Top 10 Best Goodbye Scenes in Movies

“Dead Poets Society” tells the story of a group of boys attending a prestigious all-male prep academy in Vermont. With a strict focus on callous, conventional learning methods, these gifted boys are only given the opportunity to truly spread their wings when English teacher John Keating introduces them to the idea of making one’s life extraordinary. Unfortunately, he’s eventually terminated. While making one last stop to pick up some belongings, Keating learns his effort truly did impact his students’ lives in a remarkable way. Each character’s respective level of growth is embodied in this powerful scene, making it truly memorable, and unequivocally relatable.

In the same spirit as our last entry, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” tells the tale of a motley crew whose lust for life has been beaten out of them by a cold and calculated system, led by the ruthless Nurse Ratched. Randle McMurphy comes to the rescue—breathing life into the mental institution patients that Nurse Ratched is hell-bent on subduing. McMurphy’s goodbye is less bittersweet, and more gut-wrenching, as he’s lobotomized for his so-called rabble-rousing. Fellow patient, Chief Bromden, mercifully ends his friend’s life upon realizing he would never want to live in such a way. It’s agonizing to watch, but knowing Randle inspired Bromden’s eventual escape serves as a worthy consolation for the audience.

Funny-man Bill Murray’s change of pace shocked moviegoers upon starring in Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation.” Bob and Charlotte are experiencing very different times in their life, but both feel lost, uncertain, and aimless. Upon meeting at a hotel bar in Tokyo, they develop a deep relationship that helps both of them work out their inner demons. Just like the many phases of life, their hotel is only a temporary spot, and they’re soon forced to part ways. Bob and Charlotte’s final embrace is devoid of rom-com clichés, leaving the audience feeling a sense of emptiness and wholeness simultaneously. The brevity of their encounter didn’t make goodbye any easier, and left us heartbroken.

Forrest never lets the tragedies of life hold him back, and even in the face of danger and torment, is seldom tempted to feel anger towards others. Throughout his life, he significantly impacts historical U.S. events of the ‘60s and ‘70s, but his love for Jenny is always at the forefront of his mind. She finally reciprocates his feelings, and the star-crossed lovers move back home to Greenbow, Alabama with their son, Forrest Jr. It’s not long before Jenny succumbs to her disease, and Forrest is left standing alone by her grave. His vulnerability, good nature, and epiphany about life reach an apex at this moment. Despite everything Forrest has done for Jenny, it’s clear that she taught him a lesson more valuable than gold.

“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy is known for being quite the tearjerker, but this moment made us ugly-cry. The Fellowship has quite literally gone through hell with each other, after spending three epic movies working to destroy The One Ring to Rule Them All. At their journey’s end, every man must go their own way, and each goodbye is more heartfelt than the last, starting with Gandalf’s epic sendoff. Finally, as Frodo’s ship for the Grey Havens awaits him, he says goodbye to his fellow Hobbits. Howard Shore’s legendary score swells as Frollo parts with Sam, highlighting their intense brotherly love, but Frodo’s departure is inevitable. This farewell understands bittersweet like few other movies, providing a satisfying end to an incredible franchise.

“Terminator 2” elevated the franchise in two ways; providing impressive, large-scale action sequences, and introducing an unexpected, yet welcomed relationship between Schwarzenegger’s T-800 and young John Connor. As the T-1000 relentlessly purses Sarah and John, the T-800’s protective instinct helps create a powerful bond that unfortunately must come to an end in order to prevent future robot takeovers. He may be a robot, but the scene’s humanity is profound, ending with a thumbs-up that subtly nods to a playful interaction between John and The Terminator earlier in the film. A high point of the franchise, it’s emotionally driven, and a challenging, yet satisfying ending.