14 Movies You Should Watch for a Good Cry Session
If you ever find yourself in need of some motivation to get all those emotions out, just watch any of the 14 movies mentioned below!
SPOILER ALERT: There are a lot of details about the movies listed below. So if you haven't seen any of these, then I suggest you skip over them.
It's okay to be emotional sometimes, and as females, we tend to be very emotional, especially once a month. Most of us have probably found ourselves crying for no reason. Something as simple as driving in the car when it's raining with a sad song playing on the radio can make you cry. Sometimes you don't plan on crying, but do anyway, and actually end up feeling refreshed.
If someone makes you cry, that type of crying is painful and probably not as refreshing as the unexpected kind, the kind that hits you out of nowhere, comes from deep inside of you, and leaves you laughing-crying at the same time, wondering what the heck just happened.
Movies that are sure to make you cry
Below are some of the best movies for getting the waterworks flowing. So if you ever feel like you need a good cry session, you can turn to these.
#1 UP! It doesn't matter how old you are, because if you are human and have a soul, this movie will make you tear up. If you watch this movie and don't shed a tear, you have a black heart. Period.
This movie is so sweet. There is nothing more precious than seeing Carl and his wife, Ellie, begin their relationship and grow old together. When Ellie ultimately passes away, Carl's way of keeping her memory alive is to have the adventure they've always dreamed of. He does whatever it takes to protect their memories, and to keep the house they grew old together in.
#2 How to Train Your Dragon. Sure, this might be a movie that appears to be made for children, but it's actually another film that is great for all ages. We have the main character that is a misfit and not loved by his father, who eventually makes his father extremely proud in the unlikeliest way, all the while forming an unbreakable bond with a dragon. Let's not even get into the friendship with the dragon, because we'll probably start crying as we type this!
#3 The Notebook. Anything Nicholas Sparks writes is pretty much going to make you cry. If you have already read this book, then you know what I'm talking about. We all love a fantastic love story, especially one that we can actually interpret and believe to be possible.
The great thing about the Notebook is that it feels real. Noah does whatever it takes to get Ali in the end, and eventually, well, like they said, if one of them is a bird, the other is too.
#4 The Other Sister. Out of all the movies I'll list here, this movie by far makes me cry the most. Juliette Lewis plays twenty-four year old Carla Tate who is slightly mentally challenged, and against all odds, she overcomes many of her limitations. Her mother, played by Diane Keaton, is extremely over-bearing and protective, and also doesn't believe Carla will ever be able to do anything on her own.
Carla happens to fall in love with a boy, Danny, who is played by Giovanni Ribisi, and he too, is mentally challenged. It's basically about the relationship between the two mentally challenged people and how their love can conquer the odds. It's not a movie that will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, but it's also a movie that will wake you up for all the right reasons.
#5 A Walk to Remember. Yes, another Nicholas Sparks' novel and movie. This movie will make you cry, and cry, and cry. It's kind of like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story, because the cool kids didn't think their resident heartthrob, Landon, could possibly be in love with the sweater-wearing, ultra-religious pastor's daughter, Jamie.
Needless to say, the two do fall in love against all the naysayers and despite Jamie battling leukemia. But Landon does everything he can to make all of her wishes come true before she passes away, and in the end, he makes sure to keep her memory alive.
#6 Titanic. The swashbuckling adventurer, Jack, played by Leo DiCaprio, and the rich socialite, Rose, played by Kate Winslet, fall in love on board the ill-fated Titanic, despite being in different circles in society. The tearjerker scene that we all know so well is when the ship has sunk, and the two lovers are floating on a door, as Jack makes her promise to never let go.
#7 Steel Magnolias. Set in a small-town beauty shop near New Orleans, Steel Magnolias chronicles the lives of its owner and the shop's many patrons. It predominately centers on Julia Roberts' character, Shelby, who has diabetes and is planning her wedding.
There are so many great moments in this movie, as it also focuses on typical small-town drama and gossip that you are certain to overhear in a hair salon, and right when you want to cry, this movie throws in a great line that makes you laugh while wiping away your tears. Dolly Parton is incredible in this film, and it has been and will always remain a classic.
#8 Moulin Rouge. I am usually indifferent when it comes to musicals, especially when they are movies and not performed on Broadway. However, Moulin Rouge is one of the most beautiful, romantic, and sad musicals ever made.
Nicole Kidman is breathtaking in this movie, in fact, the only other movie where she has looked this gorgeous is probably Cold Mountain, but she is stunning in Moulin Rouge. The music itself is so beautiful that it will make you cry, but also watching Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor's tragic yet romantic story play out will have you in tears by the end.
#9 The Blind Side. Sandra Bullock is phenomenal in this movie, hence her Oscar nod. This heartwarming flick centers on how one woman, Sandra Bullock's character, chose to defy convention and took in Michael Oher, an African-American boy, who comes from a poor broken family. With her help, she was able to let Michael live his dream to play football and to get into college.
#10 12 Years a Slave. This movie, set in the pre-civil war era in the United States, follows a free black man, Soloman Northup, who is abducted and sold back into slavery. You can already see why this movie is sad, and it's done in such an artful and heartwrenching way that really leaves you sobbing for hours after watching the whole thing.
This movie won a ton of awards when it came out, and understandably so. The cast is incredible, and although slavery no longer takes place, it's a great reminder to see how far we've come.
#11 My Girl. Vada and Thomas, two childhood friends, spend all their time together running around town, playing outside, and doing the usual stuff kids do. Vada's father owns a funeral home, and her mother passed away when she was much younger, so she's fairly acquainted with the concept of death.
Tragedy hits when Thomas goes to play outside alone because he and Vada got into a fight. He gets attacked by a hive of bees, and it triggers a fatal allergic reaction. It's an extremely sad story that reminds you that life is too short to get into fights with your friends.
#12 P.S. I Love You. If you were to lose the love of your life, only to find love letters and clues left for you for the next 365 days, I'm not sure it would make dealing with the loss any easier. However, the thought is incredibly romantic.
When Holi loses her husband, Gerry, to illness, she soon realizes on her 30th birthday that he left her a series of letters that will help her through her grief and through life. It's the story of how, even after their death, our departed loved ones can still touch our lives.
#13 Hope Floats. It's about a broken family, and how Sandra Bullock's character, Birdie, handles her kids while coming to terms with the fact their father has left them for another woman. A plus to watching this movie is that Harry Connick Jr. is in it, and he's definitely easy on the eyes! Be sure to watch this movie all the way to the very end for one of the best quotes ever written about love, and hope floating. You can thank me later.
#14 Million Dollar Baby. There's just something about Clint Eastwood and Hillary Swank in this movie that really makes you feel every emotion you could possible feel, from triumph to despair. It also deals with the hard decisions and controversy surrounding taking people off life-support, and trying to do the right thing and honor the wishes of the one who is dying. This movie is inspirational, motivational, and so very sad.
It's not often we see films about female fighters, and Hillary Swank is not just a female fighter in the boxing world, but also a fighter for so many things in this movie. This movie has family corruption, and unexpected friendships. It isn't a movie that will have you laughing at the same time you're crying, but it is a movie that will make you want to get out in the world and do something. It's a movie that will make you want to follow your passion.
We watch movies, listen to music, read books, and usually our favorite songs or movies or books end up being those that left us feeling something, or asking more questions than we have answers to. Movies that make us cry and laugh are movies that make us feel something. They trigger all our emotions, and for that reason alone, they are beautiful.
The next time you feel like you need to let out some steam and just feel all the emotions you've got bottled up, give these movies a go. Be sure you have some tissues handy!
