There is nothing worse, in my book, than watching a cartoon and ending up crying. When I think animated movies, I think emotionally light and funny. You know, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Beep-beep.
I know that in reality if an anvil fell on someone’s head it would probably kill them and that is horrific. Somehow, when that damn Road Runner lures the coyote and the deadly anvil falls on his head, I laugh. Why? Because I know he’s a cartoon and he will be fine. Beep. Beep.
But there are other times when I watch a cartoon and it doesn’t take the silly route but is more like a drama, chocked full of lessons for children and adults alike. I hate when that happens because usually, I end up in the fetal position crying over an animated character that only exists on paper and film.
These films seem meant to entertain children with the lessons going completely above their tiny heads and landing directly on their parents’ hearts. Commence water works.
Here is my list of the top five animated tearjerkers of all time (thus far):
Bambi: Seriously, who kills a deer’s mom within the first five minutes of the movie? This is traumatic to children. As a parent, it is relatable because we know that Bambi’s mom knows she is going to be shot but as mothers we would sacrifice anything to keep our babies safe. It’s also sad to think of her baby being left alone in the woods.
Mars Needs Moms: The scene in Mars Needs Moms where the mom sacrifices herself to save her son had me blubbering like a baby. The look on her son’s face and him realizing that no matter how much his mother’s nagged him, it was always prompted by unconditional love for him. The realization that he may have lost her forever was heartbreaking. I cried like a baby watching this scene, my 5-year-old looked at me like I was crazy.
Brave: The wonderfully strong-willed and passionate, Merida, butts heads with her mother Elinor, the refined and dutiful queen, throughout the film. The climactic scene in which Merida comes to the realization how amazing her mother Elinor is and the ferociousness with which Elinor loves her daughter is what prompts her every move.
In the same breath, Merida realizes that she may lose her mother forever. The desperation with which she tries to hastily undo the loss is palpable. We have all been in the situation where we wish we could undo a hurtful thought, word or action we’ve bestowed upon a loved one. You will cry with compassion, loss and love.
Toy Story 3: The ending of Toy Story 3 had me blubbering for a good solid 15 minutes. It started with Andy’s mom getting choked up about Andy going off to college as she looked around his cleared out room and turned up to infinity and beyond when Andy gave his toys to the little girl. When he sees Woody at the bottom of the box, I could see that he didn’t want to let him go.
I imagine Andy felt similar to what his mother felt. Children grow up and go off and leave their childhood behind to move on to the next chapter; it’s what’s right even if it does break our heart to watch them go.
My daughters were 5 and 3 when we saw this movie. I looked over at their little faces staring up at the screen and I wanted to badly to scream STOP! and freeze the moment because I dread the growing up and letting go. Then, I cried even harder.
Up: The scene that shows the entire relationship of Carl and Ellie from marriage until death. Carl sitting on the steps of the church alter after the woman he grew old with has died, rips my heart out. The scene is a beautiful commentary on lasting love.
We spend our entire lives looking for someone to love and grow old with. We forget that when we lose that person it is going to feel like our entire world has collapsed because the price of the privilege of finding your other half is that when you lose them, you will never feel whole again. Cue uncontrollable sobbing. I love you man.
Disney and Pixar have made some of the most dramatic, heart wrenching animated movies that I have ever seen. The odd thing is that the movies make the parents cry and leave their children’s emotional constitution fairly in tact.
The moral of the story is that parents view the movies with a new perspective, the perspective of the person who has their heart walking around outside their body, and that leaves us open to the elements.
What has been the biggest tearjerker animated movie you’ve seen since becoming a parent?
Photo Source: Memekode
