It’s time to leave the macho persona at the door. We’ll admit it, some movies just get us right in the feels. And, unless your heart is made of stone, we’re guessing you’re the same way. We asked around the office and found 10 films that have made the guys at Cool Material cry like little, puny babies.
The Green Mile
What is it about Stephen King story-based films from Frank Darabont? While The Shawshank Redemption certainly had its possible tear-inducing moment, The Green Mile is the film that really got us. While Michael Clarke Duncan’s performance throughout the movie helps build up the conclusion, it’s the inner grief Tom Hanks portrays that drives it all home. Flip the switch on the chair and the waterworks. Amazon iTunes
St. Vincent
Oh, Bill Murray’s in it!? Can’t wait to laugh my ass off! Nope. While there are definitely some funny moments in St. Vincent, most thanks to Bill Fucking Murray’s deadpan delivery of crude lines, we were not ready for the emotional turn this movie takes. Amazon iTunes
The Descendants
The Descendants proved that a sunny Hawaiian backdrop isn’t enough to make your film all cheery and joyful. We mean, the plot is about a man dealing with his wife being in a coma. So, yeah, that puts a damper on things. And when the coma ends up being just one of a couple huge issues for George Clooney’s character, well, stuff gets heavy. Amazon iTunes
Marley & Me
Who’s the dope who watched Marley & Me less than a week after putting his Lab down? This guy. Luckily, I wasn’t the only Cool Material staffer who selected the film based on the book by John Grogan. The movie wasn’t even that good, but when it comes to man’s best friend, it’s pretty easy to tug at the ole heartstrings. Amazon iTunes
Fruitvale Station
Perhaps we should have gone into Fruitvale Station knowing what the film was about—Oscar Grant, a man killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit cop in 2009. And while a little research would have prepared us a touch better, it was Michael B. Jordan’s performance that brought out the tears. The way he interacted with his mom, the little humanizing moments he gracefully added, it all made the ending all the more powerful. Amazon iTunes
Forrest Gump
What the hell, Tom Hanks? Why do you have to star in so many movies that make us look like we’ve been chopping onions. Yeah, Forrest Gump is one of the greatest films ever made, but there are plenty of moments that get to us. Amazon iTunes Netflix
Dear Zachary
Yes, it’s a documentary, and that’s a little like cheating, but no movie popped up on our lists as often as Dear Zachary. A friend of a murdered man sets out to make a film for his friend’s unborn son. Seriously, just get a Sam’s Club-sized box of tissues before you watch it. Amazon iTunes Netflix
My Girl
Why was this a movie we watched as children? While we haven’t seen it in a long time, for a lot of us here, this is the first film we remember lowering the dam on our tear ducts. It’s also responsible for a generation of bee-related fear. Amazon iTunes
The Champ
Sports movies tend to have an emotional component to them. Perhaps this is to lure in the non-sports fan. Rocky doesn’t work as well without someone’s name for Balboa to shout. Whatever the reason, when it works, it can be pretty powerful. Case in point: The Champ. Amazon iTunes
Philadelphia
Alright, Tom Hanks, what’s going on here? Do you only do movies that are designed to reduce us to tears? Is Big way sadder than we remember? For his third film on this list, a couple of Cool Material staffers chose Philadelphia. The 1993 film about a gay lawyer who contracts AIDS has multiple scenes that get to you. None more so than when he proclaims he’s ready to die. Amazon iTunes