What To Watch When You Need To Cry

CAST: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Alan Arkin, Haley Hudson, Haley Bennett, Kathleen Turner, Ann Dowd

RATING: PG

DESCRIPTION: This 2008 comedy-drama will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between as you follow the lives of newlyweds John (Wilson) and Jenny (Aniston) Grogan as they make a major move and life change from Michigan to Florida, where they buy their first home together and each try to make their own way working for competing newspapers. Ready to add to the excitement and chaos of this new chapter together but unsure if they’re ready for children, they decide to adopt a yellow Labrador Retriever puppy who they name Marley (after Bob Marley), and immediately have their hands full taking care of the mischievous little guy.

Fall in love with Marley throughout both his life and the Grogans’ as time passes, their family grows, and they experience the tender moments and milestones that will remind us all of both our own life journeys and beloved pets.

Where to watch Marley & Me

CAST: Craig T. Nelson, Bonnie Bedelia, Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard, Erika Christensen, Monica Potter, Sam Jaeger, Mae Whitman, Max Burkholder, Joy Bryant

RATING: TV-PG

DESCRIPTION: Loosely based on the 1989 family comedy-drama film of the same name, Parenthood is a touching series that originally aired on NBC from 2010 to 2015. The show is a certified tearjerker, what with its focus on the relatable highs and lows of family life. Parenthood revolves around three different generations of the Braverman family, led by patriarch and matriarch Ezekiel “Zeek” (Nelson) and Camille (Bedelia). As the two work through their own life and marital issues, their four grown children, Adam (Krause), Sarah (Graham), Crosby (Shepard), and Julia (Christensen), rely on one another to get by, all while dealing with their own challenges as they, themselves, stumble through parenthood and building families of their own.

Where to watch Parenthood

CAST: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, John Morris, Erik von Detten, Laurie Metcalf

RATING: G

DESCRIPTION: If “You’ve Got A Friend In Me,” doesn’t get you a little misty eyed, then at the very least maybe the rest of this heartwarming tale of friendship, change, and coming-of-age will! You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t at least heard of Pixar’s award-winning 1995 animated comedy Toy Story, which was so immediately successful and beloved that it eventually spawned an entire film franchise (if you really want to cry, be sure to watch Toy Story 2 after finishing this film. It’s got to be impossible to stay stone-faced while Sarah McLachlan sings “When She Loved Me”) in addition to loyal fans across all ages.

Toy Story follows a group of toys that belong to a boy named Andy (Morris), whose longtime favorite, a quip-spurting cowboy called Woody (Hanks), is in danger of being replaced after the boy’s parents gift him a Buzz Lightyear (Allen) action figure. When the humans are gone, the toys jump to life, and Buzz’s entrance complicates things for all of them as the older toys worry about becoming obsolete. Things get even trickier when Andy’s family moves, sparking a toy-napping, a daring escape, and a reluctant alliance between rivals.

Where to watch Toy Story

CAST: Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Kristin Chenoweth, Ellen Greene, Swoosie Kurtz, Jim Dale, Field Cate

RATING: TV-PG

DESCRIPTION: It’s hard to believe there’s humor and wholesomeness to be found in a show which such an inherently sad storyline, but Pushing Daisies is one of those underrated and quietly genius titles that manages to toe the line in managing such complexity in order to get it just right. This comedy-drama series originally aired on ABC between 2007 and 2009 and though its run was short, it still hit viewers right in the feels as it followed a pie-maker named Ned (Pace) who is born with the unique ability to reanimate the dead with his touch.

Of course, all powerful gifts must come with a price, this one being that if Ned lets the reanimated being live for more than a minute, something else in the vicinity will die in its stead to maintain balance. And as if that isn’t painful enough, there’s also the sad fact that if Ned touches a reanimated being again, they’ll be permanently dead, which makes it all the more heartbreaking when he reanimates his childhood sweetheart, Chuck (Friel), but is unable to touch her even as they fall for each other all over again in order to keep her alive. Between it all, Ned uses his power to help solve murder mysteries, making for an intricate, binge-worthy, and emotional series that is sure to leave its mark.

Where to watch Pushing Daisies

CAST: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgard, Minnie Driver, Casey Affleck, Cole Hauser

RATING: R

DESCRIPTION: 20 year-old Will Hunting (Damon) is a self-taught genius with an incredibly high IQ and gift for math, but chooses to live and work as a janitor at MIT. It’s there that he anonymously solves a graduate-level math problem left on the blackboard, leading Professor Gerald Lambeau (Skarsgard) to eventually figure out his identity and offer to take Will under his wing and teach him while also receiving treatment from therapist (and Lambeau’s former college roommate), Sean Maguire (Williams). Will is reluctant on both accounts, but agrees, as he’s run into trouble with the law and Lambeau’s offer will also help the troubled youth avoid jail time.

What ensues is an Academy Award-winning film about mental health, love, and human connection, culminating in enough emotional richness and depth to bring a tear (or several) to your eye at least once. If you haven’t already seen it, be sure to give this star-making 1997 drama Good Will Hunting a watch.

Where to watch Good Will Hunting

CAST: Jenny Agutter, Judy Parfitt, Helen George, Jessica Raine, Bryony Hannah, Miranda Hart, Laura Main, Stephen McGann, Cliff Parisi

RATING: TV-PG

DESCRIPTION: This beloved BBC period drama series has been causing tears (mostly of joy!) and taking names for a decade now, earning legions of fans from around the world along the way. Call the Midwife offers an entertaining, moving, and fascinating look at midwifery in 1950s East End London as it begins following newly-minted midwife Jenny Lee (Raine) as she joins an eccentric community of nuns working as nurses at Nonnatus House and finds herself overwhelmed by her new place of work, especially since she was expecting to work at a private hospital rather than a convent. But with time, Jenny finds her way at Nonnatus, making friends with her fellow nurses and caring for the various women and families they interact with and aid along the way.

While Jenny may no longer be on the show, the lovable and heartwarming core of the series with its focus of midwifery and family (both blood and found) remains the same. Indeed, Call the Midwife will pierce through the hearts and tear ducts of even the most stone-cold viewers, so definitely give it a go if you want a good cry while still encountering a happy ending.

Where to watch Call the Midwife

CAST: Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome

RATING: R

DESCRIPTION: If there’s anything that can successfully tug at your heartstrings without much effort its the gorgeous cinematic experience that is Moonlight. The Academy Award-winning coming-of-age drama made in 2016 follows a Black man named Chiron throughout three central stages of his life, from childhood (Alex Hibbert) to adolescence (Sanders) to adulthood (Rhodes) as he grapples with sexuality, manhood, and identity while growing up in Miami, Florida. Using the early guidance and mentorship of local drug dealer, Juan (Ali), Chiron grows from a withdrawn, repressed, and bullied child into a man learning to accept his queerness and love himself.

Moonlight will break your heart and then put it back together, giving you a beautiful and distinctly human story and viewing experience that will stick with you long after the final credits roll.

Where to watch Moonlight

CAST: Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler, Chris Zylka, Margaret Qualley, Carrie Coon, Emily Meade, Amanda Warren, Ann Dowd, Michael Gaston, Max Carver, Charlie Carver, Annie Q., Janel Moloney, Regina King, Kevin Carroll, Jovan Adepo, Scott Glenn

RATING: TV-MA

DESCRIPTION: If you want something straight-up sad to stream, you’ve found it. The Leftovers is a critically-acclaimed HBO Original series that earns its tearjerker status with a bleak premise that takes viewers into an alternate reality where 2% of the human population has disappeared without a trace or explanation.

The supernatural drama begins three years after the initial “Sudden Departure,” as the world tries to cope with 140 million people vanishing into thin air by seeing an influx of cults that have swept many of the remaining humans up by giving them something to believe in (which becomes even more necessary as mainstream organized religions increasingly lose followers). In the middle of it all, Mapleton, New York residents Kevin Garvey Jr. (Theroux), his family, and Meg Abbott (Tyler) see their lives intertwine in unexpected ways as they become embroiled in their town’s conflict between its residents and the leading cults. It’s not a happy story but man, it sure is good.

Where to watch The Leftovers

CAST: Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Abigail Breslin, Alan Arkin, Paul Dano, Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston

RATING: R

DESCRIPTION: For when you’re feeling depressed, defeated, or like an outsider, Little Miss Sunshine is here to remind you that you’re not alone, and that you’re enough as you are (two hard-hitting realizations that are sure to bring tears to many an eye). The 2006 Academy Award-winning road trip tragicomedy centers on six members of the dysfunctional Hoover family as they each go through their own battles and difficulties whilst crammed into a bright yellow Volkswagen van for an 800 mile road trip to support the youngest Hoover, Olive (Breslin), achieve her dream of becoming a beauty queen.

Olive’s pursuit of the Little Miss Sunshine Contest crown doesn’t go as planned, but the unconventional road trip turns out to mean so much more to each family member, bringing them together in a way they never expected while also consistently testing each others’ sanity and boundaries along the way. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll dance like a super freak. It’s the ideal filmic experience, no doubt about it.

Where to watch Little Miss Sunshine

CAST: Will Arnett,  Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, Aaron Paul,

RATING: TV-MA

DESCRIPTION: BoJack Horseman is so much more than it initially appears to be; Don’t let the animated medium and talking animals fool you, because in reality, this Netflix Original tragicomedy is meant for adult eyes only and spends much of its six season run delving into complex issues like depression, addiction, and trauma. Part of what makes the show so emotional, too, is this way it takes viewers by surprise and subverts expectations. After all, who would have thought that a show made up of coexisting anthropomorphic animals and human beings would have so much to poignantly say about racism, sexism, and the human condition?

BoJack Horseman follows the titular humanoid horse (Arnett), who used to be a sitcom star in the ’90s but is now a washed up, jaded, and self-hating 50-something who is desperate to turn his life around by overcoming his past and reclaiming his dignity. But Hollywood isn’t what it used to be, and BoJack finds himself struggling just trying to stay afloat in a world that kept moving without him and is content to continue to do so. See, surprisingly deep stuff! You can’t help but be moved by the simultaneously depressing, hopeful, and hilarious ride that is BoJack Horseman.

Where to watch BoJack Horseman

CAST: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Teyonah Parris, Colman Domingo, Brian Tyree Henry, Ed Skrein, Emily Rios, Michael Beach, Aunjanue Ellis

RATING: R

DESCRIPTION: If you could describe If Beale Street Could Talk in one word, it’d likely be “breathtaking.” And perhaps that’s no surprise, considering that it’s based on the 1974 novel of the same name written by the incomparable James Baldwin. The Academy Award-winning 2018 romantic-drama follows Clementine “Tish” Rivers (Layne), a young woman who hopes to clear the name of her wrongly-convicted lover, Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt (James), and prove his innocence and make sure that he’s a free man so that he can be there for the birth of their child.

But at the core of If Beale Street Could Talk is a love story so potent and pure that you’ll feel it in your soul, watching the world take and take from the central young couple while they refuse to break, even in the face of blatant racism, sexual misconduct, and more. It’s painful, haunting, and strikingly beautiful, truly an emotional perfect storm.

Where to watch If Beale Street Could Talk 

CAST: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez, Mathew St. Patrick, Rachel Griffiths, Jeremy Sisto, James Cromwell, Justina Machado, Richard Jenkins

RATING: TV-MA

DESCRIPTION: If contemplating your own mortality brings a tear to your eye, then Six Feet Under is really going to do a number on you. Despite originally airing from 2001 to 2005, the well-written and incredibly acted HBO Original black comedy series remains extremely evocative, unforgettable, and relevant to this day, as it chronicles the lives of the dysfunctional Fisher family as brothers Nate (Krause) and Richard (Hall) reluctantly take over their family-owned funeral home in Los Angeles after the death of their father (Jenkins).

Unsurprisingly, death is a major presence in the series, and with it, the topics of religion, philosophy, and morality, making for a somewhat shocking (each episode even begins with a death), surreal, and ahead-of-its-time show that is sure to affect you, and will certainly leave a lasting impact for all who make the great choice of giving it a shot.

Where to watch Six Feet Under

CAST: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguía, Edward James Olmos, Alfonso Arau, Selene Luna, Herbert Sigüenza, Jaime Camil, Sofía Espinosa, Luis Valdez, Carla Medina

RATING: PG

Where to stream Coco

DESCRIPTION: Tender and catchy original music? A plucky young boy with big dreams? An exploration of family, death, and the afterlife? Yeah, Coco checks all the boxes for an amazing movie that’s guaranteed to make you cry. This Academy Award-winning Pixar animated fantasy follows 12-year-old boy Miguel (Gonzalez) who wants nothing more than to become a big-name musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (Bernal), but finds his dreams and talent stifled by his family’s strict stance against music due to a past event that changed the course of their lives forever.

But when Miguel ends up in the Land of the Dead on Día de Muertos, he is faced not only with a quest to receive a blessing from a deceased member of his family in order to return to Land of the Living, but also with the unique opportunity to finally uncover the family secrets that will explain his relatives’ aversion to music, and hopefully give him a chance to change their minds. Get your tissues ready, because you’ll need ’em (especially when “Remember Me” comes on. There won’t be a dry eye in the house).