Another WordPress prompt that makes an assumption.
“What’s the last movie that made you cry?”
Cry? I don’t really cry at movies.
Now, have I gotten a little verklempt? Absolutely. There’s a difference.
I’m not sitting there sobbing into a throw pillow while the credits roll, but there are certain scenes that can make the eyes get suspiciously moist.
“Hey, Dad? Wanna have a catch?” in Field of Dreams will do it.
The symphony playing for Mr. Holland at the end of Mr. Holland’s Opus gets me every time.
The old Ryan standing in the cemetery at Normandy, asking his wife if he’s been a good man in Saving Private Ryan? Yeah. That one lands.
The survivors placing stones on Oskar Schindler’s grave at the end of Schindler’s List.
George Bailey walking into that house full of people who have come to help him in It’s a Wonderful Life.
And Gayle Sayers telling a room full of people, “I love Brian Piccolo” in Brian’s Song.
Those moments don’t make me sob. But they do occasionally require a strategic blink or two.
And I think there’s a common thread.
They aren’t simply sad scenes. They’re scenes about lives that mattered. A father and son reconnecting. A teacher discovering that his life’s work meant something. A soldier wondering whether he lived a life worthy of the sacrifice made for him. People showing up for someone when he needs them most. Friendship strong enough that a grown man can publicly say he loves another man who is dying.
That stuff gets me.
So I honestly can’t tell you the last movie that made me cry. But if the question is asking for the last movie that made me stare very intently at the screen while pretending there was absolutely nothing going on with my eyes?
That list is considerably longer.
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Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt
