The Scotsman
Revealed: The 100 top tearful moments
JIM MCBETH
MEN enjoy a bit of a cry just as much as women when it comes to the great tear-jerking moments of the big screen and television, according to a new poll.
Men and women are moved by the death of Bambi’s mummy, Blackadder going over the top in the First World War, ET going home, and James Stewart’s redemption in It’s a Wonderful Life.
Channel 4 and Kleenex For Men conducted a nationwide survey to compile the biggest blubbing moments.
The result is 100 Greatest Tear-jerking Moments, to be shown on Sunday at 8pm. It reveals a bizarre package, from Vanessa Feltz breaking down on Celebrity Big Brother to a “client” losing it on Changing Rooms.
Two sporting moments which allegedly made the nation lachrymose were Paul Gascoigne’s tears during the 1990 World Cup and Gareth Southgate’s penalty miss at Euro ’96.
From a Scottish perspective, they might have been tears of laughter. But one sad moment for Scots is the death of William Wallace’s wife in Braveheart.
The rest of the classic clips – the winner will be revealed on the night – are a familiar collection, including Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca.
SCENES THAT WILL HAVE YOU REACHING FOR TISSUES
In alphabetical order, the nominees are . . .
42 UP: A documentary that followed 14 seven-year-olds through life. One, Neil, is transformed from a vibrant child to a distressed adult.
An Affair To Remember: The final scene of the classic of unfulfilled love with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.
Bambi: The fawn’s mummy dies.
Beaches: The death of Bette Midler’s friend in the 1980 flick.
Blackadder the Fourth: The field of poppies final scene.
Blue Peter: The death of Petra.
Born Free: The Adamsons release Elsa to the wild.
Boys From The Blackstuff: Bernard Hill’s Yosser Hughes.
Braveheart: The death of Wallace’s wife.
Breakfast At Tiffany’s: Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard finally get together in the New York rain.
Breaking The Waves: Weepy thought-provoking film with Emily Watson.
Brief Encounter: David Lean’s film of lost love with Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson.
Casablanca: The final scene when Bogart and Bergman part.
Cathy Come Home: Cathy’s children are taken from her.
Celebrity Big Brother: Vanessa Feltz loses the plot.
The Champ: Punch drunk boxer John Voight loses his son.
Cinema Paradiso: Richly sentimental tale of a film director.
The Color Purple: Whoopi Goldberg’s powerful portrayal of an abused black woman in the deep south.
Dead Poets Society: Robin Williams as an inspirational teacher.
Death in Venice: Dirk Bogarde’s lost love for a beautiful boy.
Derek Redmond at the Olympics: Derek’s father helps him over the line after the 400 metre runner broke down with injury.
Doctor Zhivago: Zhivago dies before he can reach Lara.
Dynasty: The entire cast of the super-soap are gunned down at a Moldovian wedding.
Early Frost: Documentary about AIDS.
EastEnders: Rich pickings – Albert’s death in jail; Den’s disappearance; Jamie’s death and the funeral of Mark Fowler.
Elephant Man: John Merrick breaks down when he is shown kindness by a beautiful woman.
ER: George Clooney’s last scene.
Escape to Victory: Pele’s overhead goal to beat the Nazi team in the prisoner-of-war drama.
ET: Elliot says goodbye to ET.
Etre Et Aroi: French documentary on inspirational teacher Georges Lopez.
The Evacuees: Alan Parker’s film about Jewish children.
Face to Face: Gilbert Harding’s legendary breakdown on screen in the 1950s.
Faking It: TV documentary that lets people take on new jobs. “Drag Queen’s” emotional outburst at fooling the judges.
Field of Dreams: Kevin Costner’s relationship with his father.
Forrest Gump: Forrest weeps when Jenny leaves him.
Four Weddings and a Funeral: The “stop the clocks” scene.
Gallipoli: Mel Gibson in First World War horrors.
Gareth Southgate: Penalty miss Euro in ‘96
Paul Gascoigne: Tears at Italia 90.
Ghost: Patrick Swayze returns from the dead to romance Demi Moore.
Gladiator: Maximus’s heroic death.
Gone With the Wind: Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn”.
Goodbye Mr Chips: Robert Donat loses his wife.
Green Mile: John Coffey’s execution.
Incredible Journey: Cute animals in awkward situations.
Inside Story; A Change of Sex: A transsexual’s struggle to become a woman.
Inspector Morse: The death of Morse.
It’s a Wonderful life: The final scene of George Bailley’s redemption.
Jean De Florette: Jean realises he has killed his son.
Jerry Maguire: Tom Cruise pleads with Rene Zellweger for a second chance.
Kes: Billy and his bird of freedom.
The Kid: Charlie Chaplin classic weepie.
The Killing Fields: Sydney and Tran are reunited from the horror.
Kramer vs Kramer: Divorce saga with Dustin Hoffman.
Lassie Come Home: Say no more.
Last of the Mohicans: Hawkeye’s “I will find you” pledge.
Life is Beautiful: Concentration camp horrors.
Live and Kicking: Andi Peters leaves the show in the 1990s.
Longtime Companion: AIDS documentary.
Lord of the Rings, Return of the King: Frodo says goodbye to the Hobbits.
Love Story: Ally MacGraw’s farewell from her deathbed.
Magnificent Obsession: Douglas Sirk weepie from the 1950s.
Makeover shows: Changing Rooms man breaks down.
MASH: The final episode.
A Matter of Life and Death: David Niven’s dead pilot gets a second chance.
Midnight Cowboy: The death of Dustin Hoffman’s “Rizzo”.
Miss World 1977: Mary Slavin breaks down with joy.
Monsoon Wedding: Intense drama of abused woman.
Mr Holland’s Opus: Richard Deyfus sings to his deaf son.
My Girl: Macaulay Culkin dies.
Now, Voyager: Bette Davis and “Why ask for the moon . . .”
The Office Christmas Special: Tim and Dawn get together.
On Golden Pond: Henry Fonda’s scenes with daughter Jane.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service: 007’s wife dies.
Operatunity: Reality show. Jane Gilchrist’s debut in Rigoletto.
Ordinary People: Mary Tyler Moore leaves Donald Sutherland.
Oscars: Loads of tears.
The Passion of the Christ: Mary meets her son.
Philadelphia: Tom Hanks’s Maria Callas monologue.
The Pianist: Jewish virtuoso in the war-time ghetto.
Popstars, the Rivals: Weeping Pete admits he is too old.
Pride of Britain Awards: The child who saved her father from a coma.
The Railway Children: The return of their father.
The Remains of the Day: Anthony Hopkins fails to express his love for Emma Thompson.
Rocky: “I did it ADRIAN!”
Romeo and Juliet (1968): Romeo’s death.
The Royle Family: Ricky Tomlinson’s heart-to-heart with pregnant Caroline Aherne.
Schindler’s List: Schindler’s farewell to Stern.
Secrets and Lies: The final family confrontation.
Sex and the City: Final episode.
Shadowlands: Debra Winger dies.
Shane: “Come back, Shane!”
Terminator 2: The Terminator “dies”
Terms of Endearment: The deathbed scene.
Titanic: Leonardo Di Caprio goes under.
To Kill a Mockingbird: Black community salute Gregory Peck.
Touching the Void: Mountaineering drama.
Truly, Madly, Deeply: Alan Rickman returns as a ghost.
Watership Down: Dead rabbits.
The Way We Were: Redford and Streisand meet for the last time.
Whale Rider: New Zealand family drama.
Who Will Love My Children: Woman gives birth and is diagnosed with cancer.
