Movies That Made Everyone Cry In The 90s

Movies That Made Everyone Cry In The 90s


December 20, 2024 | Alex Summers

Movies That Made Everyone Cry In The 90s


Crying At The Club

"Dad, wake up... we gotta go home," young Simba pleads, his voice breaking. If that iconic scene from The Lion King still brings tears to your eyes decades later, you're not alone. Here are 90s films that'll make you cry HARD.

Intro

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Schindler's List (1993)

Schindler's List, the epic historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg, is based on the book Schindler's Ark by Keneally. The movie is a real-life story of Oskar Schindler, a German guy who rescued Polish Jews during the Holocaust and gave them jobs in his enamelware factory.

Screenshot from the movie Schindler's List (1993)Universal, Schindler's List (1993)

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Schindler's List (1993) (Cont.)

The emotional Talmudic saying, "Whoever saves one life saves the world entirely," has stayed with audiences even today. In 2004, it was even selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". 

Screenshot from the Movie Schindler's List (1993)Universal, Schindler's List (1993)

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Forrest Gump (1994)

This film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Tom Hanks. The movie follows Forrest Gump, played by Tom Hanks, a guy with an IQ of 75. Even then, he ends up being a part of major historical events throughout his life.

Screenshot of the movie Forrest GumpParamount, Forrest Gump (1994)

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Forrest Gump (1994) (Cont.)

Forrest's character is shown as simple yet profound. His relationship with Jenny (Robin Wright) is especially a main emotional thread throughout the film. A critic, Anthony Lane from The New Yorker, described the film as "warm, wise, and kind of exhausting".

Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump wearing red hatParamount, Forrest Gump (1994)

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The Green Mile (1999)

As an American fantasy crime drama, this movie premiered in December 1999. The cast is well set with Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Sam Rockwell, and James Cromwell. Within it, you will find themes of compassion and the morality of capital punishment. 

Screenshot of Tom Hanks from - The Green Mile (1999)Castle Rock, The Green Mile (1999)

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The Green Mile (1999) (Cont.)

Darabont's direction and the film's cinematography add to the story's emotional weight. It is set in Louisiana during the Great Depression and is about Paul Edgecomb, a death row prison guard at Cold Mountain Penitentiary, who encounters John Coffey. 

Screenshot from the movie The Green Mile (1999)Warner Bros., The Green Mile (1999)

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The Green Mile (1999) (Cont.)

Coffey is sentenced for the murder of two young girls. As Paul gets to know John better, he finds out that John has some wild healing powers. This makes Paul start to wonder if John is really guilty after all. 

The Green Mile (1999)Castle Rock Entertainment, The Green Mile (1999)

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The Lion King (1994)

Most of us have watched this masterpiece. It grossed over $763 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 1994. The movie digs into grief as a heartfelt emotion, especially taking us through Simba's journey after losing his dad, Mufasa.

Screenshot from the movie The Lion King (1994)Walt Disney, The Lion King (1994)

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The Lion King (1994) (Cont.)

That scene where Simba finds his father's body is just plain heartbreaking. He is in shock and denial as he calls out for Mufasa. The story is said to be loosely based on William Shakespeare's Hamlet and draws on African wildlife and culture for its setting.

Creepy momentsFlickr

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Titanic (1997)

Here comes the classic love story that HAD to be on the list. Titanic unfolds the tale of an ill-fated ship during its maiden voyage in April 1912. It is the story of Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), a young woman from an upper-class family, and Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a penniless artist.

Screenshot from the film Titanic (1997)Paramount, Titanic (1997)

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Titanic (1997) (Cont.)

The climax of their love story culminates in Jack's sacrifice for Rose. He ensures her survival by giving up his own life. Apart from the dramatic sinking, the music score by James Horner, particularly the song "My Heart Will Go On," performed by Celine Dion, is still as iconic as ever. 

Titanic Jack and Rose in the cold waterParamount , Titanic (1997)

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A Little Princess (1995)

This "little princess's" life drastically changes when she learns that her father has been presumed dead and his fortune seized. She then gets demoted to the status of a servant. The film is set in 1914, when Sara Crewe and her father, Captain Richard Crewe, live in India.

Screenshot from the movie A Little Princess (1995)Warner Bros., A Little Princess (1995)

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A Little Princess (1995) (Cont.)

When her father is called to serve in the war, he enrolls Sara in a prestigious New York boarding school run by the strict Miss Minchin, where she is treated badly after his death. Despite this, Sara maintains her kindness, believing "all girls are princesses".

Spoiled Heiress FactsA little princess,Warner Bros.

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The Bodyguard (1992)

Apparently, the script for this one was written by Lawrence Kasdan in the mid-1970s. The relationship between Rachel and her bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is affected by the circumstances of their lives. Their romance grows amid danger, with moments of intimacy with urgency and risk. 

Screenshot of Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner talking outside - from The Bodyguard (1992)Warner Bros., The Bodyguard (1992)

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The Bodyguard (1992) (Cont.)

The movie is about Rachel Marron, played by Whitney Houston, who's a well-known singer and actress. She starts getting creepy threats from a stalker, and Framer is hired to take care of it. The film concludes with a bittersweet farewell between the two.

Screenshot from the film The Bodyguard (1992)Warner Bros., The Bodyguard (1992)

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Free Willy (1993) 

Here's a family drama about a young boy and his bond with an orca whale. It is directed by Simon Wincer. Jesse (played by Jason James Richter) is a 12-year-old orphaned kid who becomes friends with Willy, a whale stuck in an amusement park. 

Screenshot from the film Free Willy (1993)Warner Bros., Free Willy (1993)

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Free Willy (1993) (Cont.)

So, when Jesse finds out that the park's owner wants to take Willy out for insurance cash, he comes up with a plan to help free him and get him back to the ocean. It is the strong friendship between the two that is truly unmissable. 

Free WillyFree Willy (1993) - Hitting the Glass Scene (7/10) | Movieclips by Movieclips

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Free Willy (1993) (Cont.)

The movie even won a nomination for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards for "Will You Be There," intensely performed by Michael Jackson. The critic Roger Ebert mentioned that "Free Willy has a kind of gentle sweetness that I found very appealing". 

Free Willy Free Willy (1993) - Hitting the Glass Scene (7/10) | Movieclips by Movieclips

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My Girl (1991) 

This is a coming-of-age story about friendship and loss. The film was commercially successful, collecting approximately $121 million worldwide against a budget of $17 million. The story takes place in Madison, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1972, and it's all about 11-year-old Vada Sultenfuss. 

Classic Films FactsMy Girl,Columbia Pictures

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My Girl (1991) (Cont.)

She lives in a funeral home that her dad runs. Vada struggles with her mother's passing during childbirth and develops an obsession with death while forming a close friendship with Thomas J. The unfortunate complexities of growing up are highlighted in My Girl.

Tearjerker Movies factsMy Girl (1991), Columbia Pictures

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The Bridges Of Madison County (1995)

Clint Eastwood directed the movie, and he also plays Robert Kincaid, while Meryl Streep takes on the role of Francesca Johnson. Both of them got a lot of praise for their deep performances, especially Streep, who even snagged an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

A screenshot of the movie The Bridges Of Madison CountyAmblin Entertainment, The Bridges Of Madison County (1995)

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The Bridges Of Madison County (1995) (Cont.)

This touching story—about a short-lived romance between a photographer and a housewife—captures the bittersweet side of the choices we make in life. Francesca faces choices between her responsibilities as a wife and mother and her longing for personal fulfillment through love.

Screenshot from the film The Bridges of Madison County (1995)Handout, Getty Images

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Lorenzo's Oil (1992)

Lorenzo's Oil is an emotional movie based on the real-life struggle of parents Augusto and Michaela Odone. They're on a mission to find a cure for their son Lorenzo, who has adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), which is a rare and devastating neurological disease.

Lorenzo's Oil (1992)Lorenzo's Oil (1992) | trailer by MDB trailers

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Lorenzo's Oil (1992)

What the film holds on to is the powerful emotional and mental struggles of the Odones. They tackle the difficulties of medical research, face skepticism from the scientific community, and deal with the heartbreaking realities of their son's deteriorating health. 

Lorenzo's Oil (1992)Lorenzo's Oil (1992) | trailer by MDB trailers

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Lorenzo's Oil (1992)

Zack O'Malley Greenburg takes on the role of Lorenzo. Quite obviously, Lorenzo's Oil received two nominations at the 1993 Oscars. One was for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Susan Sarandon, and another was for Best Original Screenplay that went to George Miller and Nick Enright.

Lorenzo's Oil Lorenzo's Oil (1992) | trailer by MDB trailers

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