Top 10 Movie Opening Scenes That Will Make You Cry
#10: What Nicole & Charlie Love About Each Other “Marriage Story” (2019)
Noah Baumbach’s 2019 drama about the divorce of a theater director and his actor wife, played by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johanssen respectively, offers an insightful and sympathetic, albeit heartbreaking look, at marital breakdown. The movie starts off with husband Charlie listing all the things he loves about his wife Nicole, and vice versa, making us believe they have a strong and happy marriage. It is only afterwards that we realize that these lists were written for their failing couple’s therapy session and only recited internally, as we see Nicole refuse to read her list out loud or hear what Charlie wrote. This scene serves as a bleak notice to the audience that this marriage is perhaps beyond reconciliation and nearing its end.
#9: Thanos Kills Heimdall & Loki “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
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The MCU definitely caught people off guard with this one. Although deaths were expected in this epic Avengers installment, the sheer number of superheroes that met their demise was probably a little more than people expected, starting with the double death of Heimdall and fan favorite villain-turned-hero, Loki. When Thanos and his crew overthrow their ship headed towards Earth, obtaining the Space Stone in the process, this tyrannical villain shows no mercy towards the heroes (and anti-heroes) aboard, fatally stabbing Heimdall and swiftly choking Loki. Though many fans were heartbroken by the latter, some refused to believe that the God of mischief was truly gone and expected to see him in the next instalment.
#8: Adèle’s Testimony “Girl on the Bridge” (1999)
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In the opening sequence of this 1999 French drama, we meet Adèle, a suicidal young woman who is unlucky in every way, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. We learn through her recounting to a then-anonymous intervener (afterwards, her savior) that she has some somewhat reckless and naive tendencies when it comes to the opposite sex and is often blinded by passion and false promises. While watching her detail this unfortunate plight, you can’t help but sympathise with this wide-eyed, hopeless romantic, as her misfortunes and feelings of sorrowful loneliness will most likely have you shedding a few tears in no time as well.
#7: Anna’s Story “My Sister's Keeper” (2009)
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Imagine being born into this world primarily with the purpose of serving as spare living parts for a dying sibling. Based on Jodi Picoult’s novel, the film opens with a monologue delivered by 11-year-old Anna Fitzgerald who explains how she is not a typically conceived child. She is what is called a savior baby, born to help her older sister Kate with her battle with leukemia. Couple that with the contrasting imagery of the Fitzgeralds home movies playing in the background, all smiles and laughter, and you have one tearjerker of an opening scene.
#6: Private Ryan Visits Captain Miller’s Grave “Saving Private Ryan” (1998)
War is hell and anyone who has lived through it can attest to its many horrors and devastating casualties. When an elderly veteran is seen walking with his family towards the graves in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, we see him finally collapse, teary-eyed in front of a soldier's gravestone. Praised for both its brutally accurate depiction of D-Day and an amazing ensemble cast, this war epic will have people shedding tears just like Private Ryan at the foot of Miller’s grave, and will hopefully remind us what those brave men fought for.
#5: Pamela’s Illness “Searching” (2018)
This 2018 thriller is particular in that its action unfolds entirely via computer screens and smartphones. But even with the screen-within-a-screen unease, there is no shortage of thrills, and the storyline is both engrossing and touching, especially when it comes to the opening sequence where we meet the Kim family. David, his wife Pamela and their daughter Margot all seem to be leading a happy, average life, told to us through the use of photos and videos on their shared computer . . . until we see the arc of Pamela’s diagnosis and eventual death from lymphoma, which starts the story off on a tragically affecting note.
#4: The Death of Peter Quill’s Mother “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
The last thing that comes to mind when you think Guardians of the Galaxy is sorrow. What with the non-stop action, nostalgic tunes, hilarious characters and amazing special effects, it's easy to forget how the beginning of this film has one of the most heartbreaking scenes ever. When a young Peter Quill must say his final goodbyes to his dying mother Meredith, it is nothing short of heart-wrenching to watch. Even the toughest of MCU fans will shed a tear or two when the young Star Lord refuses to hold his mother’s hand during her final moments alive.
#3: Car Crash “If I Stay” (2014)
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When most of us feel like we are having an out-of-body experience, we don’t mean literally. But that is exactly what happens to young aspiring cellist Mia, after she and her family crash into an oncoming truck, leaving them all severely injured. While watching the aftermath of the wreck, she sees paramedics trying to revive her unconscious body before being transported to the hospital, with her parents and little brother nowhere in sight. Based on the 2009 novel of the same name, this teen drama is obviously a sobfest from start to finish, yet also boasts a noteworthy lead performance by actress Chloë Grace Moretz.
#2: Paige’s Accident “The Vow” (2012)
Inspired by true events, this romantic drama tells the story of married couple Paige and Leo Collins, who must face big challenges with their relationship when Paige suffers amnesia after, as in our previous entry, a severe car accident. The film opens with the couple driving home from a movie theater in the middle of a light snowfall. When Paige unbuckles her seatbelt to lean over and kiss Leo, a truck rear-ends them and sends her flying through the windshield. Though this movie is not short on emotionally intense moments, we have to admit that the beginning sure packs a punch. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Kale’s Dad Dies “Disturbia” (2007) Joanna Leaves Ted “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979) Babe Becomes an Orphan “Babe” (1995)
#1: Celie’s Beginnings “The Color Purple” (1985)
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, this coming-of-age tale centers around a young African-American girl named Celie living in rural Georgia during the early 1900s. We first meet our protagonist when she is 14 years old and has already given birth to her second child, a product of her verbally and sexually abusive father. With her children having been taken away, and her mother dead, Celie’s only solace is the love of her little sister Nettie. However, she is soon separated from her sibling and given in marriage to the equally abusive widower Albert “Mister” Johnson. Boasting powerful performances and a heartbreaking narrative, this opening sequence will leave anyone misty-eyed, and have you rooting for Celie till the very end.