I saw a yahoo article that said "The Champ" was the saddest movie ever, with psychological testing results to prove it. Fortunately I didn't see that one. I bawled my eyes out at Old Yeller when I was five for six and I've never been brave enough to try to watch it again. Any other nominees for saddest movie ever?
Any guy who had a dog as a kid would have to vote for Old Yeller. I saw that article about The Champ and the first thing that popped in my mind was no way that film beats Old Yeller on the sadness scale.
I don't know about saddest, but having lost more than one person close to me to cancer, "My Life" with Michael Keaton was hard for me to watch. I don't think i could sit through it again.
If I'm not mistaken, the article was talking about saddest scene. In that case, I have to put The Champ over Old Yeller. When taken as a scene, you just see a kid killing a rabid dog, where as the scene in Champ was much more moving. Now, as a film, I wholeheartedly agree that Old Yeller is much sadder.
"The Elephant Man". The scene where John comes to tea and talks with the doctor and his wife about his mother and regret shreds any decent human being's heart.
The first thing that popped into my head was Brians Song. Never saw The Champ or Old Yeller so I cant compare. But I remember seeing Brians Song as part of a series of films watched in junior high back in the 70's. You could always tell who just got out of English class because thier eyes were so swollen
Old Yeller was the first movie I ever cried at, and as an animal lover I was scarred by that, as well as "The Yearling" But for saddest/tense scene with kind of a surprise ending that leaves you drained and angry, watch "Gallipoli" And yes, that is the first time I ever laid eyes on a young and dreamy Mel Gibson. ( just a tiny swoon due to current Mel) Gibson
For saddest movie I'd have to nominate "Sophie's Choice". For a dog owner especially, "Old Yeller" and "Marley and Me" have some real tear-jerker scenes, but you knew where that story was going and there were the uplifting moments to follow. Someone mentioned "The Yearling" and I'd also add "The Red Pony" to that list. In the non-animal category, "The Champ" would be one of my first thoughts as well. Bittersweet and sad. The opening sequence in "Up" has the same feeling to me, and hooks you into watching to see where this story will go.
Although brief, the scene in "Saving Private Ryan" where Mrs. Ryan, looking out the window, sees the Army vehicle driving up the dirt road to her house. She walks to her porch apprehensively, then her knees buckle and she falls to the floor in grief even before the soldiers approach her with the news that one of her sons has been killed in action. This scene moved me to tears.
Agree with Third Coast, "My Life" is pretty sad. As far as scenes, I tear up in "Malcolm X" when he's shot in front of his wife and little girls. Also the scene in "I Am Legend" when he has to kill his dog. It just feels SO LONELY. She was the only other soul around him and now she's gone.
I'll admit I'm a softie when it comes to movies. Hell, i teared up after Gandalf fell in FOTR. The right mix of screenplay+musical score will do that to me. The Color Purple had so many happy and sad moments that got me. Speilberg is good at that. Who else tears up in Hook when the fat lost boy comes up to Robin Williams face and molds it into a smile and says "there u are Peter!"
"Imitation of Life." A young black woman light enough to "pass" shuns her mother and her upbringing, then finds out too late what a mistake that was. Saddest movie I've ever seen.
My Dog Skip was written by a UT alum who was editor of the Daily Texan in the 50s. When I saw the Champ I thought they dragged the scene out so long that I was wishing Ricky Schroeder would just pass out. But in retrospect, seeing Jon Voight die made it worthwhile. Tearjerkers are for suckers. Oscar Wilde said that you had to have a heart of stone to avoid laughing at the death scene of Little Nell. Agreed. Some other weepers: Terms of Endearment and Schindler's List. Personally, I like the scene in Liberty Valance where the aging Jimmy Stewart and Whoever She Was are standing around the wooden casket containing John Wayne's remains and indulging remembrances of things past. I get all moist eyed over that one every time.
1. Brian's Song 2. Where the Red Fern Grows And for some reason I was moved by Field of Dreams, but I wouldn't call it a sad movie.
In the Green Berets, when Ham Chuk is running from chopper to chopper shouting "Petersahn! Petersahn""....
The ending scene in 'Philadelphia" with Neil Youngs song always gets to me. i know its just that short home movie scene but wow it really makes me tear up.
i can't believe only 1 mention of terms of endearment. schindler's list is pretty sad at the end when he is talking about the other people he could have saved. when i was a little kid, my dad said i cried for a long time at the end of charlotte's web. old yeller of course. one old 1972 classic is silent running, a bruce dern sci-fi movie. i caught it on a late show as a youngster and fell in love with the 3 robots in the movie. the last scene after everyone is dead is a shot of the only living character left, the lone robbot dewey who is tending the last remaining greenhouse as it floats off into space.
The Road I cried when I read the book and again when I saw the movie version. If you're a father of a son, then you know what I mean.
These seem to be more like saddest scenes from a movie than the movie as a whole. But in that vein, Rabbit Proof Fence is incredibly sad for probably 3/4ths of the movie.
