I’m asking as I’m trying to understand empathy and whether it’s normal to get so invested in fake characters, I mean it’s probably a testament to the writers but I overthink… a lot.
This question was bright on as I’ve been catching up on The Blacklist and at lunch today watching Season 8 Episode name “Anne “ and it wrecked me.
Tap for spoiler
Basically the main character Red has to live a guarded life and for once he let it form and got close to Anne and you could tell shit was going to go downhill and it destroyed me when you think about it from his or her perspective.
For reference I’m 41 year old dude, not that it matters.
Edit: Bedtime for me but back tomorrow to reply to all.
Edit 2: I’ve got 41 comments to respond to. Currently working but I’ll be back y’all.
Damn, UP nearly killed me! I mean, he loses Elli (yes, i know that name and it made it hit doubly hard) AND the dog?
(Also, there seems to be an updog joke hidden somewhere in here, but I can’t seem to find it.)
Guess it is too hard to pick a single scene from “Grave of the Fireflies”? That movie is basically an emotional gut punch from start to finish.
Aww man I’ve only seen one of these and I’m not even sure what 1 and 2 are from, but The Green Mile is another one I’ve sobbed my eyes out too.
We saying I need to watch The Lion King, Bambi?, and whatever the other two are.
I’ve been watching slot of movies recently as never really was a movie guy so I’ll add these to my perfectly legal media server.
The movie “Up” and “Harold and Maude”.
Me, and yes it’s normal to have an emotional reaction to media. You want a good cry? Watch Violet Evergarden. That shit’ll wreck you.
Yes, of course it’s normal. It’s not necessarily the writing; sometimes it’s the music or cinematography that’ll get you. For me it’s often a strong vocal, as a minimum I’ll get goosebumps.
Yeah, I get teary eyed when watching movies all the time. I watched the new Lil and stitch the other week and even though the story isn’t super deep, it made me cry a little in the end.
Only certain scenes in movies/tv shows, ie: at the end of Warrior when Joel Edgerton is holding up Tom Hardy while walking out of the cage match. It doesn’t matter I’ve seen the film a dozen times or more, I still bawl my eyes watching it.
The film Click always makes me cry. You know, the comedy where Adam Sandler has a magic tv remote? I’m not gonna go into too much detail on which scene; spoiler tags don’t seem to work on my Lemmy reader, so I won’t know if I’m doing it right. I’m just going to say it’s the scene where he has an important message to deliver to his son. Gets me every time.
When it’s good, certainly. We gotta grab whatever chance we have to feel things intensely, unless the moment doesn’t call for it, before our time is up and we can’t anymore!
I consider myself a pretty calm, stoic person, but there have been many movies that I couldn’t hold back tears. It comes to me when the movie takes an unexpected joyous turn.
I am wildly stoic (I HAVE to be due to life situations) but I also get teary-eyed at joyous scenarios and depictions of acts of Good.
Over the past 20 years I have noticed that I suddenly get teary and emotional over random thoughts or memories which leads me to believe that I am in great need of therapy but cannot engage in it.
Sounds like there is a weight to be shed. I hope you find that release.
I cry watching space rockets launching.
I cry (or at least feel a very strong impulse to cry) from good stories all the time. If the stories you’re partaking of aren’t making you feel something, then I feel as though they’re a waste of time and not really well written.
I agree, but I think sometimes it’s fine to just want to consume something bland to just chill.
Big Fish in particular got me because my dad is similar to the protagonist’s.
It’s funny, I was pretty much in your shoes (who cries at imaginary people?) For most things. Then covid hit, something flipped and damn, I’m pretty sure I’ve had tears in more movies in the last 3 years than the 30 before that.
I’m curious how old you were when Covid hit? I noticed a similar change somewhere in my early to mid 20s.
I was 34. But maybe a late emotional developer?
The older I get, the more I don’t give a fuck and just let go. Interstellar - when Cooper is watching messages from his son… Gets me every damn time.
And books.
If the story and characters are well written and/or acted well enough to pull you in to the story you can certainly feel empathy and other feelings vicariously.
There is plenty of entertainment that does not pull the viewer/reader in, and you don’t particularly get “involved” with them.
I’d be curious what the line is for most people, what draws them in to a story emotionally to make that investment in a fictional character.
Me, alot actually. If your movie made me feel nothing it probably sucked. If it actually managed to make me cry it’s probably a pretty good movie.
