Grab the tissues nearby and get ready to be engulfed in the ocean of sadness just by reading about these tear-worthy movies, but watch at your own risk. These will gnaw at your heart long after the credits roll.
1. The Florida Project (2017)
Although it’s not based on a true story, it’s still the reality of people living in Florida. The movie is in the shadow of the most magical place on Earth. A 6-year-old Moonee, along with her two best friends, has their adventures unaware of the brutal facts of their families. Moonee’s mom is struggling financially but is lucky to have the kindhearted motel manager to protect the kids from the real world.
2. Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009)
Hachi: A Dog’s Tale is a true story about a dog in Japan. He was famous for sharing a special bond with his owner. Ronnie, the owner’s grandson, narrates a heart-touching anecdote of Hachi, who he considers his hero. It shows that heartbreak is not only confined to human beings.
3. The Whale (2022)
This movie, set in a small town in Idaho, is based on the play The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter. Charlie is an online English teacher who’s a recluse. He binge-eats junk and doesn’t get out of his flat. His only concern is to reconnect with his teenage daughter for his redemption.
4. The Bucket List (2007)
Dying from cancer, two terminally ill men, Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman), meet at the hospital. They become friends who have a bucket list to complete before their death. They head off on a road trip to make memories of their lifetime.
5. Blue Valentine (2010)
Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) live a quiet, dysfunctional life. What started as a happy marriage is now on the verge of collapse. Their attempt to revive it for one last time resulted in more chaos.
6. Dancer in the Dark (1995)
A Czech immigrant and a single mother travel to America to earn and save money to protect her son Gene from degenerative eye disease. She was accused of stealing the savings of her neighbor, which resulted in more problems in her already problematic life.
7. What Dreams May Come (1998)
Chris (Robin William) dies in a car accident and is transported to the afterlife with his guide, Albert (Cuba Gooding). He meets his children there, too, and he’s content and happy. But then, his wife, Annie (Annabella Sciorra), takes her own life and goes to hell. Despite Albert’s warnings, Chris heads to its deepest depths to save her.
8. Sophie’s Choice (1982)
This movie is a psychological drama based on the book of the same name. Stingo (Peter MacNicol) is a writer working on his novel. He encounters Sophie (Meryl Steep) and Nathan (Kevin Kline) and becomes friends. He gets to know that Sophie is a holocaust survivor. He gets closer to Sophie amidst Nathan’s fragile mental health.
9. My Sister’s Keeper (2009)
Based on the book by Jodi Picoult, the movie shows the strong bond between a family. It is set in the fictional town of Upper Darby, Rhode Island. Anna Fitzgerald’s (Abigail Breslin) older sister, Kate (Sofia Vassilieva), is sick with acute promyelocytic leukemia and needs a donor. Her parents have no choice but to bear another child to save Kate’s life. So Anna is born as her sister’s keeper.
10. The Elephant Man (1980)
Joseph Merrick (John Hurt) was born with a congenital disease causing disfigurement. He used his disorder to earn a living as the “Elephant Man.” He’s discovered by Dr. Fredric Treves (Anthony Hopkins), who takes him home. He learns that behind his rougher exterior lies a defined soil. He introduces him to the British upper class, where he impresses an actress (Anne Bancroft).
11. Seven Pounds (2008)
Ben Thomas (Will Smith) sets out to donate vital organs of his body to people desperately in need. On his mission, he meets Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), suffering from a severe heart condition. As fate would have it, he falls for the woman to whom he has to donate his heart.
12. Instant Family (2018)
Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) are a couple who don’t want to have children. But then they decide to adopt, leading them into foster care, where they meet Lizzie, whom they like instantly. Little did they know it was a package of 3 in 1 with Lizzie’s two siblings.
13. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
In this historical romantic drama, Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is a painter whose job is to paint a young woman, Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), to be married. Héloïse is against her marriage, so she doesn’t want to be painted. Marianne starts to observe her daily to paint her in secret.
14. House of Sand and Fog (2003)
Kathy Nicolo (Jennifer Connelly) has inherited a coast house in California, which the government took away due to a tax misunderstanding. An Iranian immigrant, Massoud Amir Behrani (Ben Kingsley), buys it to renovate and sell to provide a better for his family.
Kathy desperately wants to get her house back so much that she begins harassing the family, ultimately leading to the destruction of five lives.
15. Somewhere In Time (1980)
Richard Collier (Christopher Reeve) is a playwright obsessed with a photo of Elise McKenna (Jane Seymour), a stage actress before his time. His obsession leads him to try time-traveling through hypnosis. He finally meets Elise, but her director (Christopher Plummer) does everything in his power to keep them apart.
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