Top 10 Movies That Will Make You Cry

Script written by Sean Harris.

Top 10 Movies That Will Make You Cry

If you’re the person who says ‘I never cry at the movies’... The next ten minutes will be a real test! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 movies that will make you cry!

For this list, we’ve brought together those movies that are most likely to have us shedding a tear. There are no genre-specific criteria, and animated movies are as in contention as live action! A spoiler warning is also in effect as we are touching on the moments of the films that pull at the heartstrings.

#10: “My Girl” (1991)

To begin, a movie that sees Macaulay Culkin as far removed from ‘that “Home Alone” kid as possible! “My Girl” is a coming of age story with more emotional strain, angst and confusion than the average pre-teen tale! Vada, played by Anna Chlumsky, hasn’t enjoyed a standard upbringing... She never knew her mother, her home’s a literal funeral parlor, and she’s turning out tom-boy! Culkin’s ‘Thomas J.’ character sees her as best friend material though, and the two battle life’s torments together! Their’s is a story as uplifting as it is devastating due to tragedy and we just can’t hold back our tears.

#9: “Old Yeller” (1957)

If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to make the majority cry... It’s animals! And especially dogs! “Old Yeller” is one of Disney’s best-remembered live action pictures, and with good reason! Detailing the story of the Coates family in Texas, and more specifically of Travis the son, this film’s main character is the Mastador after which it’s named! ‘Old Yeller’ fulfills expectations in becoming Travis’ ‘best friend’, but his story does not necessarily pan out as might be predicted! There’s a life lesson here, but it’s very hard to take!

#8: “Brian’s Song” (1971)

A TV movie next, but one that was so successful it was tried at the theater as well! “Brian’s Song” takes us to the football field, and to a desperate story of success cut short. James Caan’s Brian Piccolo and Billy Dee Williams’ Gale Sayers are budding athletes looking tomake it in the big leagues. The pair develops a fierce friendship amid their rise to the top, but their professional contracts are put firmly in perspective as disaster strikes! This is a hard-hitting football film, but not in the conventional way!

#7: “Titanic” (1997)

A huge cinematic production, James Cameron’s “Titanic” achieved a balance between expensive and emotional! Appropriately bedded in historical fact, the Hollywood elements of this film make for the teariest of times! There are just so many moments in this movie that might set us off! Of course, the ‘Jack and Rose’ narrative is what catches most attention, but the clips and snippets of other unfortunate passengers are what really bring the disaster home! We’re always acutely aware that it’s ‘based on true events’ - and that’s why we cry!

#6: “Philadelphia” (1993)

Universally recognized as one of Hollywood’s most important movies in recent times, the story of Andrew Beckett is impossible to sit through and remain dry-eyed! “Philadelphia” tackles issues related to homosexuality, homophobia and AIDS with honesty, as it demands that its audience open their eyes! Parts of this film make for uncomfortable and difficult viewing but, such is the emotional intensity that at times, tears are inevitable! A film for which Tom Hanks won his first Oscar, it was an award well earned!

#5: “The Notebook” (2004)

A good chick-flick can force a fountain of tears... And for no film is that more true than “The Notebook”! Pairing Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling together, this is a movie that’s both ‘easy on the eye’ and ‘easy on the cry’. The shallow cinemagoer will see two of Hollywood’s most attractive, but by the closing credits, the lump in one’s throat has comprehensively replaced the lust in one’s mind! A story that spans a lifetime, it will stick in your memory for just as long!

#4: “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” (2009)

A 2009 remake of the 1987 Japanese movie, with “Hachi” we head back to howling our eyes out over a hound! “Marley and Me” might have been considered as the most tearful of its type, but this ‘dog’s tale’ just trumps it! Richard Gere takes the lead role, as we’re shown an unlikely friendship arising between his Professor Parker character and the titular Hachi. What ensues is a story of love and loyalty that will move everyone - even if you’re more a ‘cat person’!

#3: “Bambi” (1942)

Another Disney effort and the only animated movie to make our countdown, upon its release “Bambi” was pioneering proof that a cartoon could jerk tears just as triumphantly as a live-action film! It’s nigh-on impossible not to root for this cute character, and it’s equally as difficult not to sob over his story! Bambi’s as curious as he is inquisitive as he is lacking in confidence... He’s the romantic underdog who’s surely due a break! But life is cruel to Bambi... His childhood is lonesome at times, intimidating at others, and always an emotional watch!

#2: “Schindler’s List” (1993)

We’ve had animals, we’ve had love, we’ve had disaster... For our top two, we are focusing on bravery! “Schindler’s List” scoops our silver medal, as the Second World War is given a hauntingly humanistic retelling! The eponymous Oskar Schindler is an ethnic German under no immediate threat from the rising Nazi Party. However, having seen Hitler’s mantras translate themselves into massacre, Schindler is a man determined to do what is right! This movie is all about hope... Just make sure you have a handkerchief on hand!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- “Legends of the Fall” (1994)
- “My Sister’s Keeper” (2009)
- “Braveheart” (1995)
- “Forrest Gump” (1994)
- “Steel Magnolias” (1989)
- “Terms of Endearment” (1983)

#1: “The Green Mile” (1999)

If you’ve made it this far unfazed, then our winner is sure to inspire a knot in your stomach, or a tear in your eye! “The Green Mile” takes us onto death row and into the story of John Coffey. Majestically played by Michael Clarke Duncan, Coffey’s a man convicted of murder... He’s a man who instantly intimidates... But, he’s also a man for which few will fail to cry! For things are not as they seem, and the truth is too tough to take! As Tom Hanks ‘rolls on two’, “The Green Mile”’s our number one!

Do you agree with our list? Which emotional movie is your favorite? For more tear-jerking top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.