1. Bridge To Terabithia (2007)
If you had a chance to read it before it was banned, you already knew how heart-breaking this story is. Seeing it on the big screen... well that makes it 10 times worse. We get this happy story about imagination and friendship only to have it come crashing down suddenly. Poor Jesse has one of the best days of his life only to come home to find out that (pretty much) his only friend, and the character we grew to love, is dead. And if you're watching that for the first time, then it's pretty out of nowhere and hits you hard.
2. The Iron Giant (1999)
A great bonding story between a boy and some really big robot. An unlikely friendship catches the eye of a government agent who is determined to destroy the machine (probably in fear of it) while Hogarth tries to protect him. In the end, Hogarth is the one who stops the Iron Giant from attacking any further and we're left bawling as the Iron Giant flies into the sky to save Hogarth and the rest of his town from a launched missile. The goodbye between him and the Iron Giant before he flies to save the day may have been a little too much for us kids. "You are who you choose to be," and he was Superman!
3. My Girl (1991)
What is with these movies and ripping friendships apart!? Another movie about a girl and a boy, Vada and Thomas, who develop a friendship as Vada is going through her own "girl trouble." An 11-year-old who is growing up without her mother and going through her changes and doesn't really know how to handle it, the only OK thing going for her is Thomas and he's a pretty nice kid! He even goes back into the woods to find Vada's ring and ultimately meets his demise because of his severe allergy to bees. What's worse than this sweet kid dying is the funeral scene... Vada running to the casket crying and shouting, "Put on his glasses. He can't see without his glasses!"
Hurts every time...
4. The Fox And The Hound (1981)
This movie has way too many sad scenes in it! Tod and Copper is another friendship that gets ripped apart, they fight, Copper saves Tod from being attacked, and one of the worst scenes of all: when the widow who raises Tod as a baby is forced to drop him off into the wild. She's visibly sad as she drives into the woods, a monologue of their relationship and how she loves him, and then she just puts him down in the woods, takes his collar, and drives away! She leaves him sitting there confused and we're left crying, "Why?"
5. The Land Before Time (1988)
Although overall it's a bit of a feelgood movie, Littlefoot is orphaned when his mother dies while protecting him. Hearing Littlefoot shouting for his mother after a terrible fight with a dangerous dinosaur is heart-wrenching, watching Littlefoot beg his mother to come with him as she tries to tell him directions to find the others, zooming out as they are left in the rain, all of it is just so... painful.
6. The Neverending Story (1984)
Bastian is the hero that Fantasia needs to survive against a darkness that is taking over this fantasy world. It's an interesting movie with adventure and friendship, but like all sad movies, death isn't avoided here. His horse, Artax, gets stuck in the swap of sadness and starts to sink. Hearing Bastain scream for his friend to fight and beg for him to move is utterly heartbreaking. He screams for his horse, saying he loves him and that he won't give up, but all of it is in vain and we're left crying about this fictional horse.
7. Marley And Me (2008)
For anyone who has/has had a dog, this movie is too real and hits you hard in the gut. Our furry friends are with us for years until it's time for them to go and we're stuck with only memories. This movie hits right on the nose how it is to have a dog, through moves and career changes, weddings and holidays, through a child's entire time growing up. and through a dog's terrible behavior. Seeing Marley over the years through his family only makes it harder for us than it is John, Jenny, and their kids to say goodbye.
8. Pokemon: The First Movie (1998)
What's more painful than watching Pikachu cry over his owner's "death"? Watching all the other Pokemon cry as well, and watching poor Pikachu try to shock his owner in hope that he'll "wake up" and be okay. Ash basically sacrifices himself to stop the fight between Mew and Mewtwo, and if that doesn't hurt you enough then Pikachu's sad crying face is sure to get you. There was no Pokemon fan that wasn't crying at this movie.
9. Up (2009)
What is it with kids movies and tearing friendships apart? Although "Up" is an overall fine movie, the beginning is anything but happy. A quick way to show Carl's past is through a small montage of his life with his friend and eventual wife, but that quickly goes south. We haven't even heard them speak a word yet but we grow attached to this love story, only to have it hit rock bottom. Carl's wife either suffers a miscarriage or finds out she cannot have children, they have to keep breaking their adventure funds for situations that keep happening, and then the worst part: he decides to surprise his wife with their adventure after all these years but she's sick. At the end of his montage, Carl's wife has passed and we're left crying our eyes out in a matter of minutes.
10. Toy Story 3 (2010)
Lastly, this movie isn't really old enough to be from our childhood, but it leaves an emotional impact anyway. We grew up on Toy Story and the adventures of Woody and Buzz so "Toy Story 3" really hits home with us because we can relate to it so much. Andy, like us, has grown up and it's time to say goodbye to his old toys. Even as teenagers watching this movie, we can still cry like a kid as Andy gives his toys to the younger girl and says goodbye. That "so long partner" is enough to really hit us in the feels.
