A departure, if you'll allow me.
You already know that Uncle P loves the movie geek's trinity: Horror/Sci-Fi?Fantasy. But know I love all kinds of other movies, too. Comedy, Historical Drama, Suspense/Police Procedural, the very occasional Western, Action-Adventure - all valid genres each with many movies I really, really love.
Now, I have a confession to make. There is a genre I haven't mentioned yet, but you all know exists: The Tearjerker. And you all know there is at least one that gets you every time. Well, I have more than one. Hell, I cried at last night's episode of "Glee" -- of course I have more than one. But it's late, so I'm going to split this list into two posts. And a bit of a warnning - there some MASSIVE spoilers in this post, so if you haven't seen the movie in question, I suggest you skip the entry until you have. So without further ado, here are the bottom half of Prospero's Top Ten Tearjerker's of All Time:
10. Imitation of Life (1934)
Most people seem more familiar withe 1959 remake starring Lana Turner, but Claudette Colbert has always held a special place in my cinematic heart and her version of the Fanny Farmer novel about an entrepreneurial single mother, her faithful maid/cook and the maid/cook's light-skinned daughter who runs away, passing herself off as white. When her mother dies (of a broken heart), the daughter realizes too late the error of her ways. The scene where she's clutching the casket in the horse-drawn hearse, crying "Mother! Please forgive me, Mother!" just kills me.
9.Old Yeller (1957)
The bastards at Disney delivered this delightful tale about a brave, faithful dog that contracts rabies and must be shot. Oh, yes. Great family fun, this one.And since everyone would hate me if I put the really sad clip up, here's The Kids in the Hall version:
8.Truly Madly Deeply (1990)
The late Anthony Minghella directed this fantasy about a love that transcends death, starring Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson:.
7. The Color Purple (1985)
Steven Spielberg's gorgeous film of Alice Walker's novel may have lost every Oscar for which it was nominated, but it never fails to make cry more than once, every time I see it. Every single performance is a gem here and Spielberg somehow translates Walker's novel into a rich visual and cultural examination of what it means to have self-worth. The scene where Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) is reunited with her sister and her children has my eyes gushing just thinking about it:
6. E.T.: The Extraterrestrial (1982)
Spielberg makes his second of three appearances on this list with his unassuming little movie about a boy who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a decidedly ugly little alien. Who didn't cry when they thought E.T. was dead?
So, tomorrow will see my Top 5 picks. And you shouldn't be embarrassed to cry at a good weepie. I never am...
More, anon.
Prospero
No comments:
Post a Comment