Thursday, March 5, 2009

Like McAdams love Gosling

Well, chalk another movie on the list of movies that, to quote Janssen, "rip the freaking tears right out of you". First on the list is Charlie. I think I've mentioned before that one fateful night that Blaine and I watched Charlie and spent over an hour or two after the movie bawling our eyes out. So last night we popped in "The Notebook". Holy freaking cow. It quite literally ripped the freaking tears right out of me.

So, our initial inclination when we see movies like these is to never watch them again, ever. We don't like feeling that much emotion...even though it is a good emotion. We weren't crying because we were sad that the old people died, or even that she had dementia. We, or at least I, was crying because he loved her enough to read their story to her everyday. And that's a good thing. That's love. So why do I never want to see the movie again?

Those two movies probably touched me more than any others. Other movies too, like Hotel Rawanda or The Kite Runner also really touched me. Not only touched me but changed me. They changed the way I thought, the way I see the world.

But I would never buy them!

I can't be watching movies like those all the time or I would be an emotional basketcase all of the time.

So what movies do we own? Oh, you know. Freaky Friday. 13 Going on 30. Music and Lyrics. Just Like Heaven. We buy movies that we can watch over and over again. Movies that make us laugh, movies that we can quote without bursting into tears.

It leaves me with a dilemma though. When someone asks my favorite movie, what do I say? Do they mean, "what is your favorite movie?" as in "what movie do you always feel up to watching?" or do they mean "what movie touched you, stirred me more than any other?"

[pause to get Bentley OUT of the dishwasher]

Because really? I can't believe watching a movie like "Charlie" or "The Notebook" could be so powerful as to leave Blaine and I talking and crying for hours (I did most of the crying, but as a note remember how he cried during "Mission to Mars"?) and then I have the audacity to not call it my favorite movie. It made me feel closer to my husband than I have in a long time, how could that not be my favorite?

We finally decided that we can only watch heavy movies like that once a year.

Anyway, so we only have

[Pause to get Bentley out of the baby swing, since Ivy is already in there]

Anyway, as I was saying, we only have 11 months left to choose our next emotionally charged movie. Any recommendations? What other movies yank the freaking tears right out of you?

And just a funny sidenote, after watching the movie Blaine and I both had a new respect for the bakery featured in the SNL clip "Lazy Sunday"

7 comments:

Judkins family said...

I have to say those movies made me tear up too, but none were quite as good as P.S. I Love You. I can't even listen to that movie from a separate room without crying... it's pathetic, but a way cute show :)

Aimee said...

Okay, I totally want to make one of those rap movies about my life as a mom.

Haven't seen The Notebook. I would highly recommend Fireproof to watch with your husband. Good movie about marriage, but terrible acting.

Bart said...

Shadowlands is a great one. So is Ghandi, though I'd classify it as a life-changer rather than a tearjerker.

If you're looking for lighter movies to keep you going for the next year, Joe vs. the Volcano and Condor Man are must-see comedies that you can watch again and again.

Linds said...

I read The Notebook before seeing the movie and that tore the tears right out of me too. The part in the movie that ALWAYS gets me is after she has come back and they've had dinner and she is looking out the window and comments that the view is so beautiful, and he, looking at her, agrees. Yeah, I'm crying over the love in that movie too. As far as other suggestions for movies that make you cry... I think Phantom of the Opera, Radio, Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind, Bridge to Terabithia...

julianne orth said...

we had the same thing happen with charlie. I remember we were watching it and justin usually makes fun of me because I cry over everything, and next thing I know, he is wiping tears, and all of us watching the movie were bawling our eyes out. needless to say, we have never re-watched it, and I won't, i can't cry that much again. what a great movie though. I haven't seen anything lately worth watching to be honest with you.

JaelandSteveThompson.blogspot.com said...

Hotel rwanda - kyte runner - made me really sad. So sad that I can't watch them. They changed the way I thought! but there's no way I can handle that emotional rollercoaster. But I didn't like the notebook - it was not real to me.

Sarah said...

Antwon Fisher is one that comes to mind - super heavy and sad - I never want to see that again. My Life - with Michael Keaton is another. Does anyone remember "I'll build you a Rainbow" that old church slide show that missionaries use to show like in the 70's -just thinking about that one makes me cry - though it would probably make me laugh now to see the hairstyles...