Favorite Emotional Movies

TSE · Jun 15, 2014

I'm not one to really like movies... Especially action ones.

I have found that I really enjoy emotional roller coasters recently, however. Either movies that swing heavily towards depressing, or heavily towards feel good movies.

The Pianist as an example... Just got done watching it. Wow. Didn't know quite what to think but I liked it.

Anyone have good suggestions for emotional movies with excellent acting?

Am I weird in the fact that I hate almost every movie I watch... especially Hollywood explosion-here, sex scene-there type movies?

Shrink · Jun 15, 2014

TSE said:
I'm not one to really like movies... Especially action ones.

I have found that I really enjoy emotional roller coasters recently, however. Either movies that swing heavily towards depressing, or heavily towards feel good movies.

The Pianist as an example... Just got done watching it. Wow. Didn't know quite what to think but I liked it.

Anyone have good suggestions for emotional movies with excellent acting?

Am I weird in the fact that I hate almost every movie I watch... especially Hollywood explosion-here, sex scene-there type movies?

Sounds as if you really like movies.

You want romantic...try Casablanca.

You want heavy and depressing...Ingmar Bergman isn't what you'd call cheery...The Seventh Seal, Through A Glass Darkly, The Virgin Spring...and any other Bergman film that you can find.

You want incredible examples of the cinematic art...try Citizen Kane, The Third Man, The Asphalt Jungle, Dodsworth, and any John Huston film.

That will get you started. Come back when you've seen them and I'll have other suggestions!

__________________

TSE · Jun 15, 2014

Shrink said:
Sounds as if you really like movies.

You want romantic...try Casablanca.

You want heavy and depressing...Ingmar Bergman isn't what you'd call cheery...The Seventh Seal, Through A Glass Darkly, The Virgin Spring...and any other Bergman film that you can find.

You want incredible examples of the cinematic art...try Citizen Kane, The Third Man, The Asphalt Jungle, Dodsworth, and any John Huston film.

That will get you started. Come back when you've seen them and I'll have other suggestions!

__________________

You're awesome.

senseless · Jun 15, 2014

Marley and Me? If you like dogs.

bradl · Jun 15, 2014

senseless said:
Marley and Me? If you like dogs.

+1 for Marley and Me. Dogs will always do it, but it carried more of a toll on my wife and I.

Not to spoil it, but there's a slight subplot in the movie that deals with child loss. That happened with my wife and I, which made the movie really hard to watch and deal with for a long while. To say we lived it is an understatement.

After that, Return to Zero is another one that gets me, as it is in the same vain.

BL.

RenoG · Jun 18, 2014

I'm not one to seek out these sort of movies at all but I did have a few sneek up on me and catch me off guard. These are movies that I was not expecting to leave me glassy eyed because some, as I thought, are kid movies.

Where The Wild Things Are - Very depressing (what in the world is Hollywood trying to do to our kids emotions, my goodness)

A.I. - the ending got me
Bridge To Tarabithia - Depressing
Beast of The Southern Wild - Gloomyish
Seven Pounds - sad/joy combo

These are but a few that I can think of off the top of my head. I try to avoid most tear jerkers.

Huntn · Jun 18, 2014

A.I. Movie Spoiler

RenoG said:
I'm not one to seek out these sort of movies at all but I did have a few sneek up on me and catch me off guard. These are movies that I was not expecting to leave me glassy eyed because some, as I thought, are kid movies.

Where The Wild Things Are - Very depressing (what in the world is Hollywood trying to do to our kids emotions, my goodness)

A.I. - the ending got me
Bridge To Tarabithia - Depressing
Beast of The Southern Wild - Gloomyish
Seven Pounds - sad/joy combo

These are but a few that I can think of off the top of my head. I try to avoid most tear jerkers.

As a rule, I'm not drawn to emotional movies, just stumble across them by accident. I was affected by A.I. emotionally too, and found it thoroughly depressing that David gets a real Mom for just a day and the human race ceases to exist.

Scepticalscribe · Jun 21, 2014

Does the OP mean 'emotional' (as in pushing the well springs of emotion through the plot, narrative, acting), or 'powerful', which can combine strong story telling along with packing a genuinely strong emotional punch?

If the latter, one I always loved was 'Bad Day At Black Rock', which I thought a powerful story, (a superb script, setting, and outstanding direction, lighting and a first rate cast all helped, too) but one which packed a formidable - if understated emotional punch as well.

Shrink · Jun 21, 2014

Scepticalscribe said:
Does the OP mean 'emotional' (as in pushing the well springs of emotion through the plot, narrative, acting), or 'powerful', which can combine strong story telling along with packing a genuinely emotional punch?

If the latter, one I always loved was 'Bad Day At Black Rock', which I thought a powerful story, (a superb script, setting, and outstanding direction, lighting and a first rate cast all helped, too) but one which packed a formidable - if understated emotional punch as well.

Agee that this is a terrific movie.

Any movie with Spencer Tracy and Robert Ryan can't be bad...and this one is a gem.

Scepticalscribe · Jun 21, 2014

Shrink said:
Agee that this is a terrific movie.

Any movie with Spencer Tracy and Robert Ryan can't be bad...and this one is a gem.

Delighted you agree; this looked at a serious story, as I understand that it was possibly the first movie to treat intelligently and sympathetically of the topic of the treatment of the Japanese-Amercians in the US during WW2.

Some sources also seem to suggest that it was a veiled attack on the values of McCarthyism - but I remember being extremely impressed by it when I first saw it, a powerful story, told superbly, and treated with respect by a terrific cast; it works as a thriller, film noir and western, too….

IGregory · Jun 21, 2014

House of Sand and Fog will do it. If that don't work Schindler's List will.

Apple fanboy · Jun 21, 2014

ROTJ. When Darth Vader removes his marks to see his son with his own eyes. Chokes me up every time.

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IGregory said:
House of Sand and Fog will do it. If that don't work Schindler's List will.

If you can watch Schindler's List and not be emotionally moved, you are not a member of the human race. I saw it at the cinema and it was a strange experience. Everyone just got up and left in silence. Very eerie.

0dev · Jun 21, 2014

Silver Linings Playbook and One Day - although the book of the latter is far superior, the film is still emotional especially if you've not yet read the book.

And if I'm allowed to cheat and include TV shows I have to include the Doctor Who episode Vincent and the Doctor. Hands down the most emotional thing I've ever watched.

Vogue Harper · Jun 22, 2014

I would add the following two films:

Isao Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru No Haka) is probably the most powerful and moving animated film ever created. Everyone should watch this.

Leaving Las Vegas the epitome of depressing.

Ann P · Jun 22, 2014

Hachi: A Dog's Tale

Cried hysterically!

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Favorite Emotional Movies

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