Worst2First: My Top Ten Favorite Tearjerker Films

Worst2First: 

My Top Ten Favorite Tearjerker Films

I readily admit that movies affect me.  Sure, I love seeing a film for its acting talent, developed story, butt-kicking action and thrills and chills, but I also have the feels.  There's been a lot of movies that I've felt emotional towards, and these are my top ten favorite tearjerker films, worst2first...

**THERE COULD BE SPOILERS DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS LIST!**

#10

Up

Disney has a way to pull at the heart strings in surprising ways, and "Up" does so in the first ten minutes, telling the most beautiful love story set to screen before the adventure of a lifetime begins.  The emotional beginning sets up for a fun-filled, laugh-riot adventure between a crotchety old man, his Boy Scout sidekick, and the most awesome dog in the...SQUIRREL......world.

#9

Still Alice

Julianne Moore has been one of the most underrated actresses of our time, on par with the likes of Meryl Streep and Katharine Hepburn, but she never got her due until "Still Alice," earning Moore her first Oscar as a linguistics professor who struggles with being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's.  She packs an emotional wallop along with the supporting cast including Alec Baldwin and even Kristen Stewart (who knew she could actually act?).

#8

Toy Story 3

The "Toy Story" saga spanned the lifetime of an entire generation who grew up with Andy and his favorite toys - Buzz, Woody, and the others.  With the third installment, it's time for Andy to go to college and put away childish things, and "Toy Story 3" hits an emotional nerve for everyone who grew up and had to face the realities of the world when they're much rather play with their toys and see the world as a sweet, innocent place.

#7

Bambi

"Bambi" was released in 1942 - over seventy years ago - and it's still remembered for THAT particular scene that had a deep, visceral emotional response.  To be able to be remembered for THAT one scene all these decades later is something of amazement, and something only Disney could accomplish.

#6

Old Yeller

For anyone who loves dogs (like I do), "Old Yeller" is the best dog film out there, but also one that requires a whole lot of tissues because it's also a story of growing up and having to make rough decisions.  Not going to say anything more about that...

#5

Marley & Me

"Old Yeller" is the best dog film out there, but "Marley & Me" has the more emotional gut punch.  It's like being in the ring with Conor McGregor and taking one to the stomach. 

#4

Terms of Endearment

For a parent, there's no bigger fear than dealing with a life-threatening issue that your child faces.  The winner of five Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director and Best Writing), "Terms of Endearment" tells the story of a mother and daughter looking for love, and eventually finding out what is really important in life.

#3

Lion

Based on the incredible, astonishing, downright unbelievable true story, Dev Patel stars as Saroo, an adopted young man from India who, despite all odds, tries to track down his mother and brother he only remembers from faint memories decades earlier.  It's a soaring tale of love, loss, and the unyielding spirit to find its way back home.  The standout star is newcomer Sunny Pawar, who - at the tender age of eight - plays young Saroo for the majority of the film, and witnessing this young boy's plight is enough to bring the water works, but it's the rousing, emotional end that the tears really start to flow.

#2

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

There has been scores of movies about the Holocaust, but "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" is different because it focuses on the friendship of two eight-year-old boys: one the son of a Nazi soldier, and the other a Jew imprisoned in a concentration camp.  Told through their innocent eyes, the German boy doesn't see the enemy - he just sees a boy in striped pajamas.  It has an emotional undercurrent throughout, with an ending that unloads the tears like a monsoon.

#1

Schindler's List

 Steven Spielberg is one of the most influential directors of our time, and "Schindler's List" is one of his grand masterpieces that centers around the Holocaust and the true life hero who rescued countless Jews.  Liam Neeson stars as Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of many trapped in concentration camps by employing them at his factories, and proves that there are real heroes in the world.  It's an uplifting tale in the midst of one of the most horrible events in history, and if you're not moved to tears by the end, I doubt you even have a soul.