@trying2learn,
Quote:I have watched all these and thought they were sad too. I can't think of one movie that has made me cry though.
For me, it sometimes depends on how much I will allow the movie to affect me. I tend to cry much more often when watching a movie at home than I would in a theater. In public, even in a darkened theater, I feel more self conscious and I fight harder to stifle the sniffles and maintain composure. I may also be more concerned about my mascara running in public.
Movies where animals die really get to me. I previously mentioned, "Bambi", but I also remember being very upset as a child when seeing the movie, "The Yearling" when the fawn is shot. And, even now, I get wiped out by movies in which a dog dies. It sets off my feelings of loss about all of the dogs I have loved, and, for some reason, it's more painful than healing. I haven't seen the movie, "Marley and Me" because I understand the dog dies. I'm more than willing to "enjoy" other sorts of tearjerkers that involve the death of human loved ones, or the loss of human relationships, and having a good cry over those I find cathartic.
Quote:I truly believe it was good for my sister to cry just to relieve some of the stress she has gone through.
I think having a good cry while watching a movie is beneficial for everyone. It helps release some of the emotions we all tend to keep suppressed or bottled up to some extent. We've all experienced heartbreak, loss, disappointment, emotional pain, etc., and to empathize with a character going through these same emotions lets us reconnect with those feelings and release them. That sort of catharsis is one reason the ancient Greeks saw viewing tragic plays as beneficial.
I know I generally feel better after watching a movie that gives me a good cry. I feel much more relaxed. I don't enjoy suffering along with the characters simply for the sake of suffering, I do have to feel some sense of emotional release along with it.
Humor--really, really funny movies--tend to have much the same effect. When I laugh so much, and so long, that my stomach begins hurting, I feel much, much better afterward. Laughter is a fantastic emotional release.
I think that someone going through a stressful ordeal, like a battle with cancer, would certainly benefit from a daily dose of good comedy, and a good tearjerker movie every once in a while. Both help to reduce stress and provide a safety valve for the release of emotions.
