Last week, I took my son to see Inside Out 2 because it we were under a heat warning. Half of Columbus had the same idea—that theater was completely full at 11 am on a Wednesday. But even with a crowd full of excited children and teenagers on their phones, I was on the verge of having an emotional breakdown. Here are the things I almost cried about:
-a pre-movie Zillow commercial (a single mom found a home for her and her teenage daughter!)
-a pre-movie Chevy commercial (don’t really remember why)
-The Wild Robot trailer
-the Moana 2 trailer (not surprising, as I’ve sobbed to the Moana soundtrack before)
-the movie itself (childhood is so fraught! The transition to the teen years is so difficult! Am I letting Anxiety build a new sense of self for me, divorced from Joy and positive self belief? Rileeeeey!)
My son did not cry. He really liked Pouchy.
And then later that week we saw Matilda at The Gateway. In the summers they do a very fun Book to Film series where you can get in for free with a Columbus library card. Which is a great excuse to spend $27 on slushies and popcorn, if you ask me. Obviously I almost bawled at Matilda, specifically when she discovers books/the library at the beginning and at the end when everything ends up being perfect.
Perhaps it goes without saying that this was hormone related. And yet, every month, this sudden rush of tears sneaks up on me. This Chevy commercial is just so moving, I think, forgetting that I hate all commercials and am actually just hanging on by a fragile thread.
And that’s not even getting into all the almost-crying and actual-crying I’ve done in Peloton classes. Do you want to know the most unexpected/embarrassing times? In a Tunde class, I was on the verge of tears during…here goes…Papa Roach’s Last Resort. That’s right. Cut my life into pieces, this is my last resort. That little staccato SUF-FO-CA-TION! really got me. Actually it was Tunde’s gentle encouragement, and that’s also why I teared up during the last song in the ride, which was Avril Lavigne’s Complicated. You know what Avril herself says: That’s the way it is. Maybe it goes without saying that in my everyday life I’m not listening or crying to Papa Roach, but hormones and Peloton can make you do crazy things.
So here’s my question, one I may have asked before but I don’t think I’ve done so in a dedicated post: what are the movies/TV shows/scenes/books/etc. that really make you sob when you need a good ol’ cathartic cry? I love a Mike Mills movie, obviously, or a Catherine Newman book. I absolutely ugly-cried, just tears streaming down my face, while reading Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins. The end of Terms of Endearment. The Worst Person in the World. CODA (so sue me!). I will cry at anything focusing on nostalgia, specifically recalling childhood feelings/growing up. I recently put the book Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo on hold because Annie B. Jones said it made her cry. Basically, I love a good cry and if you hit me at the right time, I will cry at just about anything.
And I’d love to hear the weirdest, most out of character, possibly embarrassing things that have made you cry. What’s your Papa Roach? Please don’t leave me all alone in this.
Leave all your favorite crying experiences in the comments (I mean, entertainment related crying experiences, not real life stuff)! Let’s all have a sob fest this summer. See you soon. xo
okay it's not as good as Papa Roach but I DID once full-out start crying from Blink 182's "Dammit" because I was like, *sobs* this IS growing up!!! And I know this is a classic but Vada saying "he needs his glasses over her friend's open casket will always wreck me. Oh, also -- in Titanic specifically the moment when she blows the whistle and the guy says "COME ABOUT!" and you know he's turning around to come get her, I'm literally tearing up just typing about it lol
The night before I took a pregnancy test to confirm the arrival of my son, I burst into tears at the “Help!” scene of Zoe’s Extraordinary Playlist. My husband handled it in a very good natured way! I remember saying “have you ever really listened to the lyrics? It’s a sad song!!!!”