Ten Movies That Will Make You Weep

I love listing things... and I love reading lists; I'm sure that has become pretty obvious. So here are the top ten movies that have reduced me to tears... and so I am going on the crude assumption that they will emotionally wreck you too.

They are rated by how many buckets I needed to collect the water from my face.


10) Million Dollar Baby (2004)
I'm such a baby. I have always had a soft spot for these types of movies (inspirational sporting movies). Its the stupid build-up, the way the film makers and of course Eastwood and Swank make us think - wow, everything is gonna be alright and then no. No it's not alright. Not even close.



09) Dead Poets Society (1989)
Oh dear... I know. This is truly the type of movies that destroy me. I'm a sucker, and by sucker I do mean UBER-SUCKER for inspirational teacher movies. They're number one on my sucker list, and of course number two is the inspiration sporting movies. (Dead Poets Review here)


08) Les Miserables (2012)
I started crying about... I'd say forty minutes in; I then couldn't stop... not till the end. There were men and women crying in the theatre with me, not to mention some friends beside me. I cried so much that all clothing within ten centimetres of my face were wet.



07) Stepmom (1998)
This film can make me cry... every time. It's the combination isn't it? Mother. Children. Cancer. It's enough to ruin me; and it does every time.


06) My Girl (1991)
Do you know that I spent a small chunk of my childhood having to watch this because there was nothing else on the telly? Do you know that the vast majority of those viewings resulted in sobs of hopelessness from little old me. No? Well now you do. It's all compounded by  Vader's inability to mourn properly at first... and then the whole funeral scene... oh my! No. I can't think about it now!



05) Toy Story 3 (2010)
Nobody warned me! Not a single person. A couple of people said in passing 'yeah, it's kinda sad' so I went to go watch it in the cinema and a part of me died that night. It was doing all fine until - wham - my heart was crushed all out of the blue and stuff. How dare Andy become mature and stuff.


04) The Green Mile (1999)
If this film doesn't make you cry, you have no soul. You know it's a recipe for tearfulness after the first half an hour, and then it just gets worse, and worse and sadder and sadder. The first time I watched it I was clueless. I thought it was just a straight up 'death row' type of movie. No, it's not. And there's magic which makes it worse.



03) Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
It's that part when Pippin in singing and Faramir is trying to be the son his father wants. Oh dear. I know, it is a testament of my ultra-geekiness but I'm proud, and that scene makes me cry every time. Oh, and when he tries to burn Faramir too.



02) Life is Beautiful (1997)
I distinctly remember this film destroying me. I watched it as a teen and have not been able to revisit it because it was just so traumatic. I recommend it, I think it should be required watching for future generations. This film has subtitles.



01) Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
I watched this a few weeks ago and wow, I just could barely keep myself together. I was absolutely exhausted at the end. We watched it with some friends and I couldn't even compose myself to not SOB (...and by sob, I really do mean the gut-wrenching, chest heaving, wobble in the throat sob) in front of them. I couldn't contain myself... the stiff-upper-lip crumbled and lay in the pool of tears between my feet.


What about you? Are these in your top ten list too? What movies are always sure to make you weep like a babe in arms? Don't be shy... you can comment below or message me right in my Twitterface @OrisiB

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My Top 10 Guilty-Pleasure Movies

I think we all have these. They're movies that are not that great. They can be B-movies, or just movies that were made for TV. They're full of bad-acting, plot holes, or just don't really make much sense!

Guilty-pleasure movies are also those films that you will not readily admit to loving. You may admit it to some of your friends, but you won't admit to just any Tom, Dick or Harry. The shame of it may be too much, or you may lose any authority to recommend a movie to anybody again.

I have a few of these. And I hope you'll forgive me my trespasses as I admit, to you strangers, the movies I should hate.... but love!

The Negotiator (1998)

Oh my goodness me. I just absolutely love this film. I can't help it. It's an action film that tastes like a drama. It has the awesome Samuel L. Jackson, and the excellent Kevin Spacey, and they come together in this pedal to the metal conspiracy movie. Jackson's character, an accomplished cop is suddenly implicated in the murder of his best friend... well, I won't go on, but really... it is great!

Roll Bounce (2005)

See, at least with The Negotiator I had a leg to stand on. With Roll Bounce I am shocked with myself and the love I have for this movie. It features five black boys, living in the 70s who love to roller-skate. The skating-disco place they used to practice at has closed down and so they have to start going to another part of town to skate there. Well, to cut a long story short, it all culminates in a massive group skating-competition where the boys compete. And yes, I'm not ashamed to say that it stars Bow Wow, Nick Cannon, Chi Mcbride and even has a couple of scenes with Charles Q. Murphy. 

It. Is. Awesome.

Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)

What a CLASSIC movie. I love it. I know I shouldn't, but I do. Do I give this movie too much credit? Yes, I do. But it is cheesy to the max but also so awesome. It stars the brilliant Whoopi Goldberg, Lauryn Hill and who can forget Kathy Najimy? It had Goldberg playing Deloris once again, being asked to take a break from being a Las Vegas show girl, and don the habit as Sister Mary Clarence to save an underfunded Catholic school.

I grew up with this film playing on ITV at least once every month year long, and around Christmas it'd suddenly be on all the time. I would watch it engrossed at every opportunity. And now, as an adult, and although I've not watched it for many years - I still know the songs, the characters and the plot line.

Point Break (1991)

I almost feel like I should not even call this a guilty pleasure, because really, it's an epic film (that may be a little exaggerated but it's still good!). Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze spend most of the movie having whimsical and philosophical conversations whilst surfing, oh, and Swayze and his crew like robbing banks. Oh, and Reeve's character is the cop trying to catch them. It would be a travesty to not have put this on the list.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Remember this? I remember watching this in the cinema and just thinking this was the best thing since sliced bread. I'm now older and wiser, but I still love this film and still love the nostalgia that overwhelms me. This is a classic Shakespeare turned modern movie, taken from the play Taming of the Shrew. It's great. You should love it too.

Dance Flick (2009)

This is the movie that I have to say I am most, most embarrassed to like. I haven't loved or even liked anything from the Wayans Brothers since Scary Movie 1 and 2 (I hated and didn't give time to any after that). But I watched this last month, and as I'd seen all the movies they were referencing, I just got it... and found it funny. Some parts are repulsive - true, and have some super crude moments that you probably will want to fast forward through, but you know, I giggled, and that's why I like it. 

Mean Girls (2004)

This film is one of those movies that I watch and feel guilty watching it. Well, only guilty until I remind myself that the whole point of the movie was not to encourage bitching, back-stabbing and bullying but actually it was (apparently) supposed to be ironic. Even without the philosophy though, the movie is just brilliant. There are moments that are ingenious (scenes where teens enact how situations would be solved in the wild) and moments that just remind you of how it was at school (it wasn't quite as vicious and hyper-sexual at our school, but you still had the little cliques, all wanting to have the last word).

A Cinderella Story (2004)

Kill. Me. Now.

I've realise that I have pretty much lost any credibility. But, yes, this movie is basically Cinderella - but a modern day one of course, with email and text messages and the ultimate goal of university lingering at the end. I know. It's mad - but it's great!

The Little Rascals (1994)

To prove just how much I love for this movie, I admit that I actually own it, on DVD and can see it sat nicely on my shelf. It is full of bad acting, craziness and follow the exploits of a bunch of boys who have a 'no girls' policy in their club. It's all very serious to them, and oh so silly for us grown-ups. Suspend belief, let the humour wash over you - and enjoy.

Tremors (1990)

This is a B-grade movie that is just so awesome. I know, I shouldn't love it as much as I do. It doesn't make much sense, but Kevin Bacon and friends are just so funny! Everything is drab and boring, and then it all becomes so brilliant and exciting. It's a monster movie that I managed to get my young teenage brother to appreciate. It's the same old story... lazy, small American village is attacked by freaky 'Graboids' - worm like mega-beasts that enjoy a feast!

So, here they are. All ten of them. In reality there is probably about 50 but I thought that these ten were enough to have me lose all credibility! 

Give them a try, if you dare! 

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