Disclaimer: Daniela is not responsible for anyone not being able to "control their feels" or any hysterical crying that may occur. These include ugly sobbing, sad faces, and hitting anyone right in the childhood. You have been warned.
We have all fallen victim to the trap that are so-called "children's movies." They lure you in with their colourful and cheery appearance but once you realise that it was all a facade... it's too late. You're too invested and there's no turning back now. Fun fact, I actually don't cry in movies (Justine on the other hand) but I have come very close on a few occasions. I'm just the person who just gets really sad who just can't shake that gut wrenching feeling afterwards. Over the past day or two, I've been putting together a list of all these heart wrenching scenes from these movies from our childhood. I even asked my friends and very helpful tumblr followers. So please take note that this is only a part of that ever-growing list. In other words, I'll be writing a part 2 at some point. So grab your box of tissues and tubs of ice-cream and let's get started. *deep breaths*
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| Be prepared for a lot of dying |
Mufasa Dies - The Lion King (1994)
Let's just all address the very first traumatizing scene that comes to mind. You can already hear a million hearts breaking. I know this particular scene makes Justine cry every... single... time. I think what gets me the most is Simba asking Mufasa to wake up and then the poor baby tries to tuck himself under his Dad's paw. Then we all want to slap that grin off Scar's face! Simba is tricked by his uncle Scar and finds himself in the middle of a stampede. Mufasa jumps in to save his son and then save himself. Little does he know that Scar is ready to commit the ultimate betrayal.Something also very iconic in this scene is the score, very appropriately named "To Die For." It' a perfect fit to the events in the movie especially the chaoticness of the stampede. I don't think as children, we were quite prepared for death to be so prevalent in the movies we watched (it's kind of obvious in this list). Even though I've seen it a million times there's always that part of me that hopes this scene ending in a different way.
Ash Dies - Pokemon: The First Movie (1998)
Not as traumatising as Mufasa's death but still one of those memorable scenes of my childhood. Although it may seem extremely cheesy when you watch it now, you can't deny that poor Pikachu's attempts at reviving Ash didn't make you want to squeeze him tight and hold him forever. No matter how annoying Ash gets in this movie and in the series t he impacted and influenced a lot of people along his journey. Pokemon are friends, not food. But seriously, what kind of meat do they eat in this world? This is also the moment when MewTwo realises that not all humans are evil. Ash's sacrifice teaches him that Pokémon and humans can get along. He can see that by the unbreakable friendship between Ash and Pikachu. And then what happens? Apparently Pokémon have magical tears like Fawkes in Harry Potter and Rapunzel in Tangled! We only get a sight moment of distress before everything is alright again.
When She Loved Me - Toy Story 2 (1999)
This song always made me feel guilty for growing up! I feel obliged to apologise to me toys because they have feelings too! I'm sorry toys, I never wanted to become an adult. Poor Jessie tells Woody about how she felt when her owner, Emily, abandoned her (technically she put her in a donation box). This is actually really important as Jessie develops a fear of closed spaces because of the trauma she suffered in this experience (I suggest watching Toy Story of Terror). It's especially scary when you see Emily's cowgirl fantasies being traded for make up and nail polish. Emily isn't a little girl anymore and Jessie doesn't fit into it. You join Jessie in her highs and lows of her relationship with Emily and then you break when she's left in the box. Topped with Sarah McLachlan singing this tearjerker of a song, it's amazing if anyone comes out of this with dry eyes.
Andy Gives Bonnie His Toys - Toy Story 3 (2010)
Bonnie's cute but she could almost become a new Disney villain because y'know she just HAD to have Woody too! I admit that I almost broke when watching this for the first time. I think it affected people the most because of the nostalgia factor. We've grown up with Andy and gone through the journeys with the toys. So Andy finally letting them go just emphasises that we all have to grow up at some point. Okay, I may have exaggerated by saying that Bonnie could be classified as a Disney villain. At least Andy realised that his toys would find a good home with Bonnie who would love them the same way he did when he was her age. And well, she's adorable. It's one of the saddest but probably one of my favourite endings. And just to make you choke up even more, Woody gives one more "so long partner" to Andy as he drives off to college. Don't go Andy! College is a trap!
You're Not a Princess Any Longer - A Little Princess (1995)
The amount of hatred I feel towards Miss Minchin is limitless. Goodness lady, the girl has just found out that her dad is dead! Suck it up and cut her some slack! It's Sarah's birthday and she has just celebrated it with a lavish party at the boarding school. Miss Minchin receives word that Captain Crewe has died in battle and immediately cuts the party short. Angered that she will not be receiving any more money for caring for Sarah, she forces our little princess into becoming a servant and takes possession of all her belongings. Sarah moves out of her beautiful room and is put in the dark and damp attic. She sits on the floor and clutches Emily, her doll, and draws a circle of protection like the ones from her Indian stories. And the final nail in the coffin are her cries for Papa! This is another one with an amazing score. Sarah has her own theme that plays throughout the film and even in her darkest time it still plays. You know what, this whole movie is full of depressing scenes. This whole movie should make the list!
Sarah is Reunited With Her Papa - A Little Princess (1995)
Like I said, if you're looking for something cheery, this movie isn't for you. This further emphasises how emotional the story is. As good as this film is, I can't actually watch it a lot because I will NEVER be immune to how heart wrenching it is. You'd think this scene would actually be a good thing. But no, alas it has to get worse to be better. Actually I wouldn't mind doing a full review on it at some point, but that's for another time. After finally having enough of the abuse and mistreatment, Sarah escapes from the boarding school. To her surprise she is reunited with her father who she discovers has been living next door recovering from his injuries at war. As a result, Captain Crewe has suffered from amnesia and doesn't even seem to remember his own daughter. Sarah is hysterical and pleads with him to remember but in comes Miss Minchin and the police to take her away. Oh my goodness don't even touch me! I actually became a mess rewatching this while finding the video to attach. But things get better! I promise.
Married Life - Up (2009)
The biggest trap of all. We meet Carl and Ellie as kids who slowly develop their relationship into something more. It's scary to see how invested the audience can get into a couple in a matter of minutes. You celebrate their highs and cry with them during their lows. And then you cry some more. That's basically how you describe the entire film. You cry and then you cry some more... repeat! I didn't see Up when it first came out, in fact I only watched it in its entirety this year! But oh boy, I had heard stories of people I know crying their eyes out in the first few minutes. The married life sequence is always known as the most impactful intro into an animated movie. It's a great display of how Carl's world has changed and why he has become a bitter old man. I think they handled the issue of infertility very tastefully. We only get a shot of Ellie crying and Carl comforting her and a fleeting shot of the clinic. Then your heart drops and you realise what's happening. You really want the couple to get to Paradise Falls but as always life gets in the way. The whole sequence sets you up for the journey to Paradise Falls and its importance. Carl thinks that all Ellie ever wanted was to travel South America. It's like America... but South. But he realises that Ellie was always going to be happy as long as they were together.
Let me know what other scenes you think belong on this list for part 2!
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