Admit it guys … women aren't the only ones who like a sappy story. Enter the "Guy Cry" genre. That very special blend of sports, sacrifice, and brotherhood. Where loyalty perseveres and the kid who wasn’t quite good enough, still makes the team!
Believe it or not boys, women “get it”. Sometimes it’s best to keep a good cry amongst your own kind. And what better way to tap into your emotional floodgates than a good movie. So I’ve reached out to the men in my life, to seek out those movies that literally brought them to tears (because when it come to being a guy, what the heck do I know!?!). And I must admit the responses were so personal and insightful, that I’ve decided to leave them as is. Here are the movies that made my guys cry, told in their own words.
Disclaimer: names have been omitted to protect the innocent (and preserve their machismo).
“The Banker” : I have 2. First is Brian's Song. It’s the story of two football legends that become best friends and play on the same pro team and one dies of cancer at the height of his career. (True story). Second is The Notebook. It’s the story of an older couple and her memory floats in and out. He reads to her from a book all the time which she thinks is a novel but you later find out that it’s their life story. I saw the first class section of a plane take out two boxes of tissues on this one.
“The Restaurateur” : Oh boy ... That’s a tough one. I have a few that some people would consider odd choices. There’s a comedy from the late 80's called Raising Arizona with Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter. It’s a total comedy, but I found the dream sequence in the last scene touching. The scene in Field Of Dreams where Kevin Costner is reunited with his father as a young man, to play a game of catch could wrench a few tears out of even a tough guy.
“The TV Producer” : Armageddon was a total tear jerker! “Daddy loves you Gracie”, “Daddy no, don’t go”. Ahhhh, killer! I went to see the Green Mile with a bunch of guys from my fraternity and afterwards someone admitted they were fighting tears … then EVERYONE jumped on board and said they were too—(fighting not to cry so the other guys wouldn’t see them)! The only movie I ever cried at in the theater was Glory…granted I was like 12 but still. It’s powerful.
“The Graphic Designer" : I'm a sucker for a good love story so I'm going to say Braveheart, Gladiator and Forrest Gump. Mainly because the characters are up against insurmountable odds. Maximus suffers for his values as he refused to honor the Roman emperor. Sweetheart Forrest Gump didn't let his mental limitations keep him from living the American dream, getting his girl and all the shrimp he could eat. Blue faced William Wallace defied the English King and to a greater extent a California state trooper. (The latter isn't impressive but makes for good entertainment.) Another is the Godfather, it proves men can have severely intimate relationships with each other but from time to time they may lead to murder.
“The Chef” : Dude deep down I'm a baller, not a high roller, but a sappy beyotch at the movies. Sad endings get me all the time, I think it's the expectation of a good outcome and getting burned by something rough. A couple of movies come to mind, the family reunion in Surfwise, the final scene of Pan's Labyrinth, how Half Nelson ends, how Children of Men begins, how La Vie en Rose disappoints, and the all time tear jerker El Mar Adentro. I don't even know how that translates to English, but I watched it in Spain , and it is the Titanic of Espana: over the top, constantly depressing, and overacted, but super sappy.
“The Event Designer” : Old Yeller ... because a dog is a man’s best friend. Somewhere in every man, they can relate, and most likely have been through the emotional experience of loss and loss of a pet/best friend.
“The Consultant” : I pretty much only cry when I’m in bed watching When a Man Loves a Woman, but don't write about that — I'll never get another date again...
(Sorry, I couldn’t RESIST!)
What surprised me the most was that so many of the men I talked to said that they’ve watched these movies with their friends. And I’ve got to say that it’s somewhat refreshing to know that a “boys night out” can go far beyond football and fart jokes. So next time you need a good cry, grab your buddies, a six pack, and let the bromance begin.
Wanna know what makes us cry? Click here for a list of all-time favorite chick flicks.
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