Entertainment
When you're coming down with a case of the feels, sometimes the only medicine is a day in bed and a cue full of movies to watch if you need a good cry. Huffington Post reports that emotional crying, a type of crying that is triggered by joy or sadness, is beneficial to your health. The publication referenced one Netherlands which found that crying improves a person's mood. In this study, 90 minutes after people were shown a really sad movie, "criers felt much better than their stoic counterparts." And, William H. Frey, a psychologist from St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Centre in Minnesota, has conducted numerous similar tests—adding that the movie Brian’s Song was an exceptional tearjerker among participants. His research suggests that emotional crying relieves stress. "We don’t know what those chemicals are," Frey told Huffington Post. "But we do know that tears contain ACTH, which is known to be increased in stress."
So let the waterworks go, sister.
Curl up with a bottle of Malbec and dark chocolate covered gummy vitamins for adults (has someone made those yet? If not, remember, you heard it here first), and get cozy. When I need a good cry, I prefer for the experience to be a solo venture, but do whatever suits your mood. It's your cry, girl. You earned it. Now enjoy it.
1.If You Need An "Unrequited Love" Cry
Watch Edward Scissorhands for a fairy tale with an unhappy ending. SeeingJonny Depp and Winona Ryder not end up together on screen is made even more tragic when life imitated art. R.I.P. "Winona Forever."
If You Need Another "Unrequited Love" Cry
Watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. A doomed relationship makes these two lovers question the meaning of life, love, and memory. The visual landscape of this film will move to tears, as well as the performances.
If You Need A "Forbidden Love" Cry
Watch Brokeback Mountain. Cowboys get the blues in this trarjerker that shows how painful life can be when love is forbidden. The film is extra tragic because it marks a breakthrough performance by Heath Ledger, who's since passed.
If You Need A "Period Piece" Cry
Watch The English Patient. Can scars heal? That's only one profound and emotionally enduring question you'll be asking yourself during this visually stunning period film.
If You Need A 'Redemptive' Cry
Watch Philadelphia. Discrimination. AIDS. Hate. Fear. Legal bull sh*t. But then Bruce Springsteen delivers a tour de force soundtrack with the award-winning, "Streets of Philadelphia," and you realize that even in the worst circumstances, hope is possible.
If You Need A "Nostalgic" Cry
Watch My Girl. Friendship, loss, and the inevitability of death make this film a tearjerker. It gets bonus sad factor points for starring a very young Macaulay Culkin who couldn't look more fragile.
If You Need A "Life Is So Unfair" Cry
Watch Steel Magnolias. Sally Field plays the matriarch in a southern family that goes through the ups and downs of life.
If You Need An "Oh The Humanity" Cry
Watch Atonement. Like the its title suggests, this film based off the Ian McEwan novel by the same name, will get you thinking about your moral compass, and how envy can go horribly awry.
If You Need A "The World Is F*cked" Cry
Watch Boys Don't Cry. Unrequited love is only part of the tragedy here. The hate crime murder of Brandon Teena, which inspired the film, is truly appalling. You will feel like the world is f*cked. The performances in this beautiful love story will make you weep, though.
If You Need A Cry That Involves A Puppy
Watch Marley & Me. Spoiler alert: (I mean, you had to know it was coming) this film traces the life and death of man and woman's best friend, Marley. Not only is this a film for dog lovers, it's a film about family.
If You Need A Cry That Involves Leonardo DiCaprio
Watch What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Sometimes it's a record of everyday life closely observed that can get me the most weepy. Misfits or just a regular family? This '90s classic asks questions that will make you feel all sorts of things, namely empathy.
This list of tearjerkers is full of cinematically solid films, so, I guarantee you'll feel better after watching them. Just make sure your mascara's waterproof.
