Can TV make you cry?

[Stupot]

Last time I got so much as a lump in my throat from watching an emotional piece of television was in LOST when

Spoiler

Charlie died.

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It's not something that happens very often, but I'm man enough to admit it when it does.

What was the last piece of TV (or film) that choked you up?

To put it into context I didn't even cry when my Grandad died.  Not because I'm dead inside, more likely because I did all my crying at primary school.

hiding the huge spoiler to LOST. eric

[Edit]  Ooops... hehe... well in my defence if you didn't already know that then you probably don't care anyway.

[Haddas]

I cried when I watched Click

Spoiler

when he dies in the rain

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Also in Donnie Darko.

Spoiler

The ending is just so sad and when she gets run over and and and *bursts into tears again*

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[twin-moon]

It was yesterday.

I was watching All or Nothing by Mike Leigh. There's a part where Timothy Spall says to his partner/wife "You don't love me anymore?" and she can't answer him. The whole movie builds up to this moment and before I could compose myself tears were falling down my cheeks.

And I never cry at movies 

[Stupot]

I'm writing half an essay about Secrets and Lies.
That was quite a sad one.  Mike Leigh must be quite a depressing bloke to be around.

[ThreeOhFour]

I can't say I cry when I watch tv. But I don't watch tv....

I'd like to move slightly to the right of topic to mention games, and them making people cry.

Now, I've never actually cried because of a game. But, I found the cutscene in Dreamfall: The Longest Journey where Zoë comforts her sister to be very, very touching. I honestly cannot think of many other games that have made me feel this way, although I recall the dialogues in Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn to be very touching during the points where you have the oppurtunity make her love your player. Why don't games make me feel this way?

Sorry to dodge your topic Stu, but I felt this was at least a little relevant.

Oh and hmmm.... Planescape Torment had some incredible writing in there (in my opinion), but I never did feel overly touched.

[DGMacphee]

Futurama: Jurassic Bark

[ThreeOhFour]

Actually, now that DG mentions Futurama, I remember the episode with the Truckstop Sandwich worms and how Fry plays the holoflute badly at the end. Made me go "Awwww".

And Scrubs. At a friend's house and it was on and I found some moments in that which made me go "awww" as well. I should watch tv more, perhaps...

[Nacho]

Futurama: Jurassic Bark

Mmmm... I ALMOST agree DG, but the tear didn' t really fall out of my eye. Does that count.

Anyway, the last time  cried was watching TV, it was 1st of May, 1994. Wow... It' s been a long time since I cried for the last time.

It was not a show, I am not sure if that counts. If you see something REAL does it count as crying watching TV, or it is more like crying in front of a real event which was brought to you on TV?

[Evil]

Futurama: Jurassic Bark

I agree. That's the saddest thing I've seen on TV. "The Luck of the Fryrish" is also sad, but not a tear jerker like Jurassic Bark is.

[Andail]

Futurama: Jurassic Bark

A great and sad episode indeed.
I cry every little now and then, but probably never during shows and series like Lost (don't view it, or like it, for that matter), more likely during movies or documentaries.

[Radiant]

What was the last piece of TV (or film) that choked you up.

The time when my TV was broken and I couldn't watch...

[Pumaman]

Depends what you mean by "cry", I guess. Whilst I wouldn't say that any TV show can really make you bawl uncontrollably, there are quite a few tear-jerker moments in various programmes that can make a tear come to the eye if you're not careful.

But of course as men we have ways of dealing with these moments, such as subtley wiping the tear away before anyone turns the lights back on, blinking ferociously in the hope that it will retract into the eye, and making hilarious comments like "aww, how cute" to detract attention from what might otherwise be noticed.

[Tuomas]

A bunch of fags you are. 

Seriously though, I cry every now and then watching the telly, reading book/poem, listening to music, and this isn't really sheding tears, just crying inside so that it feels everywhere, you know. I'm just a romantic in a sense Especially Sweet Home Alabama made me feel really nice inside with the ending and all. I like happy endings, though a bad/sad ending must be very well put out/played for me to react in that way. It's hard to symphatize if you haven't formed a personal relationship to the person that whatever happens to.

[Stupot]

I used to laugh at my sister whenever the likes of Helen Daniels or Jim Robinson died in Neighbours... It was my secret ploy to hide the fact that I was on the verge of booing my own eyes out.

Ben, on the Subject of Games... I know Aries' last moments in FF7 have caused grown men to sob for weeks.

[Da_Elf]

maybe if i threw the tv at you hard enough you might cry

[Buckethead]

ET  :'(

[Disco]

Depends what you mean by "cry", I guess. Whilst I wouldn't say that any TV show can really make you bawl uncontrollably, there are quite a few tear-jerker moments in various programmes that can make a tear come to the eye if you're not careful.

Indeed, until recently when people spoke of this phenomenon I thought it was the former, then someone brought it to my attention that people are mostly referring to tearing up, citing the silliness of weeping over a film.

Anyways, the last time for me was during I Am Legend

Spoiler

The part where he was in the DVD store talking to all the mannequins caused we to well up a bit. I think it was supposed to be a comedic seen but I didn't see it that way. Odd since most people agree there are much sadder parts to the film.

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Embarrassingly enough, I have produced tears from television shows such as Buffy and Lost, but usually from situations where there is some mystery behind the emotion. The best example I can think of is in series one of Lost where Kate goes to visit her mother dying of cancer in hospital, and whom she had not scene in several years. When her mother realises who Kate is she becomes terrified and starts yelling for help, at that point viewers aren't sure why :'(

[Akatosh]

Futurama: Jurassic Bark

A great and sad episode indeed.

True. XKCD was right when they said the end even made computers cry.

[CaptainBinky]

Nice one on the massive spoiler on the first line.  :

[Darth Mandarb]

Nice one on the massive spoiler on the first line.  :

That was my thought too as I just got the DVDs for season 3

Television rarely makes me cry.  In fact it rarely produces emotion for me.  However, as oddly as it seems ... one Episode of [new] Battlestar Galactica really got to me.

Spoiler

The Galactica has returned to New Caprica ... Adama gives that incredible speech before the action.  Then jumps Galactica into the atmo of New Caprica, launches his vipers, and then jumps out!

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That was so brilliant and awe-inspiring that I actually found myself (with a tear in my eye) on my feet, hand in the air, and cheering.  That's never happened to me before and it wasn't conscious ... it just happened. 

Also...

Spoiler

That same episode when the Galactica is surrounded by the 4 Cylon base-ships and is about to be destroyed when Pegasus returns and saves the day!  That was just the dramatic part, but then Admiral Adama says, "thank you Lee..."

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That totally choked me up given the [albeit not unique] relationship that they had developed between father and son over the first two seasons.

The only television that has really come close to producing emotion like that from me was Band of Brothers ... but that was a different kind of emotion.  I love it when TV can have that effect on me ... that's when I know it's good writing (at least to me).