Some days you wake up feeling like a million bucks, and everything is just sunshine and roses and optimism. Other days, not so much. Sometimes you find yourself overwhelmed by school or work, or going through a breakup, or just feeling blue for no reason. Whatever the case, when you're dealing with a lot of feelings, the best remedy is often just to embrace it and cry. And watching sad movies can help you let it all out.
You might be skeptical, but having a good cry can be really cathartic. And certain movies have all the ingredients to assist in that process. So on the days that you find yourself resembling the character in Mean Girls who says, "I just have a lot of feelings," here are some movies to help you cry it out. From stories about lost love, to war movies, to Disney movies with unexpected parental deaths, these films are bound to release any feelings that you've been bottling up. And then once the sobfest is done, you can peel yourself off the floor, wash your face, and rejoin the world of the living. So grab some tissues, take a deep breath, and get ready for some waterworks, because the 22 movies below are rough.
Mean Girls, $4-14, Amazon
1. Forrest Gump
If Forrest himself doesn't make you cry, Bubba, Lieutenant Dan, and Jenny definitely will.
2. What's Eating Gilbert Grape?
Johnny Depp's character is so angsty, but with such a good heart. *sniffle*
3. Bambi
Bambi's mom :(
4. The Notebook
Or really, any Nicholas Sparks adaptation.
5. Harold And Maude
Slight spoiler: the tragic twist in this movie will catch you totally off guard.
6. I Am Sam
Sean Penn plays a mentally challenged man who is fighting for custody of his adorable daughter, played by Dakota Fanning. Are you crying yet?
7. Marley And Me
Any movie about an animal with a limited life span is bound not to end well.
8. The Green Mile
Tom Hanks befriends a death row inmate who is actually a misunderstood gentle giant with magical powers. You will spend most, if not all, of this movie in tears.
9. Moulin Rouge
Tuberculosis is a real love-killer.
10. The Fox And The Hound
Tod and Copper's adorable friendship is threatened by societal pressures. If the actual story doesn't get you, the metaphor will.
11. Blue Valentine
The theme of this movie could be summed up as "love is a lie and everything always goes to hell."
12. World's Greatest Dad
The scene set to the song "Don't Be Afraid, You're Already Dead" is pretty much the most emotional thing ever.
13. Titanic
14. The Deer Hunter
This controversial movie looks at the horrors of war, and how they extend back home.
15. Sophie's Choice
Meryl Streep's performance in this movie will have you bawling your eyes out.
16. Love Story
Jenny and Oliver are perfect together, but the universe has tragically different plans.
17. My Girl
You'll never look at bees the same way again.
18. Dumbo
Dumbo's mother gets locked up for defending him. I can hardly bear the injustice.
19. The Place Beyond The Pines
This heartbreaking movie examines how our actions unintentionally impact the lives of others.
20. Up
There's no way to sit through the opening sequence without sobbing.
21. Bridge To Terabithia
If the YA novel didn't make you cry as a kid, the adaptation definitely will.
22. Lars And The Real Girl
Ryan Gosling, your characters keep breaking my heart. Stop that.
Spending the afternoon with one of these movies (and a big box of Kleenex) will give you all the feels, in the best way possible. So go ahead and cry your feelings out at the screen. I promise you'll feel better after.
Image: 20th Century Fox
