My Girl, The Passion of the Christ.
For the rest, testerone and ego kick in and I would have to say hell no!
P.S. BOO! - I am in Dubai at the moment and I don't get to see your photos as the ISP has blocked Flickr!
I watched the Green Mile on a date. I started to sob. =I
I lost manly points for that. Ai, never watch tear jerkers on dates. Only during established relationships was my lesson.
-Bo
The only movie I can think of that makes me cry is A Walk to Remember (with Mandy Moore, based on the Nicolas Sparks book)-- she dies :( She's such an angel and she dies anyway :(
I'd have to say that I didnt cry in Moulin Rouge or the Titantic since i thought nicole kidman and leo diCRAPrio were both annoying as hell characters and had no sympathy for them.
OH and KILL BILL II I cried my eyes out when Uma Thurman killed her bad husband by doing the 3-point touch thingy.
And at the end of season I of the OC when Ryan left Newport beach and Marissa? (the awesome awesome soft indie rock soundtrack might have played its part in making me cry too)
BTW I LOVE LOVE your wavy locks!!!
OH LYNN if you want to try a morbid (but not make-you-cry) movie (dark and goth more than weepy), try the Virgin Suicides (with Kirsten Dunst, based on the book by Jeffrey Eugenes??) -- if you havent seen it already. The book's better of course.
A few movies on your list is also on my tear-jerker-list...which are the followings: Moulin Rouge, La vita è bella, the Lion King, Legends of the Fall, Love Actually, Schindler's List.
I'd also like to add the following: Fried Green Tomatoes, The Colour Purple (you should see it!), Under the Tuscan Sun, In Her Shoes, Forrest Gump, Terminal, The River runs through it...and Shawshank Redemptin.
lots of movies have gotten to me. from your list (cause i'm too lazy to think of my own right now =D ):
Green Mile, Eddie Scissors, My Girl, Love Actually was good too, i loved the little kid in the airport bit.
ok i'm not too proud to admit that i'm a guy who gets emotional at some movies. normally, i don't feel emotional or anything when a character dies. and i very rarely cry... maybe a little teary-eyed sometimes but very, very rarely do i actually cry.
what moves me is love. my sassy girl actually gets me choked up sometimes (the few tender moments at the end). il mare moved me, but i didn't get choked up. also crouching tiger, hidden dragon, which i like for the plot and for the love story between li mu bai and yu shu lien.
but the movie that made me cry like no other movie, and i mean CRY, tears streaming down my face, half a box of tissues crumpled on the ground, red face, red eyes, absolute MESS crying... A Moment to Remember.
i have only seen it once, because i'm still too afraid to watch it again and cry like that again. i bought the DVD anyway... still haven't opened it. i watched this movie because we were screening it as part of korean film festival where i work. at the end of the movie, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. even football player-esque guys were walking out of the theater with tears in their eyes.
i HIGHLY recommend this movie.
oh khun lynn my sappy twin :'(
haha it's just getting ridiculous now (the similarities), i have secretly cried a river over a lot of those same movies! in fact i just cried over love actually last week :X it's so touching :'( and i don't think you're morbid, i kind of like watching sad movies where someone dies/gets left behind as well... unless that just means we're both morbid?
in phantom, i totally balled when they were on the roof in the snow singing "all i ask of you" as the phantom was in the wings watching his love :( of course this is always on my own though, i can't seem to bring the river when i'm with friends, i flood the room alone!
and o m g seriously gong li was so cool/hot/bitchy, i loved her! haha "no one wants a plum that has already been eaten! (bites ferociously)" hahaha i re-enact that on a far too frequent basis :X i really loved memoirs... it made me want a chairman :'(
p.s. thank u for the il mare and my sassy girl links, i didn't get to watch yet because their site seemed too busy :T
p.p.s. the song from that one mv i linked u is so stuck in my head! *tear* i wish i had it... oh poor cute house building guy... and oh poor girl!
-pam
hey lynn....hope your midterms went well. life in melbourne is going well, weather here is unpredicatable. rain in the morning and sun in the evening. i have to agree with u with the list tear jerkers movies. but i would have added serenpidity into the list too. anyway take care and talk to u soon.
Anon: I forgot about I am Sam! Sean Penn was brilliant in that movie. That's weird how Dubai blocks Flickr -- it's just an innocent picture site...
Oh, Bo. You definitely don't lose manly points for crying during The Green Mile. On the contrary, you've gained at least ten!
Baba: Oh yeah, major ditto on Briges of Madison County and Finding Neverland. And YES, I forgot to mention that Emma Thompson scene!! It's even sadder when she returns to the living room with this big smile on her face, all for the sake of her kids. Man.
Tweet: Ooh yeah, A Walk to Remember is another big weeper (I can't believe that was Mandy Moore's first film ever.) And yeah, normally Leo irks the heck out of me, but not in Titanic. I remember walking out of the theater in tenth grade with splotchy red cheeks and eyes. Not a pretty sight at all. Oh, and I've been meaning to watch the Virgin Suicides for so long now, but I can't seem to find it anywhere in Thailand. Maybe I'll check out bittorrent.
Elem: Ditto all your movies, except for Shawshank Redemption. I've heard SO much about it, but have never gotten around to watching it (again, can't seem to find it anywhere here in Thailand). Is it very good?
Katie: Ooh, we watched the English Patient in 9th grade English and I cried right there in the middle of class. But it was all right because practically all the other girls were crying, too. ;)
Alex: Yeah, that airport scene was very sweet. :) That kid is soo gutsy.
Pan: OK, you've totally sold me. I'm off to find A Moment to Remember. I'll let you know what I think. :)
Khun Sappy Twin: Ahhh, with regards to POTO, that's the scene I always cry at, too!! The way he stands there with the crushed rose is just heartbreaking. And YEAH, I loved Gong Li's plum quote! She was such an uber bitch, but a very cool one, too. :P [P.S. I must've watched that MV you sent me at least a dozen times already. Poor cute house building guy, indeed. :( I still don't get why his girlfriend died, though. I wish I understood Korean!]
Ben: Ooh, definitely...Stepmom was another big weeper for me. So was Lorenzo's Oil (Susan Sarandon was seriously brilliant in both of them).
Paddy: I bet you're having a blast in Melbourne. Give me a ring when you get back na. And I can't believe I forgot to add Serendipity to the list! In fact, if I remember correctly, you were the one who told me to watch it. :) That scene at the end -- when John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale meet at the skating rink -- gets me every time.
Kris: Crying over Bambi's mother's death is not sad. If it makes you feel better, I also cried when Dumbo's mother died (don't even get me started on the Lion King). With regards to ROTK, I always get weepy after Sam and Frodo destroy the ring and Sam starts crying and talking about Rosie Cotton. Not to mention the scene where Eowyn saves Theoden from the Witch King. Ah, pathetic, but oh so sad!
Your list, along with the TONS of comments and recommendations from other people, definitely contains some freakishly sad movies. As I was reading your entry, I kept thinking 'oh yeah ... THAT scene,' and I felt moved just recalling them.
One movie though that no one mentioned (but that is probably one of my favorite movies EVER) is 'Meet Joe Black.' Not sure if you've seen it ... but the party scene at the end? When the girl is having her last dance with her father and then Joe, and finally realizes she's about to lose the two people she loves most. Damn ... makes me want to reach for the tissue box even now.
Also, living in Japan and all, I hear tons of criticism from people about why they chose Chinese actresses to portray Japanese characters in 'Memoir of a Geisha'. Some of my Japanese friends took it as a major insult (what with all the historical/current/economical tension and all). I didn't have the courage to admit to them that I actually loved the movie (but more so, the book, which is fantastically enthralling) and thought that the Chinese actresses seemed more 'Japanese' to me than some of my friends.
Funny thing though, I told a friend (again, Japanese) that I saw 'Memoir of a Geisha' and he, not really knowing anything about it, thought it was an adult movie about prostitutes. I was like 'Umm. No.' At which point I lost his interest.
Hi, Art. Again, can't believe I forgot Meet Joe Black. That scene you're talking about is indeed very touching, not to mention kleenix-worthy.
About Japanese criticism toward Memoirs: I can definitely understand the Japanese sentiment, but I think that as long as the actors portrayed the characters and story well (which they totally did), then that's pretty much all that counts. The point of making a movie is to tell a story and tell it well. And that was successfully accomplished, I think.
Ooh, btw, can you recommend any weep-worthy Japanese films? I need something to snap me out of my Korean drama addiction. ;P
Hmmm ... weep-worthy japanese films? I got to say, the one title that pops up immediately is an anime/cartoon flick called 'Graveyard of the Fireflies' (Hotaru no Haka). Not a love story/drama, but if you want an utterly depressing but deeply touching movie, this is the one to see. They also have a film adaptation but I prefer the original cartoon. If you can't find it, perhaps I can send you a copy or something. You might want to stock up on tissues though.
I'll ask around for other films too. They tend to go for sad and serious movies over here. Even their love stories make you want to commit seppuku/harakiri!
I also admit to being a secret Korean-movie addict, though thankfully I went into rehab this year. I spent so much time watching it last spring that my then-girlfriend was like 'What's wrong with you?! You can't even understand a single word!' Hahaha ... I seriously don't know why I like it so much, but somehow, I get the feeling you know what I'm talking about!
BTW, congrats on finishing your exams and getting mad A's! One thing I'm eternally grateful for since graduating TU is no more freaking cramming sessions!
Yuck... Korean movies. Maybe I have adverse feelings towards them because my ex was Korean, but I think mostly they just plain disguest me. The Korean definition of "true love" is love that is meant to be but cannot be. Its just modern versions of Shakespear's Romeo and Juliet copied over and over again. Its sickening yet I am as addicted to these types of movies like a japanese school boy is addicted to anime. BTW... I think you just ruined the ending of Big Fish for me... that was next on my "to see list."
There are a LOT of movies that make me cry--a lot of them from your list actually.
But anyway, the first one that comes to my mind when I think of such movies is the japanese animation "Grave of the Fireflies". I was watching it in my japanese art class, and gosh, I was crying in front of like 50-60 people. T___T
Well, I'll stay clear of this list for now. Not in the mood to cry right now... maybe later. :P
the last film that got me all choked up with tears was Oliver Twist! lol poor kid.
Noi and Art: Okay, looks like I've got another great film to add to my list of movies-to-see. Graveyard of Fireflies sounds vaguely familiar. Thanks again for the recommendation -- I'll check it out as soon as I can!
MrChairman: Aw, so sorry -- I hope I didn't ruin the Big Fish ending for you. But I don't think it's that much of a surprise since it's mentioned early on in the movie that the father is dying. I hope you enjoy the film, though!
Saeng: I haven't watched it yet, but I think I'm going to love Oliver Twist. I'm a sucker for period flicks and Oliver Twist has always been one of my favorite books. :)
What's funny is that I've seen only one of those three Korean movies you linked to. I much prefer films like "Oasis", "The President's Barber" (or maybe it'd be translated as "The Barber of Hyoja District"), "Yesterdays", "The ___ ____ of the Little Matchstick Girl" (I can't remember that title, but think of it as a cross between PoMo lit and a very violent videogame), "The Turning Gate", "Welcome to Dongmakgol" -- a recent one I think you'd rather like -- "Mapado", and "2009: Lost Memories". Oh, and the wonderful "Save the Green Planet". And hey, only a couple of those are SF.
My highest recommendations to you would be "Oasis", which is cinematic brilliance, "The President's Barber", "Mapado" (to see a bunch old really old straight Korean ladies and how they act when stoned on pot), and "Save the Green Planet" just because finding a stranger film is a very hard thing to do in this life.
BTW Oliver Twist was alright. Didn't blow me away, but didn't blow, either. And I have a copy of Graveyard of the Fireflies around here somewhere but haven't gotten to it. The bit I previewed looked wonderful, tho.
terms of endearment and empire of the sun get to me. . bangkok thailand here.
men dun really get girls... sometimes crying is good as it unwinds the pressure built up previously. :) i totally get that coz i watch movies after exams too.
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