For when you need a good cry

From My Girl to One Day...

Photo from Vanity Fair

I finished the book One Day by David Nicholls earlier this week and promptly started the Netflix series everyone has been talking about. After finishing the show a few moments ago, I sit here with puffy eyes and a red nose. I also feel a little lighter.

Depending on the circumstances of course—film, TV, and literature have always helped me with a no-strings-attached cathartic cry. To wash away some of what’s been weighing me down or press a reset button on my tightly wound nerves.

Here are my top tear-jerker films/TV series:

My Girl (1991)

This was the first film ever to make me cry. I saw it in the theaters with my Dad when I was nine.

The Fault in Our Stars (Book by John Green + Film—2014)

I read the book first, then urged my husband to read it. We saw it together as soon as it was released. Throughout the film, as much as possible, I held back what would have been very loud sobbing.

Call Me By Your Name (Book by André Aciman + Film—2017)

I saw this on a return flight from Santa Fe, NM recently. I was transported into the feelings of first love and heartbreak. I read the book the next day and promptly watched the film again. It was a masterful adaptation and it turns out, the author wanted nothing to do with the screenplay. He was also quite pleased with the result (he liked the film’s ending better than his!).

A Star is Born (2018)

I watched this one on a plane as well, on my way back from Ireland. My husband and I had surprised his parents with a trip in honor of his mom’s 70th birthday. The credits ran as we landed in the US. I was a mess, still crying quietly to myself as we exited the plane. The soundtrack was a big reason I was so moved by the film. I still listen to it often. (And no, I haven’t seen the Streisand version—it’s on my to-watch list!)

From Scratch (Book by Tembi Locke + Netflix Series—2022)

I read From Scratch when it first came out. When a book brings on full-on sobbing, you know it’s a masterpiece. I watched the Netflix series (written/produced by Tembi and her sister Attica) on Christmas Eve. I had the flu, so I stayed at home and wrapped presents while my family visited relatives. The series broke my heart all over again.

Past Lives (2023)

I’ve mentioned this movie several times—it was on my favorite movies of 2023 list. Waiting in line for the bathroom after the movie, I met eyes with a woman who had just seen it and we both started crying.

My favorite movies of 2023

One Day (Book by David Nicholls + Series—2024)

I heard the buzz about this series and wanted to read the book first, which had also been a huge success when it debuted. (There was also a movie adaptation in 2011.) This is the series that inspired me to write this post. The Netflix adaptation made me cry even more than the book. I’m still thinking about it.

I find it interesting to learn about the movies, books, and TV series touch people deeply enough to make them cry. It’s so personal. Our past, our present, and how we feel that day, all impact whether the waterworks start. I think it’s one of the greatest gifts of art, especially for someone who doesn’t have access to their tears so easily.

Do you have something to add to the list? I’d love to know.