Page 22 - CelebrationsSpring2020

byTimFoster
DWisney Movies That Make Me Cry
e associate many feelings with Walt Disney World and with Disney films;
everything from anticipation and excitement to wonderment and, of course, happiness. But Disney can bring out the emotional side in all of us too, and in many ways that’s the most powerful feeling of all. Not of sadness per se, but something that touches you deeply in a personal way, and may even bring a tear to your eye. It may be the overwhelming sense of unity and togetherness that you got during IllumiNations, or the realization that your childhood dreams are coming true right before your eyes when you see fireworks blooming in the night sky behind Cinderella Castle.
For me, Disney-Pixar animated films are filled with these teary-eyed moments, and no matter how many times I see them, I have to make sure I have a box of tissues right by my side! I had originally written this piece as a blog on our website, celebrationspress.com, but I confess that this was one of my favorite posts, and I wanted to share it with everybody once again (particular for those who hadn’t seen it before). And this time around, I thought I’d a few more that weren’t on my original list. While there are far too many moments to list here, here are a few of my “Most Tearful Disney Movie Moments.” (Tissues ready? OK, here we go!)
Up
I’m sure we can all agree with this one. While most of the film is colorful and filled with exciting adventures, the opening segment is one of the most emotionally powerful moments to be found in any animated film, or dare I say, in any film. As we live out Carl and Ellie’s childhood romance, wedding, and long life together, we are as heartbroken as Carl is when he has to say goodbye to his lifelong love. (I’ll bet there’s a tear in your eye right now, I will openly admit there’s one in mine.) I also get (very) weepy at the end of the film, when Carl steps in and presents Russell with the grape soda cap badge that Ellie gave to him when they were children. It’s the culmination of a long emotional journey for Carl (who’s had to live on his own mourning his lost- but-never-truly-gone love) and for Russell, who grew up without a father.
WALL-E
I’ve gone out on a limb many a time to declare that WALL-E is the greatest love story every committed to film...ever. Animated or otherwise. Though it’s an adventure story on the surface with a powerful ecological message, at its heart it’s a love story; a love story unlike anything we’ve seen before. Storytelling was and will always be at the heart of every Disney film, and the way in which this tale of loneliness, yearning, and love was crafted is pure genius; especially when you consider that the two characters are robots and that the bulk of their story is conveyed with very little or no dialog at all. It’s a beautiful story, but the moment that really makes my heart swell (and makes my tears cascade down my cheek) is when Eve is looking back through video files and realizes that WALL-E was protecting her and standing by her side the whole time she went into hibernation mode. It’s at that point that Eve understands everything that WALL-E had been going through; loneliness, a longing for a love he thought he could never have, and his unwavering devotion to Eve despite her initial (preprogrammed) indifference. It’s Eve’s revelation that really
Tim Foster is the creator of Celebrations magazine and the author of the Guide to
the Magic book series, which includes the Guide to the Magic for Kids and the Deluxe Guide to the Magic Autograph & Sticker Book. Tim is also the creator of the www.celebrationspress.com website.
22 · Celebrations