(#3) What's Eating Gilbert Grape
- Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover, Kevin Tighe, Mary Kate Schellhardt, Peter Fernandez, Joe Stevens, Cameron Finley, Laura Harrington, Mona Lee Fultz, Brady Coleman, Darlene Cates, Jason Pace, Brent Bratton, Buck Reynolds, Drew Ebersole, David H. Kramer, David Stanford, Robert B. Hedges, Deborah Lee Johnson, Steve Cook, George Haynes, Susan Loughran, Paulette Rubinstein, Daniel Gullahorn, Nicholas Stojanovich, Tim Green, Tim Simek, Kirk Hunter, Penelope Branning, Shelly Latham, Mark Jordan, Kay Bower, Mary Alison Griffin, Patrick Welsh, Libby Villari
The Story: Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp) is a 24-year-old man tasked with caring for Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio), his developmentally disabled brother, after their father's passing. Gilbert's mother has barely left the couch following his father's passing, and the day-to-day running of the house is now the responsibility of Gilbert and his two sisters. Throughout the movie, Gilbert tries to care for Arnie to the best of his ability while still maintaining his own life. The massive responsibility takes a toll on the entire family, and the film follows Gilbert as he struggles to find his place in the world while feeling like he has to be there for the people he loves.
The Defining Moment: After caring for Arnie for years while simultaneously putting his own desires on hold, Gilbert finally snaps. Arnie tries to run away from his bath and Gilbert becomes frustrated and hits him multiple times. He quickly realizes what he's done, and disgusted with himself, he runs away.
When Gilbert returns home to repair things with his family, he also mends the relationship with his mother. She acknowledges what a burden she has become and finally makes her way to her upstairs bedroom for the first time since her husband's passing. Shortly after, she passes, and the family chooses to burn their home down rather than allow the town to make fun of her.
Why It's Sad: The entire film elicits a feeling of sadness. While the relationship between Gilbert and Arnie is heartwarming, it's also clear that the bond is taking a toll on Gilbert. The entire family struggles to make ends meet with a mother they can't rely on. Although they fight to stay strong together, they also have to deal with the derision of their peers. It's a bittersweet peek inside the life of a 24/7 caretaker that's sure to result in quite a few tears.
(#10) Save the Last Dance
- Kerry Washington, Julia Stiles, Bianca Lawson, Sean Patrick Thomas, Erica Hubbard, Karimah Westbrook, Terry Kinney, Tab Baker, Fredro Starr, Michael Anderson, Marcello Robinson, Artel Great, Milauna Jemai, Anthony Talauega, Jennifer Echols, Jerod Howard, Elisabeth Oas, Kim Tlusty, Ellie Weingardt, Vince Green, Ora Jones, Tai'isha Davis, Lora Starkman, Jennifer Anglin, Deborah Dawn, Alice L. Walker, Chryssie Whitehead, Richmond Talauega, Felicia P. Fields, Garland Whitt, Safia Jalila, Brenda Pickleman, Roland Tabor, Nefertiti Robinson, Earl Wright, Cory Stewart, Richard Whitebear, Anna Paskevska, Julie Greenberg, Trinity Hamilton, Domingo Rubio, Deanne Brown, Maia Wilkins, Whitney Powell, Emily Patterson, Davis C. Robertson, Sam Franke, Ronnie D. Ray, Kevin Reid, Katrina Oeffling, Suzanne Lopez, Joanna Wozniak, Nicole Marie Duffy, Teanna Zarro, Sarita Smith Childs, Jeremiah O'Connor, Stacy Joy Keller, Dorothy Martin, Latisha Oliver, Jennifer Goodman, Guoping Wang, Taryn Kaschock, Michael Levine, Patrick Simonello, Randy Herrera, Tracy Shields, Ariane Dolan, Calvin Kitten, Earl Manning, Brian McSween, Mekdes Bruk, Audrey Leung, Malaika Paul
The Story: Sara Johnson (Julia Stiles) is a ballet dancer who dreams of attending Julliard. After tragedy strikes during her audition, Sara gives up on dance and goes to live with her dad on the south side of Chicago. There, she meets Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas), who helps her to rediscover her true passion.
The Defining Moment: When Sara auditions for Julliard, she asks her mother to watch her perform. On the way to the audition, however, her mother is involved in a car collision that claims her life. Sara blames herself for her mother's passing and chooses to give up dancing altogether rather than face the inner turmoil she's feeling.
Why It's Sad: This movie intertwines issues of family dynamics, race, and cultural norms to create one genuinely touching film. While it begins in heartbreak, it also has a note of hope as Sara rediscovers her passion. At the same time, the other characters in the film learn to pursue their own dreams and see beyond what's on the surface to create meaningful relationships. Although you might shed a few tears at the start of the film, the end leaves you feeling happy and hopeful.
(#4) If I Stay
- Chloë Grace Moretz, Mireille Enos, Stacy Keach, Liana Liberato, Lauren Lee Smith, Jamie Blackley, Toby Hargrave, Joshua Leonard, William C. Vaughan, Aisha Hinds, Jakob Davies, Dan Zachary, Aliyah O'Brien, Ali Milner, Sarah Grey, Tom Vanderkam, Donnie MacNeil
The Story: Mia Hall (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young cello prodigy, seemingly has the perfect life. During a snow day, Mia takes a trip with her family to visit her grandparents, but their car is struck by an oncoming truck. Instead of moving on to the afterlife, Mia has an out-of-body experience where she can see herself and her family being transported to the hospital. While Mia is initially confused, she realizes that she'll have to decide whether to allow herself to move on or to return to her body and continue living her life.
The Defining Moment: While Mia watches her body undergoing surgery, she learns that her mom, dad, and little brother did not survive. After that heartbreaking revelation, Mia's grandfather also lets her know, by speaking to her unmoving body, that it's okay if she wants to move on. Without a family to return to, Mia decides that it's best to leave and be reunited with her loved ones on the other side.
Why It's Sad: While Mia ultimately changes her mind and decides to stay, the entire movie is an emotional roller coaster. The possibility of returning without the people she loves breaks Mia, and it's clear that a large part of her wants to be with her loved ones. The simple fact that she can make the decision for herself presents all kinds of emotional issues. It's hard to know what the right choice might be. Honestly, the entire movie will have you reaching for the closest box of tissues.
(#14) Lady Bird
- Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Lois Smith
The Story: Lady Bird is a coming-of-age story that follows dramatic high school senior Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan). While the film follows Christine's misadventures within her dating life and her friendships, the ever-present element that drives the emotional story is her strained relationship with her mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf). Although the two obviously care for one another, Christine's embarrassment at her family's financial situation paired with Marion's feeling that her daughter is ungrateful inhibits the growth of their relationship.
The Defining Moment: When Christine is suspended from school, her mother picks her up and immediately launches into a long speech about how ungrateful she is. Marion berates her daughter for her lack of understanding about their financial situation, but Christine takes her comments personally. She tells her that she'll pay her back for everything, if only so she never has to speak to her again.
Why It's Sad: The relationship between Christine and her mother feels entirely too real. While Christine doesn't feel that her mother actually likes her, her mother believes that she's simply pushing her stubborn daughter to be the best she can be. They each see each other's flaws more than they see their positive attributes, and they find it much easier to throw out words of anger rather than words of love. There's no clear-cut answer that solves that problem of how to fix their relationship, and each holds some sort of responsibility about the state of their interactions. Their inability to express what they're truly feeling mimics what often happens in real life, which makes it difficult to watch this movie without crying.
(#2) The Fault in Our Stars
- Shailene Woodley, Willem Dafoe, Laura Dern, Ansel Elgort, Mike Birbiglia, Sam Trammell, Nat Wolff, Lotte Verbeek, Milica Govich, Randy Kovitz, Allegra Carpenter, Emily Peachey, Johanna McGinley, Ana Dela Cruz, Amber Myers, David Whalen, Toni Saladna, Camera Bartolotta
The Story: This book-to-movie adaptation follows Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley), a teenager with terminal thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. Although Hazel maintains a generally pessimistic view of her life, she meets Augustus "Gus" Waters (Ansel Elgort) at a cancer patient support group and quickly falls in love. Gus lost a leg to bone cancer, but his disease is thankfully in remission. Although Hazel's health is deteriorating, she commits most of her remaining energy to spending time with Gus. He encourages Hazel to keep living, particularly since she may not be able to do anything in the near future.
The Defining Moment: While on a trip to Amsterdam, Gus reveals to Hazel that his cancer has returned and spread quickly. His condition is now terminal, and he doesn't expect he'll have much longer to live. Upon their return home, Gus's health deteriorates and he passes away in a matter of weeks.
Why It's Sad: Throughout the entire movie, Hazel's health is the primary concern. She's in a significantly worse condition than Gus, and viewers are certain that she'll pass before the story is done. The revelation that Gus is now deathly ill is entirely unexpected. It shifts the mood of the movie, and his passing comes so quickly that it's difficult to process. What's most heartbreaking, however, is watching Hazel deal with the loss of her first love. Her grief and anger are palpable, making it hard to get through the film without a box of tissues on hand.
(#5) The Perks of Being a Wallflower
- Emma Watson, Nina Dobrev, Paul Rudd, Kate Walsh, Logan Lerman, Joan Cusack, Dylan McDermott, Melanie Lynskey, Ezra Miller, Mae Whitman, Tom Savini, Johnny Simmons, Reece Thompson, Julia Garner, Landon Pigg, Nicholas Braun, John W. Iwanonkiw, Tony Amen, Zane Holtz, William Kania, Rick Dawson, Jerome Elston Scott, Atticus Cain, Brian Balzerini, Stacy Chbosky, Tiffany Sander McKenzie, Jeremy Moon, Dwayne Pintoff, Jennifer Enskat, James Werley, Phil Nardozzi, Dihlon McManne, Alexander Rhodes, Wes Blymire, Pat Frey, Jordan Paley, Daniel Clayton, Michelle Vezzani, Owen Campbell, Mark McClain Wilson, F. Robert McMurray, Joanne Jeffers, Patrick de Ledebur, Sharyn Kmieciak, Laurie Klatscher, Brenden Meers, Blake Reading, Doug Michaels, Julie Marie Schaefer, Emily Marie Callaway, William L. Thomas, Chelsea T. Zhang, Cindy Jackson, Tom Kruszewski, Timothy Breslin, Morgan Wolk, Jesse Scheirer, Leo Miles Farmerie, Cathy Lynn Yonek, Dillon Becker, Joe Corrigan, Andrew Stockey, Diedra Arthur-O'Ree, Tiffany Bell, Ally Hydeman, Isabel Muschweck, Justine Nicole Schaefer, Zoe Simek, Adam Hagenbuch, Erin Wilhelmi
The Story: When Charlie (Logan Lerman) starts high school, he quickly realizes that he doesn't quite fit in. Just before his freshman year began, Charlie was discharged from a mental health care institution following a particularly bad spell that resulted from his lifelong struggle with clinical depression. While still trying to recover and get his health back on track, Charlie bonds with two seniors, Sam (Emma Watson) and her stepbrother Patrick (Ezra Miller). The rest of the story follows the many ups and downs of Charlie and his friends, all of whom are dealing with their own unique issues as they try to find their place in the world.
The Defining Moment: During the movie, Charlie's mental health continues to deteriorate until he eventually recalls some traumatic repressed memories involving his Aunt Helen.
Why It's Sad: This movie perfectly captures the difficulty of surviving in the world when you're just a bit different. From struggles with sexuality to mental health issues to normal teen jealousy, this film touches on various emotional aspects that come with being a young adult. Each issue is depicted in a painfully raw and real fashion, which makes the entire movie a bit of an emotional experience.
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About This Tool
Are you looking for some good movies to spend a relaxing day? There are lots of options for all kinds of movie genres on the internet, but nothing will be more fun and touching to watch a movie that you can really have the same feelings. Over the years, more and more great teen movies become popular with the audience. People can always remember their school time or other important things when they watching this kind of movie.
This page shows 14 entries, there is a list of the best teen movies that definitely made you cry, including famous movies A Walk to Remember, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, etc. Prepare the tissue and a cup of warm tea before watching.
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