When I first read about this blogathon, it was Sati’s post on Breaking Emotions: Fear I knew I had to take part! Thanks Mettel Ray for spearheading this awesome blogathon!
Here’s the BLOGATHON idea and rules:
Well, the idea of the Breaking Emotions blogathon is actually really simple: breaking down the most memorable scenes in movies that create the emotion(s) given to you during that particular week into a list of 3 or 5. Meaning, each week I will post two emotions (there are 8 all together) and all the participants can choose if they want to do both (3 scenes each) or just one (5 scenes).
The lists can be just words, images, videos, all of the above or simply the movie title and the description of that specific scene – it is all up to each participant themselves to decide. I just simply want to know what are the movie scenes that create these emotions and if there are any universal moments in movies that everybody seems to relate to emotionally.
Now here’s this week’s emotions and what Mettel Ray’s idea about them:
TEARS and SURPRISE
Now I know TEARS isn’t exactly an emotion but I just like the sound of “breaking tears” over “breaking sadness” and since I’m pretty sure tears are the most emotional thing a person can have, you guys won’t mind. Last time there were some questions regarding the emotions so I’ll try to explain the best as I can this time around – tears = sad. Yes, there are happy tears but I’m not looking for positive scenes, I’m looking for those soul cracking, heart breaking, Simba’s father dying kind of teary scenes.
To balance the sadness, let’s try to break SURPRISE as well – that’s an emotion I rarely have myself because I feel so many movies are becoming predictable but there are some special scenes out there I’m sure. So basically, I’m looking for a plot twist scene that surprised you, or a character’s decision that surprised you, or finding out that somebody is actually somebody’s child kind of surprise – dig deep and find those scenes that surprised you in a jaw dropping way.
Check out Mettel Ray’s post on Breaking Emotions: Tears & Surprise
It should be obvious for posts like these, but just in case, if you haven’t seen any of these, BEWARE OF SPOILERS!
Ok, so here are my picks:
TEARS
Toy Story 2 – When She Loved Me
Jesse pours her heart out to Woody about how she was cast aside by her owner Emily when she became a teenager. The scenes of Jesse being found under her bed after being there for years, only to be put into a charity donation box is just heartbreaking! Every time I heard that Randy Newman’s song When She Loved Me song, I can’t ever NOT cry! The sheer devastation of being abandoned just tears me to pieces. Yes I know she’s just a toy, but that’s the beauty of Pixar in creating something that’s SO relatable. Surely we’ve felt discarded at some point or another.
…
Indecent Proposal finale
A married woman – with her husband’s consent – agrees to a proposal from a billionaire to sleep with her for a million dollars. They see this is as a way out of their financial dilemma, but it threatens to destroy their relationship.
…
This is actually not a sad scene per se, I think poignant is a more apt word. I included it here as what this couple’s gone through is quite heartbreaking. As someone who’ve been married for a decade, I realize just how crucial it is trust is in a relationship, and an emotional wound is a lot tougher to mend than a physical one, and the two are so interconnected. As I watched this, I was so saddened and moved by the fragility of the human heart. I feared that in they might never be able to survive their own gut-wrenching decision. They risked all that they’ve built together for money… This scene always made me bawl my eyes out thinking what it could’ve been, so much emotion are going through me and John Barry’s beautiful music just adds so much more to this poignant scene.
Atonement – The revelation about what really happened to Robbie and Cecilia
Earlier in the film we saw that the lives of Robbie n Cecilia are irrevocably changed when Cecilia’s sister Briony told a lie out of jealousy. In the last scene when Briony Tallis finally revealed during an interview about her new book, she finally revealed the tragic fate of both Robbie n Cecilia, one died of septicimia n the other in a bomb blast afew months later. So the happy reunion never happened, it was merely Briony’s way to somehow give Cecilia and Robbie their chance to be together in her book, if not in real life.
I was sobbing uncontrollably during this scene. I’ve seen tales of lost love before but there’s something so heart-wrenching abt this story that pierces my heart. Robbie’s cold, pale face as he’s dying from his infected wound lingers haunts me long affer fhe film ends but it’s also the crushing reality that Briony has had to live with that burden of not being able to really atone for her sins.
SURPRISE
The Sixth Sense ending
It’s rare these days to be thoroughly n absolutely surprised by a movie’s plot, esp with the social media running rampant. When I saw this film in the theater I was totally floored when I finally realized who Bruce Willis’ character was all along. I haven’t rewatched it since but I often thought about all the clues I missed along the way (especially the dinner scene with his wife). Such a startling revelation that I still vividly remember to this day as it was such a strong emotional response. I wish Willis would do more understated roles like this one.
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Deep Blue Sea – Samuel L. Jackson’s demise
I wanted to include a scene that surprises me but in a rather comical way. Well this one fits the bill. Ok it’s not a great movie or anything but worth a watch if you like shark thrillers (who hasn’t?.) This one is truly a huge WTF moment that happened as Sam Jackson’s character is giving a speech to his team about survival, but before he could finish the sentence about sealing off the pool, the giant fish just grabbed him n ate him alive! It was like WHOA!!! Ok so it’s not exactly funny to see someone get eaten alive by a big fish, but I just can’t help laughing hysterically at the irony of it all.
…
L.A. Confidential – Rollo Tamasi scene
Captain Dudley Smith: Don’t start tryin’ to do the right thing, boy-o. You haven’t the practice.
…
The complex roller coaster ride of this noir is delightfully dizzying. I remember that my head was spinning trying to process it all but the dialog, acting, cinematography was SO good I was mesmerized. This one scene features a great dialog between James Cromwell (Capt. Dudley Smith) and Kevin Spacey (Jack Vincennes), but what happens next totally came out of left field that it made me jump out of my seat. It was what you call a breathtaking moment, well for Spacey’s character, it’s a literal one.
What do you think of my picks? Which scenes would YOU pick for each emotion?
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
I’m in total agreement with your whole lot, Ruth. Well done!
Wow really? That makes me happy, thanks Michael!
Great choices, I really didn’t see that moment in L.A. Confidential coming.
Yeah that scene almost gave me a heart attack! Seriously, Spacey’s expression in that scene is priceless… and what Cromwell said to him is just so chilling.
Those are fantastic selections, Ruth. I doubt I could put together a better list if I tried.
And so I’m simply not going to try. 🙂
Great work!
Thank you! Oh I’m sure you can easily top this, come on James, I’d love to see your selections!
Very good choices, Ruth!
Whoever set up Samuel Jackson’s scene in ‘Deep Blue Sea’ understood that comedy must be brief, emotional and often very ironic. Very much like the old “Blackout” scenes from Vaudeville. This one’s a Classic that caught me out of left field!
And a tip of the hat for including Vincennes’ final scene in ‘L.A. Confidential’. A wonderful line from Captain Smith that bring out an indescribable look of shock and betrayal on Kevin Spacey’s face!
And two words that will bring about Captain Smith’s undoing.
Thanks Kevin! That Deep Blue Sea scene is perhaps THE best thing about that whole movie!!
I knew you’d be happy about the Rollo Tamasi scene, but it’s just so brilliant. I’m still surprised when I re-watched it, but also in awe at how amazingly set up that scene is, I mean Dudley was just brewing water in the kitchen, something so ordinary, but yet you knew there’s something eerie in this scene. But even so, I still had no idea he was gonna shoot him right then and there!
Oh, and excellent use of Harold “Papa Flash” Edgerton’s high speed cinematography in your introductory banner!
It’s been ages since I’ve seen that frame!
Oh that banner is from Mettel Ray, can’t take credit for that one 😀 It is a brilliant image indeed!
Your surprise set is actually PERFECTION, especially the Deep Blue Sea (like, who saw that coming) and L.A. Confidential (again, I’m with you on the whole JUMPING OUT OF MY SEAT part)! Yes, The Sixth Sense is about as obvious as my putting Titanic in my tears section, but it’s obvious for a reason…it’s the truth!
Hi Andrew! I really enjoyed your post on this one so I’m glad you like mine.
It was tough to narrow down my choices for the TEARS one but for SURPRISE, it was actually pretty easy to do. I almost included the Unbreakable one too but I didn’t want to have TWO movies by M. Night, ahah.
Good choices there Ruth, I especially love the Sam Jackson scene in Deep Blue Sea, I jumped and laughed so hard in theater. I also really liked The Sixth Sense shocker but after that movie came out, the trend of twist endings got tiresome.
I think the original Planet of the Apes twist is still the best on film. I also liked Se7en, Oldboy and Unbreakable.
As far scene that made me cried, probably the revelation in Sophie’s Choice, I’m man enough to admit that I cried during that scene. LOL.
Hi Ted! You’re right that the twist in Sixth Sense is so overused now, but at the time, it was WOW! Besides, before social media is the way it is now, you’re still able to go fresh into most movies, these days it’s be too easy to be spoiled even via Twitter! Oh I was gonna include Unbreakable too but between the two M. Night films this one floored me more.
Oh, terrific choices! I’m featuring Atonement on my list too – it actually goes with both because I was totally blindsided by the twist and also I was crying like crazy. My God, what a punch in the heart to the audience that ending was.
Hi Sati! Glad I saw your post on the FEAR one or I wouldn’t have heard of this blogathon! You haven’t posted the Tears & Surprise one yet have you? I haven’t seen it in your blog. Yeah, I cried buckets at the Atonement finale, it’s just SO SO sad! I almost put the Satine death scene in Moulin Rouge but I think this one is even more heartbreaking!
That scene in Toy Story 2 is an absolute tearjerker as is the ending in Atonement.
That scene in The Deep Blue Sea pissed me off. I was so into that moment where Samuel L. Jackson gave that speech and then… oh man!!!!
Hi Steven, I still cried even when I rewatched those two scenes, glad you agree!
Ahah, I think that scene in DBS is supposed to tick us off. I REALLY didn’t see it coming at all, and it’s funny how he was just about to say ‘we need to seal off th–’ and then poof, he’s gone!
So I haven’t seen any of these films, but they all seem interesting, and I guess I’m finally gonna have to watch Atonement now. 😀
Hi Elina, wow you have some catching up to do then 😀 Atonement is terrific, a must-see I’d say.
I have the DVD of Atonement downstairs, so that’s happening pretty soon. 😉
Hope you love it as much as I do! 🙂
Oh!! this is a great idea for a blogathon. Whenever I have time I will do it 🙂
As for your choices…I second your opinion on Sixth Sense 😉
Hope you’d take part Nov, make sure you link back to Mettel’s blog. Curious to see your choices.
Not in anytime soon tho. I am very busy right now 😦
Totally understand, just send me the link when you have it done 😀
Fantastic choices Ruth. Some people weren’t fond of Atonement but I thought it was great and really heart wrenching. Interesting that you went for Toy Story 2 rather than 3. I’d say 3 is probably the more obvious choice but I like your reasons for choosing 2.
Glad you appreciate Atonement, Chris, I think the story is quite deep and emotionally gratifying. Yeah, I thought Toy Story 3 is too obvious but the scene with Jesse strikes a chord with me as it deals with abandonment, so I just had to put that on here.
Oh man, the end of Atonement KILLED me. Great picks! I loved the Samuel L. Jackson one, that scene never gets old.
Hi Brittani, it does doesn’t it? SO heart-wrenching! Ahah yeah, that shark-eating scene is just ironically awesome!
I’ve never seen Deep Blue Sea but that clip was hilarious! I forgot about the scene from LA Confidential.
For surprise I’d pick The Sixth Sense too. What happened M. Night! Then The Usual Suspects. The slow reveal at the end was mind blowing. Like Ted said, Se7en and Oldboy were brilliant. New Line Cinema almost didn’t let them have that ending for Se7en until Fincher, Pitt and Freeman protested and said they wouldn’t do the movie. Guess who won out?
I haven’t seen Indecent Proposal or Toy Story 2 but Atonement certainly fits both categories.
Tears?..Here’s a few scenes that get me every single time. The flogging scene in Glory. Denzel just stares at Matthew Broderick as a single tear rolls down his face. Also the reunion at the end of The Killing Fields between Cambodian Dith Pran and NY Times reporter Sydney Schanberg with John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ playing over the scene.
Hi Dave! DBS is a fun one if you like a shark thriller, but that scene is no doubt one of the major highlights. I hope one day M. Night will have a comeback as I LOVE The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and to a lesser degree, SIGNS.
Oh yeah, that head in the box in Se7en definitely is a surprising one. I haven’t seen the two films you mentioned but boy those sounds like a tearjerker!
Great picks! I think you know how I feel about the first one. 😦 Atonement was devastating, and The Sixth Sense – to me – is scary as hell. Willis seems to fall between understated and obvious action flicks.
Hi Katy! High five on the first one 😀 The Sixth Sense was scary but even though I didn’t normally like horror, I enjoyed it because of the relationship between Willis and Haley Joel Osment.
What makes the Sixth Sense’s surprise so good is that all the clues were right there in front of us. I also liked Bruce Willis’ understated performance. Great picks!
Yeah, the clues were there but yet they’re so subtle that I didn’t pick up on them until after. It’s such a great film!
Great picks! I love Atonement and L.A. Confidential. First ones that came to mind (spoiler alert!): for tears, LOVE ACTUALLY, when Liam Neeson is speaking at his wife’s memorial and “Bye Bye Baby” by Bay City Rollers starts playing! I always tear up during that scene, and even more now since Liam lost his real wife 😦
Surprise: Burn After Reading! When George Clooney’s character unexpectedly shoots and kills Brad Pitt’s! It’s so shocking yet hilarious.
I just rewatched LOVE ACTUALLY recently so yeah, LOVE that scene. But I haven’t seen Burn After Reading yet, oops spoiler!! 😀
Lol, I warned you!
Ahah yeah that’s ok, not sure when I’ll ever watch that movie.
Have to admit that I have not seen some of the movies you picked or can’t remember much of them. Deep Blue Sea though I remember that moment vividly….and LL Cool J’s bald head 😉
Published my own choices during the weekend if you want to know my choices: http://www.myfilmviews.com/2013/11/16/breaking-emotions-blogathon-tears-surprise/
I like LL Cool J in that movie, he looks good bald 😀
I’ll check out your post, Nostra.
Great picks Ruth. I especially love the Atonement, L.A. Confidential and The Sixth Sense ones. Off the top of my head, mine would be the end of It’s a Wonderful Life (tears) and the end of The Ghost Writer (surprise).
Oh my, you’re so right about those two!! It’s a Wonderful Life definitely packed an emotional punch and The Ghost Writer’s ending was WHOA!!! I certainly didn’t see that coming at all.
Excellent selections Ruth!
Glad to hear, Zoe! You have seen all of them I take it?
Almost all of them. Very good list, and sweet to see Toy Story factor in somewhere 😛
I adore Toy Story movies, the 3rd one is a tearjerker too but this theme of feeling abandoned just stikes a chord with me.
That is true hey! I don’t know, the end of three made me think my childhood was pretty much done with 😦
I was crying buckets that it was so embarrassing when I walked out of the theater! Yeah, TS3 ending was just so heart-wrenching!
😛 Teehee I understand! Maybe not crying, but I felt that!
I’m a cryer, I cry at almost everything, ha..ha.. Btw, my next entry on the blogathon on Smiles and Thrills is up, would love to hear what you think Zoe!
Looking forward to see your opinions! 😀
It’s up now, curious if you’ve seen any of ’em.
Oh cool, let me go check it out 🙂
Nice choices, Ruth. Atonement have one of the saddest ending, just so painful. And I should watch Indecent Proposal one day.
Hi Andina! Indecent Proposal is actually a sweet film even though it deals with a gut-wrenching subject matter. The music is so gorgeous, too.
Lot’s of fun reading your choices, Ruth. I agree with all the above about your choices. Atonement, 6th Sense, L.A. Confidential–Indecent Proposal was a nice choice, too. I thought all three did a fine job portraying the fragility of marriage and love. It hid a cord with me, too, since my marriage was on the rocks when it came out. 😦
Hi Cindy! Oh my, that must be tough for you to watch Indecent Proposal when you’re going through a rough patch in your marriage. It was a delicate subject but I thought it was well-done and well-acted.
Gutted I didn’t pick the Jessie scene from Toy Story, so sad! Also love your Deep Blue Sea pick, that one scene elevated the film completely. Great job!
Hi there, welcome to FC! I love that Jessie’s scene, heartbreaking but also very sweet. Ahah yeah, that scene in Deep Blue Sea is the most memorable one of the whole movie, I doubt anyone saw THAT coming!
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