Things that make me cry... In a good way

[fajrdrako]

I read fiction to evoke emotional reactions. Some of my favourite books or movies are ones which make me cry - though not all my favourites do. Here are some scenes, or authors, or books, or movies, that conistently make me cry:

1. Certain scenes in books by Lois McMaster Bujold: the last paragraph of The Mountains of Mourning, for example, when Miles evokes the murder victim. Or the scene in Shard of Honour where Cordelia has defended the Butcher of Komarr to her mother, and her mother, baffled, says, "Why do you admire him?" and Cordelia replies, "I don't know. But when he's cut, I bleed." And there is the meeting of Aral and Miles as we come close to the climax in The Warrior's Apprentice. These scenes are precious to me.
   
   
2. The endings of certain Dorothy Dunnett books, especially The Ringed Castle: "There is no land uninhabitable or sea unnavigable. They made the world to hang in the air." Or Lymond in despair quoting Chaucer: Here is non hoom. Here nis but wildernesse.
   
   I would in general say that I don't usually cry over Dunnett novels, but there are some notable exceptions. I remember hearing one of the death scenes from The Disorderly Knights on audiobook while being driven to my hotel by a friend I was visiting - and by the time I got to the hotel, I was blubbering. (Discerning readers can probably guess whose death I am talking about, or at least, narrow it to one or two.)
   
   
3. In the movie The Russia House with Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer, a middle-aged bookseller gets mixed up in international espionage and at one points visits Katya Orlova in her home, which is chaos - her kids and her mother are all talking, and in the midst of domestic chaos he declares his love for her. It's the mixture of mundane domesticity and romantic drama that I love here.
   
   
4. Two songs in the musical Billy Elliott, which I have not seen, though I've seen the non-musical movie and listened to the CD of the musical many times. The first song that always makes me cry is "The Letter", which is about the letter given to Billy by his late mother. The second is "Electricity", which is about how Billy feels when he dances.
   
   
5. The Tom Smith song, "A Boy and his Frog", about Jim Hanson and Kermit.
   
   
6. The song "Two Little Boys" by Rolf Harris, which pushes all my slash buttons.
   
   
7. The ending of A Tale of Two Cities - not the last paragraph with the famous passage, but the scenes leading up to it.
   
   
8. Four scenes in The Lord of the Rings movies:
   1. the death of Boromir in The Fellowship of the Ring
      
   2. the moment in which Aragorn, having been offered the Ring by Frodo, closes his hand over it and says, "I would have followed you into the very fires of Mordor."
      
   3. The moment in The Return of the King where Aragorn is about to lead the charge against the Black Gates of Mordor, and says, "For Frodo.". All the more powerful because it took me by surprise.
      
   4. In The Return of the King, after Aragorn is crowned King of Gondor, he stops Frodo and the Hobbits from bowing to him, saying, "You should kneel to no one." Then he and the people of Gondor kneel in honour of the Hobbits.
   
   
9. The episode of Britain's Got Talent in which Paul Potts first sang.
   
   
10. Doctor Who: the end of "Doomsday". Rose and the Doctor lose each other. Yeah, it really got to me.
    
    
11. The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde.
    
    
12. "The Bishop's Candlesticks", which is a part of the novel Les Miserables that I studies in French lit somewhere along the way. I was reminded of it, because it's one of the questions in the King William's College Quiz - one of the few questions I could answer.
    
    This is how I recall the story: Jean Valjean is on the run from the law, starving, and comes to a town where the kindly Bishop gives him a good mean and a roof over his head for the night. Desperate, Jean Valjean steals the Bishop's silver candlestick in the middle of the night and makes a run for it. The police catch him, and bring him to the Bishop. "We caught this man with your silver," they tell him.
    
    "There must be some mistake," says the Bishop. "This is my friend, and the silver candlestick was my gift to him. But he made a mistake - I gave him the matching set of two candlesticks, and he left one of them behind." Then the Bishop gives Jean Valjean the second silver candlestick.
    
    That's the only part of Les Miserables I have actually read, but the musical makes me cry copiously, it's so heroic.
    
    
13. A scene from the Johnny Quest comic book by William Messner-Loebs, issue #25, a story called "Butch". Bandit was a dog belonging to the young hero, and in this particular story, he is kidnapped by villains and renamed "Butch". The imprisoned dogs are talking about their 'pack leaders', each predicting how their owners will come to rescue them. Bandit doesn't say anything until they press the issue. "I don't have a pack leader," he confesses. "What about the boy you were talking about?" they ask him. "Oh, him," says Bandit, embarrassed. "He's not my pack leader. He's my brother."
    
    

Comments

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Those aren't the Bujold moments that get to me personally, of course, since I'm Miles-centric while you're Aral-centric (I can only remember crying at a book once or twice in my lifetime -- OTOH, I cry at movies at the drop of a hat), but, yeah, she can pack an emotional wallop.

As for LotR, see above. There are moments in the first two movies, but I generally start choking up at the signal fires in RotK, do a fair amount of cheering in between, and am in full-fledged tears by the end. Every single time I've watched it, and I don't want to admit how many times I've watched it. Sigh.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Those aren't the Bujold moments that get to me personally

Can you think of any that do?

(I can only remember crying at a book once or twice in my lifetime -- OTOH, I cry at movies at the drop of a hat

I don't usually cry at either, though I think I'm more likely to cry over a book because I get more involved.

she can pack an emotional wallop.

She certainly can. Her line in Memory about "wrestling with temptation - two falls out of there" makes me laugh and cry at the same time.

I generally start choking up at the signal fires in RotK

Yeah. Woo: visually amazing.

Every single time I've watched it, and I don't want to admit how many times I've watched it.

I bet I've watched it more than you have. But I haven't counted. We'll be watching it again next week - it's our New Year's Day tradition.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

The Bujold moments that get to me most are the ones that make me laugh, generally, not the ones that choke me up. Not sure why that is. But, among many others, the one that springs immediately to mind is, "Shopping? That's an offer seldom made to the son of my mother" in Komarr. The first time I read that, I about fell out of my chair. And I still laugh every time I come to it.

There's a funny thing about Memory. It's my favorite of her books, but I am so wrapped up in seeing things from Miles's point of view that I don't react the way a lot of people do to the usual points in the book where they do it. It's odd.

I get more involved in books, but apparently I need the visual element to trigger my tear reflex or something. I am ashamed to admit that I walked out of Titanic with my sleeves wet to the elbows, for instance.

I watch LotR at least two or three times a year (a week-long event each time -- I watch one DVD of the extended version per night) since it came out. So probably at least ten times, maybe fifteen?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The Bujold moments that get to me most are the ones that make me laugh, generally, not the ones that choke me up.

I love her funny moments too, and especially the juxtaposition of funny and heartbreaking moments.

Shopping - a whole new connotation to the word, and that's a great line from Miles.

Funny, I didn't cry at Titanic at all. It takes a lot of subtlety to make me cry. But that isn't always true: Doctor Whe's "Doomsday" isn't subtle at all.

I watch LotR at least two or three times a year (a week-long event each time

How wonderful. Do you do it at specified times, or just when you feel like it?

[coalboy.livejournal.com]

Ladies, can either of you point me to a fairly detailed plot summary for LotR? I really don't want to read it, but I feel lacking in that I don't know the references.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

I don't know of one, I'm afraid. I've only read the books once myself -- I started them back when I was in high school, got through The Fellowship of the Ring and about a third of the way through The Two Towers, and gave up about the time the Ents showed up. Then, after the movies came out, I read them bit by bit while walking the treadmill (there's a silly kind of irony in there somewhere [g]). So now I can say I've read them, but I doubt I'll ever do it again.

OTOH, I adore the movies with a passion, and own all three extended version DVDs. They're well worth watching, if you can rent/borrow them, the theatrical version (about nine hours total) or extended version (about twelve hours). They'd give you most of the references, too.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I started them back when I was in high school, got through The Fellowship of the Ring and about a third of the way through The Two Towers, and gave up about the time the Ents showed up.

While I couldn't put them down, and was totally hooked by the events at Bree (in the middle of Fellowship - that's when Strider shows up.) Except that I was stuck at my cousin's cottage and had to wait to get back to civilisation for the next two books... Very traumatic. I was fourteen. They've been among my favourite books ever since.

there's a silly kind of irony in there somewhere [g]).

Yeah, but suitably so... All that walking they do in the books. Mind you, I walked from the Shire to Minas Tirith (in an online exercise thing called the Eowyn Challenge) - but I was already a dedicated fan.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

There's one here (http://www.douglas.eckhart.btinternet.co.uk/synopsis.html) that looks decent, though I don't have time to read it right now to check.

I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have!

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Oh my lord. That Paul Potts moment made me cry hard. Reality television and crying. I was shocked.

Thank you for the recs. Russia House sounds particularly interesting.

For me, it's The English Patient - cave. light. *cry*

And in the film Metropolitan, when Tom Townsend sees the box of discarded toys outside an apartment building. This entire film is subtle and sad.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh my lord. That Paul Potts moment made me cry hard.

Isn't it amazing?

Thank you for the recs. Russia House sounds particularly interesting.

I loved that movie, and I'm not usually a LeCarré fan. I haven't seen any of the other movies based on his books, and I've only seen that one once, but I totally loved it. I must get a copy so I can see it many more times!

For me, it's The English Patient - cave. light. *cry*

That's another movie I loved but haven't seen again. I had a problem with it that kept me away - but that's silly. Note to self: get a copy. Watch it again. After all, it's Ralph Fiennes, whom I adore.

And in the film Metropolitan

I haven't seen it. I should, I know.

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

I also cried (every time I saw it) at the movie The Constant Gardener -- another le Carre favourite adaptation.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

My goodness, yes - I'd forgotten that was a LeCarre story. Very moving. Very romantic. Loved it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

P.S. What a perfect icon for this thread!

[topgeargirl2.livejournal.com]

I cried at the end of Armageddon.

I really don't cry much when I see movies which end emotionally. Only when I was younger.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I cried at the end of Armageddon.

I don't remember the end of Armageddon! Except I remember that I liked it. How did it end?

Only when I was younger.

Any particular reason you changed?

I think I'm more likely to cry over things now than I did when young, but I don't usually cry over anything. So when I do, it tends to be something I remember.

[topgeargirl2.livejournal.com]

I have no idea.

I do cry but only if I truly break down due to panic attacks or whatever.

At the end of Armageddon they had a memorial service for Bruce Wills' character because he died on the asteroid.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

At the end of Armageddon they had a memorial service for Bruce Wills' character because he died on the asteroid.

I remember that! That was good.

I thought Bruce Willis was excellent in that one.

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

Definitely the Dunnett quotes and the Bujold moments you mention. Also several scenes in in CoC and PoS. And the point where Ivan recognizes how proud he is of Miles (in Memory, I think).

I tear up at Alan Maitland's reading of _The Shepherd_ -- every time. It's available for download right now at http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/asithappens_20081224_10276.mp3 .

And there's a whole bunch more...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

And the point where Ivan recognizes how proud he is of Miles (in Memory, I think).

Oh, yes - that bit is wonderful.

I tear up at Alan Maitland's reading of _The Shepherd_ -- every time.

Thank you for the link!

And there's a whole bunch more...

I'd love to hear them.

[namastenancy.livejournal.com]

Paul Potts just blew me away. Talk about a dark horse with talent to burn. I just hope that the promise of a better life has manifested for him because he deserves it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Paul Potts just blew me away.

I think it's a case of truth being stranger than fiction - yes, just amazing.

I just hope that the promise of a better life has manifested for him because he deserves it.

He's had at least one successful CD - I know, because I bought it.

[filkferengi]

I've been known to get all choked up, just telling ze spouse about certain Bujold moments.

_The Selfish Giant_ does it for me. There was a cartoon of it in the early 1970s I imprinted on as a child. Did you ever see it?

Your list rocks; brava!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I've been known to get all choked up, just telling ze spouse about certain Bujold moments.

Yes. Shes's just so good at those moments. Sometimes when you least expect them.

The Selfish Giant

I don't know the cartoon - is it the same as the Oscar Wilde story?

I cried at the movie of The Iron Giant.

Glad you liked my list!

[filkferengi]

It's the very Wilde story. Apparently, I have good taste. Check out:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067731/

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Very cool! I didn't know that existed.