What's the most heartbreaking film you've watched?

[LudoBear]

I've just watched Mums List. Proper sobbing watching it and I don't even have children.

Eight Below, Haachi and Marley & Me are sad too.

Truly, Madly, Deeply
Brokeback Mountain
Tokyo Story
Pather Panchali
A documentary whose name I forget, about Nim Chimpsky the chimp, who was brought up as part of a human family, while being part of a research project, and then sold to a lab. Waaaaah! I saw it on a date and then sobbed throughout the Chinese meal afterwards. My date couldn’t understand why it got to me so much.

@Bramshott

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Watched it pre-kids, and have never dared to watch it again since having them!

I watched A.I. one Christmas- well I say watched I sobbed and sobbed throughout until I gave myself a headache- thought this is strange being v v emotional. It was the first clue that I was expecting my DD!!

The end of The Imitation Game had me sobbing.

Very old one: The Champ

Lion
I, Daniel Blake
Dr. Zhivago
The boy in the striped pyjamas
Schindler’s list
The pianist
Life is beautiful
Remember me (the end shocked me to my core)

I do love a sad film if I need a good cry.

Lots of good films mentioned but also some I'm quite meh about

When I reached an age of starting to get into this kind of film my mum and grans gently mocked my choices and then introduced me to utterly heartbreaking films:

Imitation of life (I prefer the 1959 version)
Blackboard jungle
Madam x
All about eve
Stella Dallas

Later movies I rate

Terms of endearment
The color purple
Who will love my children
Green mile
Steel magnolias - also a true story which many don't seem to know
Stepmom
About time
Inside I'm dancing
Mr Holland's opus
Fruitvale station - frankly one of those movies I think EVERYONE should watch at least once
A walk in the clouds
Pay it forward
The blind side

Left field or less well known ones (marmitey)

I found Role models incredibly moving even though it's more a comedy, the messages about acceptance and standing up for others... love it!

In her shoes - not what you'd expect, has more depth and was poorly marketed in my opinion

Creed - I am a fan of the Rocky franchise anyway but to be honest these are even better

Spotlight - took me a long time to watch this due to my own personal history, it's not intended as a weepie at all I don't think but that's kind of what moved me, that it was all just matter of fact and not heightened drama but still shocking

Men of honor - should have done much better than it did also based on a true story

American history x - another tough watch but so powerful

Butterbox babies - based on a horrific true story about a baby farm masquerading as a maternity home and the film doesn't even touch on the worst of it!

A Perfect World with Kevin Costner has always been one of my favourite films but bloody hell. That ending. I know he kidnapped Casper but still 😭

I don't even know anyone else who's SEEN this let alone loves it as I do, amazing film

Regarding "promising young woman" I've seen it promoted on chat shows etc and I really want to see it but can't yet, lots of Oscar buzz around it apparently

I, Daniel Blake I've been unable to watch as yet, just feels way to close to the bone for me at the moment

The Deerhunter

Such a powerful film. Was still sobbing on the bus going home after watching it!

@GreyHeron can’t believe you also suggested Dancer in the Dark. Nobody has ever seen it. It’s harrowing

Manchester by the Sea - loved it but utterly heartbreaking

Seven pounds...heartbreaking...

Sarah's Key got me even though I'd read the book beforehand.
AI- I had to turn it off part way through because my daughter identified too closely with the character and was heartbroken by events (don't want to give spoilers).
Miracle In Cell no 7 -the Korean version (there is a Turkish version on Netflix and I believe there's a Filipino version too.) Funny moments but tragic conclusion.

Precious.

I sobbed through most of it. The trauma and challenges Precious faced were heartbreaking.

Jean de Florette

French films don't let you down easily.

A Monster Calls

I wept,.and wept. Surprised it's not been mentioned.

What Dreams May Come, I had to keep stopping it as I was sobbing so hard I couldn’t see through my tears. It was emotional, Robin Williams face conveyed such depth of feeling, amazing performance.

12 years slave
Utterly horrifying and draining and so important
I still can’t believe Michael fassbender didn’t win an Oscar for it

Once Were Warriors, a film about a Maori family in NZ. Great film but utterly heartbreaking.

Sophie’s Choice - watched before I had children, don’t think I could watch it again!

Less depressingly, Coco

The Shawshank Redemption - can't help but empathise with the old man on his release after so long being institutionalised , he was bound to struggle

I second Haachi. I saw it at the cinema and people were wailing and sobbing out loud. Very gutteral reactions. I've never experienced anything like that before. It's a beautiful film and amazing story but I'm not sure I want the heartbreak of watching it again.

@Lochmorlich

Sophie's choice. Years ago and I still think about it.

Me too.

When I watched it first I didn't have children. I started watching it again many years later, by which time I had two. I had to give up and have never tried to rewatch it since.

My Girl

What Dreams May Come. Total sobfest.

Still Alice
The orphanage
Two very different films, but I sobbed at them both, ugly snotty tears!

Room....watched it again recently and sobbed at the unfairness of it all and the years of her life lost being locked in that shed!

The boy in the striped pyjamas..... it was the innocence of the boys not knowing what was going to happen to them.

Not a film but It's a Sin, I can honestly say I've never sobbed so hard and for so long, truly heartbreaking!

Who will Love my Children ?
Saddest film ever. I remember watching it in tha afternoon after school one day. Mum came in and thought I'd had a bad bout of hayfever, my eyes were so swollen. The bit where the wee boy with the epilepsy asks why no one wants him had me sobbing out loud. I'm crying while typing this.
Also A Dog's Purpose. Went to the cinema with daughters not knowing what to expect from this. Wept most of the way through.
Also the ends of The Champ and the Railway Children, neither of which I've seen all the way through, just caught the ends of.