So fess up!

The all time tear jerking scene for me is form AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER when
Cary Grant opens Kerr’s room, sees his painting, and realizes that she is crippled.
He closes his eyes and leans back against the door while Friedhofer’s glorious
love theme played on strings causes tears to traverse my cheeks to nearly the
point of DEHYDRATION. Happens every time.

One’s never too old to out grow E.T. When E.T. says “Come” and Williams swirls
the violins up the scale, I’m a simpering kid again.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS. In the l939 version, I’m weepy when Katherine dies
in the arms of Heathcliff as they gaze over the moors. Alfred Newman’s Katherine
theme playing as she dies could melt the most cynical heart. I also love Ralph Fiennes
1992 version. The suck-the-water-right-out-of-you-scene is when he breaks
into her home after she has died and pulls her out of the coffin while Sakamoto’s
passionate love theme swirls around them. (Anyone notice the similarity to his theme
and Scott’s Anthony and Cleopatra theme?)

I like a good laugh, but I also love a good cry, and the best tears come when there
is that magical dovetailing between scene and music, a fusion that become one’s air
and pulse.

The finale of "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Both never fail to make me cry.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer - "The Gift" when Buffy realizes death really is her gift and the climatic end of another Slayer.
She saved the world, a lot.

Also the epsidoe which I think is named "I Only Have Eyes For You."

Movies:
Signs - While bording up the door Graham tells a story about his daughter to her and ends with beautiful flutes and strings and him sweeping her up.

quote:

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Originally posted by joan hue:
I’m also fairly adamant that
it isn’t just the visuals on the screen that melt our marrow and assault or destroy
our hardened resolve to NOT cry nor be emotionally manipulated, it is the
combination of the visuals and perfect pieces of music.

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Exactly.

quote:

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When E.T. says “Come” and Williams swirls the violins up the scale, I’m a simpering kid again.

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Although the scene, for which the music was written, doesn't affect me so much anymore, I say that the music itself is still one of the most magical pieces ever written by Williams - simple, yet so incredibly warm and touching. That's why I once isolated this very 1-minute cue from the rest of the finale...

Some tear-jerking scene favorites of mine (with effective music):

Fox's animated ANASTASIA (1997). Although the entire movie featured enormous amount of surprisingly mature, touching adult content (at least I was convinced by it), there's two scenes which every time - if not bring tears to my eyes - at least touch me extremely deeply, thanks to the perfect marriage of music, animation, and vocal talent. First one is the scene where Anastasia and Dimitri are on the ship, learning to waltz. The ending of this scene is pure heart-warming magic with a solo violin in the background as the two realize they are falling in love. The second, and an actual tear-jerker is the scene where Dimitri refuses to take the reward money from Anastasia's grandmother, says "It was a change of heart", exits the room and encounters Anastasia once more on the steps. This entire sequence is full of emotion; Meg Ryan and John Cusack doing their absolute best with their vocal talents; the animation truly capturing all the essence of heartbrake and dignity; and David Newman so splendidly supporting it all with his beautiful music.

And of course, what would a fairytale be without the gorgeous Grande Finale? ANASTASIA has one of my favorites, but my absolute favorite is naturally Disney's SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS. I suggest you to watch the finale with an open heart, with no preconceptions: The Prince's arrival, with the beautiful reprise of "One Song", leading to the Love's First Kiss and Snow White's awakening, is still one of the most touching sequences in cinema history. And it all leads to the most grandest finale music piece ever created for motion pictures. (If only they would re-record this piece with the newest digital technology and an expanded symphony orchestra, maybe then some of you would understand my point).

But back to the tear-jerking scenes, with magical music. One of my absolute favorites is from TITANIC, the scene where Rose is in the descending lifeboat, watching at Jack; enter the beautiful melody of "My Heart Will Go On", the strong visuals - and the result? Heartbreaking, and yet so beautiful.

But MOULIN ROUGE'S dying scene had even greater impact on me - the exact moment where Craig Armstrong brings in the 50-second snippet of "One Day I'll Fly Away". A lump in my throat and no end to the tears.

The movie EVER AFTER was so full of emotional scenes with magical music by George Fenton that I simply can't choose a single favorite one.

Then back to animation. In Disney's CINDERELLA there are two extremely beautiful, touching scenes with truly effective use of gentle choral music. The first scene is where Cinderella has run into the garden and is crying her heart out. First, a solo female vocal emerges, singing heart-brakingly "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" (I'm not sure if it is Ilene Woods herself) and then the chorus continues, very gently... Quite powerful scene. The second scene, although not exactly a tear-jerker, but a terrific example of pure emotion in animation, comes immediately when the "Midnight Chase" ends. Cinderella, back in her torn dress, tells her animal friends how wonderful the night at the palace was; Ilene Woods' vocal talent is supported by the chorus very gently, but so beautifully, that the scene is another fine example of how effective simple things can be.

Also in Disney's PETER PAN, before the finale, there is a terrific example of simplicity. Immediately after George (the father) has said "I'm going to bed", composer Oliver Wallace brings in wondrous, gentle strings with the "You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!" melody as Wendy goes to the window and looks up to the sky, where the silhouette of the pirate ship glides over the moon. Enter a second extremely powerful, yet so simple cue, as George comes to the window and, supported again by a gentle choral music, recognizes the ship. This entire scene is one of my favorites from any Disney animated classic - and easily brings tears to unprejudiced eyes.

And I'm not even going to start talking about Disney's RETURN TO NEVERLAND, where I'm already crying during the opening sequence (Main Title) - thanks to the extra-ordinary animation and the magical, warm, lush music score (and adaptation) by Joel McNeely.

Okay, enough of this mushy stuff.

KEN

Yeah, Justin, I cried many times in Buffy episodes. (And I cried in Angel last
week when Cordie died, but it lacked a musical theme for more emotion.)

Ken, isn’t is amazing how animated movies, which we know are not very realistic,
can wring us dry with tears? There is something about the innocence of the
characters paired with the music that often chokes me up. I cried in LION
KING when dad died and in BAMBI when mom died, but I can’t remember
the music.

As Dylan mentioned another real weepie for me was at the end of TO KILL A
MOCKINGBIRD when Scout points out Boo hiding behind the door. I’m convinced that
the waterworks are from Elmer Bernstein turning up the volume of his most delicate
theme. And he plays it on such sweet violins.

quote:

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Originally posted by joan hue:
Ken, isn’t is amazing how animated movies, which we know are not very realistic,
can wring us dry with tears

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Well, not realistic in terms what we know as "realism", but yet the characters - in my opinion - are most always more REAL than some "real" human beings. It never ceases to amaze me how REAL these figments of drawing, writing & voice talent can be in their final animated form. Sincerity prevails in animated characters, even in the bad ones - that's why we love 'em.

quote:

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There is something about the innocence of the characters paired with the music that often chokes me up.

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As I said, sincerity is the key word here, and especially in every Disney animated movie starting with THE LITTLE MERMAID the innocence of the characters has been enhanced with terrific "theme songs". However, the greatest things were achieved - in my opinion - by Alan Menken with POCAHONTAS and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, where the most touching music cues came in form of a song that was NOT used AS a song IN THE MOVIE, only at the end credits roll. It sort of enhanced the dramatic content (although these songs "If I Never Knew You" and "Someday" were great in their lyric content, too).

quote:

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I cried in LION KING when dad died and in BAMBI when mom died, but I can’t remember
the music.

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I don't remember THE LION KING so well that I could help you with that scene (THE LION KING has never been my Disney favorites; I just don't like animals as much as humans). But in BAMBI the death of his mother was treated incredibly realistic - with no music at all when Bambi starts to look for his mother; and probably that's why so many people regard this scene as a total shocker. (By the way, as I have said in my BAMBI soundtrack review, JAWS fans should definitely take a serious listen to the BAMBI score with its "Man" Theme).

KEN

Well, SCHINDLER'S LIST has a few scenes like that - I particularly remember Liam Neeson near the end, dropping the ring and stumbling against the car, bubbling "I could have done more!" And, of course, the end sequence, filmed dry-eyedly, with all those holocaust people putting stones on the graves. Cripes. Splendid John Williams music, not slushy at all, but rather as uncompromisingly desperately lonely as a funeral on a crisp winter day.

Another Williams - CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. The bit at the end where the wee man does his hand signals. So beautiful, so benevolent, and so sensitively handled by the composer with that gorgeous violin line. How could we humans have messed up our world so much?

The end of CITIZEN KANE. Rosebud goes up in flames to the tune of Herrmann at his most powerful. Loss of innocence is hard to confront from a distance.

I'd like to mention another one that perhaps isn't very well known, but for me was just mind-blowing (and not even for a consistently great film) - the end of AFTERGLOW. That's the Alan Rudolph film with Nick Nolte and Julie Christie. Anyway, the subject of infidelity is treated quite lightly throughout, however in the final scene, with Christie howling on the bed and Nolte trying to console her, they do seem to recognize the hurt they've caused each other, and the use of the Sondheim/L Bernstein song "Somewhere", gurgled by Tom Waits, is absolutely devastating.

quote:

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Originally posted by joan hue:
As Dylan mentioned another real weepie for me was at the end of TO KILL A
MOCKINGBIRD when Scout points out Boo hiding behind the door. I’m convinced that
the waterworks are from Elmer Bernstein turning up the volume of his most delicate
theme. And he plays it on such sweet violins.

NP To Kill A Mockingbird.

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That's a tear-jerker for sure, and EB did indeed pull out all the stops. The only scene more bleary-eyed for me is the final scene, as Scout walks home from Boo Radley's porch then climbs into Atticus' lap, the camera moves back and the "Summer's End" music swells as the narrator concludes, "...and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning." Whoosh!

SIGNS is loaded with wrenching moments...I wouldn't know where to start. Mel blew me down in that role.

In RETURN OF THE KING, during the scene where Pippin and Gandalf are trapped in Denethor's chambers and all hope seems lost, etc. etc. Gandalf's speech really gave you the feeling of how important them fighting really is.

"Brooks was Here" from SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION.

quote:

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Originally posted by Graham Watt:
All my examples seem to be the end scenes, so here's one that isn't (and to please Ken) - I saw SNOW WHITE when I was very young. I was crying away whilst all the dwarves were mourning around her glass coffin, and I asked my dad hopefully, "Is she only sleeping?", to which he replied, with infinite Scots tact, "Naw, she's deid."

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Ummm... It IS an end scene

It's odd that as a kid I never cried during this SNOW WHITE end scene, and now, as a nearly 30-years-old oldster, I can't watch that scene without getting at least a lump in my throat. THE FOX AND THE HOUND in 1981 was a very different case - it was the first time my oldest brother took me to movies and he didn't do it ever again, because half of the movie I REALLY cried.

KEN

quote:

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Originally posted by Timmer:
Armageddon, yeah that film made me cry..."I WANT MY MONEY BACK!"

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Nice...

Anyway, I Am Sam had an amazing scene. Where they try to take Lucy from Sam, and it's silent except for the score by John Powell. Great scene!

Nice...

No not really, the money I can get back, the 2 hours of wasted time is another matter

quote:

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Originally posted by Timmer:

Nice...

No not really, the money I can get back, the 2 hours of wasted time is another matter

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Well at least you got a good 20 minutes out of it! (it's like 2 and a half hours long with credits)

Star Trek II -- Spock's Death
Braveheart -- execution
Glory -- "Give em hell 54!"
Field of Dreams -- playing catch

Hell...even Bicentennial Man's final scenes get me...and only because of the score.

1) GLORY: Scene before the assault on the fort when Matthew Broderik's character releases his horse on the beach, knowing full well he is about to pay the ultimate price for a cause he believes in. Horner's music is especially key in laying the emotional foundation.