The Must-Watch Movie For When You Need A Good Cry, According To Reddit

Are you even a cinephile if you don't have a go-to movie that'll get you crying? A Reddit thread started by u/Gunmetalbluezz looking for tear-jerking film recommendations received a wide array of answers from "The Fox and the Hound" to "The Green Mile" to "Everything, Everywhere All at Once." In the end, even the most staunch moviegoers admitted there was one film above the rest that got their waterworks going.

With over 2,200 upvotes, 2013's "About Time," suggested by Redditor u/runs_with_tamborines, significantly beat the competition. The Richard Curtis-directed sci-fi rom-com follows awkward young lawyer Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson), who discovers that the men in his family can travel through time. Using his newfound ability, he attempts to craft the perfect love life with Mary (Rachel McAdams), only to learn that there are catches that come with trying to change his past. 

Users responding to the gut-wrenching pick admitted that "About Time" caught them by surprise on first viewing, with one user proclaiming that their love-hate relationship with the film stems from its misleading marketing campaign that painted the picture as a breezy romance comedy with a sci-fi twist. "And for the first 2/3 of the movie, that's pretty much what it is," they stated. "This was a trap ... now it's too late ... and now you have to watch the last 20 minutes of the movie out of focus because you're sobbing." For many others, however, the film hit on an even deeper and more personal note.

While "About Time" advertises itself as a light-hearted romance-centric narrative, those who have seen the movie know how deep it goes. Dealing with universal themes of achieving happiness and the fragility of life, it's easy to see how "About Time" can catch viewers off guard and get them thinking. However, what transformed the film into an emotional rollercoaster for many was its handling of familial topics, particularly in the tenderly-crafted father-son relationship between Tim Lake and his dad, James (Bill Nighy).  

Redditor u/Roflcopter71 shared that a line spoken towards the end, where the two travel back in time to spend time on the beach during Tim's childhood, was particularly hard-hitting. "His dad says something along the lines of 'just let me watch this one more time,' and it gets me every time," they commented. "I would look up the scene to get the exact quote but I don't feel like bawling my eyes out while I'm at work."

Others, such as u/TheHickeyStand, opened up about how the movie's events conjured up hard memories: "My dad was built a bit like Bill Nighy and had beaten cancer twice when this film came out ... Couldn't drive after seeing the film. A couple of years later, the cancer finally beat dad ... It kills me watching it again, but I can feel dad through Bill." Redditor u/orange_cuse explained why they can't rewatch the film, stating, "Watched this movie around the time my grandmother was passing away. This movie made me rain buckets out of my eyeballs. Still can't rewatch to this day from fear of uncontrollably leaking." 

It should come as no surprise that a film as heartbreaking as "About Time" came from a personal place. Writer and director Richard Curtis, best known for his work on fan-favorite rom-coms such as "Notting Hill," "Bridget Jones's Diary," and "Love Actually," came up with the idea after having a realization about his own life.  

In a 2013 interview with First Showing, Curtis explained that the film's origins stemmed from a lunch with a longtime friend. "He came over. And we tend to talk properly," he said. "We were talking about whether or not we were happy. I slightly surprised myself by saying, 'Not really ...'  And we then had a discussion about what would constitute a perfect day." While Curtis' initial idea for a perfect day was more elaborate, it soon struck him that his present moment was far more fulfilling, continuing, "And, sort of, the day we were having was the perfect day. I was just having lunch with my best friend. I had taken my kids to school. I was going to have dinner with the family." 

The concept stayed with Curtis throughout the week while searching for new writing subjects. Thinking of a fun twist to add to the idea of finding happiness within the ordinary aspects of life, the filmmaker chose to implement time travel as a way for his protagonist to come to a similar conclusion that he did while at lunch. Since the release of "About Time," it's safe to say that Tim Lake wasn't the only one to reach such awareness.