Though the majority of North American children find both comfort and a sense of home in the Disney shows and films that we grew up on, it would be wrong to ignore the fact that these movies were not always comforting in the slightest. Yes, these movies remind us of a simpler time filled with footie pajamas, a lack of responsibility, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They taught us right from wrong, how to treat others, and provided us with some questionable crushes that we would ponder over long after the movie ended. However, they also taught us what true sadness, pain, and loss was.
I don’t know whether or not Disney prefers making us smile or cry, but they are gosh-darn good at both. The only thing I could think of that makes children (and adults) cry more than Disney movies is when you drop your ice cream cone seconds after receiving it. Nothing else can equate to the trauma of watching a Disney film start to finish.
But, because I love making myself sad, I decided to go through every film, made for TV movie, and show that the Disney corporation has made in the attempt to compile a list of 20 of the saddest moments in Disney history. Note: since I am not a sadist, I did not include Up on this list. I, for one, like to pretend that movie never existed. It was brilliant and beautifully done, but my god it hurts.
Via Goodreads[/caption]
Whose idea was it to make this movie? What group of people sat down and decided that making a movie about an abandoned baby fox that gets raised by a woman who later has to leave him in the forest, to be raised by his own kind? Who had the right to create a movie in which a little baby fox meets a little puppy who changes his life… who eventually grow apart and become something akin to enemies? The scene where Todd’s mother has to leave him in the woods for his own safety is the most heartbreaking moment in the entire film. Todd doesn’t understand why she is doing what she is doing or that she is doing what she thinks is best for him. It hurts and I don’t think I will ever watch this movie again.
Via Giphy[/caption]
When we meet Meg, we see her failing at recruiting a beast for Hades’s prospective army. Why is she doing this? Because she sold her soul in order to save her ex, who ended up leaving her the second someone else came along. Resulting in Meg having to carry out the rest of her sentence, alone. But everything changes when she lets her guard down and lets Hercules see her vulnerable side.
She would do anything for her farm boy.
And she shows that by saving his life by dooming her own. She shoves him out of the way of a falling pillar and is crushed underneath it herself. She does it in the name of love. And he dives right into that pit of souls and punches Hades in the face just to get her back.
Via MTV[/caption]
When you get swept up by the quirky alien fun and silly Elvis impressions, it can be easy to forget what the film is actually about. Sure, Stitch is funny and nothing can get a laugh out of an audience more than watching an otherworldly creature struggle to adjust to our Earthly customs. But underneath that is a film about two orphaned sisters who do everything they can to take care of each other.
But in the end, it almost wasn’t enough.
Nani did everything she can to raise Lilo the best she could but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hold down a job nor could she keep Lilo out of trouble. The hardest moment of the movie was the moment in which Cobra Bubbles comes to take Lilo away. I usually get up to go get a snack (and cry into the fridge) when that scene rolls around.
Via Fanpop[/caption]
For those of you who haven’t seen the film, Pixel Perfect is about a dude whose band needs a new lead singer, so he decides to make one. Using photoshop, magazine clippings, and photos of his crush- he creates the “perfect woman” to lead their band and take them from the garage to the stage. But tragedy befalls them when his crush (and best friend) finds out that a part of her was used to create the holographic pop star. She finds dozens of photos of her with different parts of her body crossed out (i.e. not deemed “good enough” to exist on the “perfect woman” he was creating). Though this is remedied in the end by our lead saying that her imperfections is what makes her perfect, the idea that someone would evaluate and deem certain aspects of your appearance “not good enough” is quite abhorrent.
Via Giphy[/caption]
Ah, yes. Toy Story 3. You know the scene… that painful scene where all your beloved childhood characters are facing a definite end to their life and they hold hands and embrace it? That scene? The fact that all of these characters might be ending is painful in and of itself. However, the fact that they serenely accept it makes it so much worse. They aren’t running.
They aren’t trying to escape.
The toys aren’t even trying to comfort each other or convince each other that it is going to be okay. They all know what is coming, they silently confirm it with each other, and they just accept that there is nothing that they can do except be here for each other. So that’s what they do. They spend their final moments letting each other know that no one is going into this alone. That if they have to go, they will go together.
Via Giphy[/caption]
I know that the Disney straight to DVD/VHS sequels are a controversial topic in the Disney fandom, but I have to say that I might like Beauty and the Beast: Enchanted Christmas more than its predecessor. Belle’s solo book song is both beautiful on its own and it also provides a deeper insight into Belle and her interests that the original film does not. But in its later acts, the film takes a dark turn. After Belle nearly turns into a princess cube at the bottom of a lake while wandering into the forbidden part of the woods, the Beast locks her up in the dungeons for her own safety. And Belle gives up.
She loses her spirit, her defiant nature, and herself.
She stops fighting against the Beast and just gives up. Belle accepts that she will spend the rest of her life as a prisoner and turns into a shell of her former self. It is crushing to witness.
Via Popkey[/caption]
The Sheriff of Nottingham might, honestly, be the biggest villain in the entire Disney lexicon. I mean, I cannot imagine someone so cruel that they would think nothing of stealing a gold coin from a small child. Especially if that coin took their entire family months of scrimping and starving to save up for. He literally snatches that baby bunny's birthday coin before the baby even gets to hold the thing. I can’t even comprehend the wealth of emotions that mama bunny must have been struggling to control at that moment. Imagine doing everything you can, even though you’re struggling, so that you can give your small son a good birthday and then having a local government official kick down your door and steal your child's present.
Via Tumblr[/caption]
Disney has it out for moms. Honestly, I bet we could count the mothers who make it to the end of a Disney film on one hand. I don’t know which mother’s premature expiration hurt me the most as a child (and full grown adult.) Was it Cinderella losing both of her parents? Bambi’s mother being blown away right before his eyes in the midst of the storm? Was it Nemo’s mom meeting a fishy fate that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy? The Baker’s Wife who took a tumble off the side of a cliff in Into the Woods?
Was it Anna and Elsa’s parents who were torn apart at sea?
What about Ariel’s mother whose life was ended by the people who she protected from her husband? What about Dumbo’s mom? I mean, she doesn’t explicitly pass but she isn’t prancing around with her son either.
Via Giphy[/caption]
If you are watching a movie with an animal in it, you should Google whether or not that animal makes it till the credits before getting too invested. Since I was only seven the first time I saw Homeward: Bound, I didn’t have the ability to whip out a mobile device in order to check the longevity of the animals on screen. So I just had to trust in the fact that my parents would never knowingly show me a film that would hurt me so much. But when Shadow got stuck in the mud and realized that he wasn’t able to escape, I realized what true pain was. He was too old and he just couldn’t get out on his own. The sigh of relief that shot out of me when it was later revealed that he made it could have inflated a hot air balloon.
Via GramUnion[/caption]
This scene will most likely have a much larger impact on me when I have kids of my own that I am struggling to connect with, but I’ve always felt for Goofy in this film. He is trying. Trying so hard. He just wants his son to be happy and safe, but he has no idea how to reconnect with his aging son. Everything he does to connect with his son just pushes Max further away.
Tensions rise until it all blows up.
But the moment where they let their guards down and let each other back into their hearts absolutely destroys me. Nothing makes me a bigger blubbering mess than healthy parent-child relationships. Sure, things between Max and Goofy aren’t perfect but they are both trying, and that’s all that matters.
Via Giphy[/caption]
Kim and Ron were inseparable since they were little kids. Since the good ol’ pre-K years. But in the TV movie Sitch in Time, one of Ron’s parents get a crazy good job offer which prompts them to move across the world. This forces Ron and Kim to learn that long distance relationships are harder than they look. Child me was absolutely crushed when the duo reunited for their first post move mission and lost miserably to their greatest enemies.
They were out of sync. Even the best of friends lose touch when someone moves away and seeing it happen to my childhood idols were soul crushing. Luckily everything was fixed by the end of the film, but I was absolutely distraught while watching Ron and Kim pretending like everything was fine while they both struggled to maintain their friendship despite the distance between them.
Via That's So Elliot[/caption]
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the dozens of episodes of shows from the Disney Channel which delve into deeper topics. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good campy family sitcom but I also love when shows decide to take a break from puns and silly one liners in order to teach children important lessons. You could always tell that a serious episode was beginning when the laugh track would become suspiciously quiet. Some important topics covered were racism and eating disorders (That’s So Raven), the holocaust, cultural appropriation, and how to properly and respectfully interact with someone with a disability (Girl Meets World), male body positivity issues (Lizzie McGuire), and unhealthy relationships (Hannah Montana). Seeing these beloved characters struggle with such serious topics is always a difficult task and I always keep a box of tissues close when these episodes arise.
Via Giphy[/caption]
Oh boy, Finding Nemo is just full of “tear-your-beating-heart-out-of-your-chest-so-it-stops-hurting” moments. I mean, come on. The movie opens with one of the most brutal scenes in the Disney lexicon. Shortly afterwards, Nemo is taken from his father and then when his father finally finds him, he sees him pretending to be belly up in order to trick the fish shaking Darla. Which causes Marlin to give up Belle style.
Without his wife or his son, he decides he has nothing.
But to Dory, Marlin is everything. She has made so much progress by the end of the film and she is terrified that losing him would result in her losing everything she had gained. The moment she utters the lines “I don’t want to forget” is the moment that I felt my heart fall into my stomach.
Via Gramunion[/caption]
People trust their mothers, even if they don’t have reason to. Even though Rapunzel’s “mother” was cruel, neglectful, and spiteful towards her, Rapunzel still trusted her with her life. When Rapunzel rebelled against her by searching out the lanterns with Eugene, she felt like, for the first time, that maybe her mother didn’t know best. But the second she thought Eugene turned on her, she realized that her mother was right about everything.
She returned to her tower; determined to never doubt her again.
But the moment that Rapunzel realizes that her “mother” had been lying to and manipulating her the entire time was the hardest moment of the film. Seeing the pain that flashes across her eyes as she realized that her entire life was a lie is just so painful.
Via DeviantArt[/caption]
For those of you haven’t seen the amazing fantasy film that is The Black Cauldron, allow me to fill you in. Basically, this dude named Taran has a future seeing pig that runs into the forest. When he goes to chase the pig down, he meets this little Smeagol like creature that sticks to him like glue (which Taran despises.) While hunting this pig down, he runs into The Horned King- who wants to use this magical pig for evil. Taran and the lovable misfits he meets along the way get captured by The Horned King and Gurgi realizes that the only way for his friends to sacrifice himself. So he does. I literally screamed at my TV when I watched him hurl himself off that ledge. Luckily, Gurgi makes it. But those ten minutes where I thought he was gone was the hardest ten minutes of my life.
Via Tumblr[/caption]
The Bridge to Terabithia… Who decided to greenlight this movie? I mean, come on. I remember the first time I saw and was permanently scarred by this movie. It was in the sixth grade and our teacher decided to surprise us with a new movie that had just come out. She showed us the cover of the DVD and none of us had heard of the movie, but we were missing 2 solid hours of class time so there were no complaints.
And then Leslie… I can’t even say it.
You all know exactly which scene I am talking about. There was not a dry eye in that classroom. Even the boys were crying (and we all know how boys are terrified to cry in public in the sixth grade.) I have never watched that movie again.
Via Imgur[/caption]
The Incredibles is a special movie. There is just nothing out there like it. The sadness gets under your skin and rips you apart from the inside out. I don’t know which scene was harder to stomach. Was it the part where Mr. Incredible was shackled up, thinking that he was listening to his family get torn from the sky, and not being able to do a single thing about it. He believed he had lost everything he held dear all because he wanted to hold on to his title of “hero” as long as he could. He thought he lost everything. That silence rang through that room. Or was it the moment where he begged Elastic Girl to stay with him in the film's final scene because he couldn’t stand losing them again?
Via Imgur[/caption]
Wreck it Ralph is one of the best and most underrated Disney films of all time. The message is equally untraditional and heartwarming in the most realistic way. Ralph doesn’t become the hero and Vanellope’s glitch isn’t fixed. They find ways to make the cards that they’ve been dealt work for them. They didn’t get changed or rescued, they just made the best out of what they already had. But since this film was made by Disney, they had to find a way to break our hearts some way or another. And for me, the hardest part of the film was watching Ralph smash Vanellope’s cart. She was nothing but kind, loving, and trusting. And she had to watch the person that she trusted the most break the thing that meant the most to her.
Via Gramunion[/caption]
The live-action Cinderella was far more painful than the original. In the original, it seems like Cinderella has already written off all chances of her stepfamily ever treating her with kindness and just wants to survive their house and move on whenever that chance arises. However, in the live action version, Ella struggles with the fact that her new family will never accept her as one of their own and that she will most likely spend the rest of her life as their slave. The most painful moment of the film is the moment where Lady Tremaine questions why Ella would think to set a place for herself at the table. This scene shows Ella that she will never be accepted or even loved by her new family and that they will never see her as anything else but a dirty servant girl... I need a moment.
Via Giphy[/caption]
You knew this was coming. You had time to prepare for it. Did you really think that I could write a list about Disney moments that made the world want to tear their hearts out of their chests without including the moment that scarred every millennial (and their parents) for life? Most of the Disney passings were offscreen.
They were subtle… merely hinted at.
Sometimes they happened during the intro dialogue so the absent family member was never truly a part of the story at all. But this was one of the first tragedies that happened on screen, in full view, in a Disney film. Not only does the “event” happen entirely on screen but we also have to watch Simba try to wake Mufasa up. Yeah, that one hurt. It was almost as bad as the wildebeests.
Where Did The Fox Go?
[caption id="attachment_133949" align="alignnone" width="1003"]
Via Goodreads[/caption]
Whose idea was it to make this movie? What group of people sat down and decided that making a movie about an abandoned baby fox that gets raised by a woman who later has to leave him in the forest, to be raised by his own kind? Who had the right to create a movie in which a little baby fox meets a little puppy who changes his life… who eventually grow apart and become something akin to enemies? The scene where Todd’s mother has to leave him in the woods for his own safety is the most heartbreaking moment in the entire film. Todd doesn’t understand why she is doing what she is doing or that she is doing what she thinks is best for him. It hurts and I don’t think I will ever watch this movie again.
When Meg Sacrifices Everything... Again
[caption id="attachment_133951" align="alignnone" width="1112"]
Via Giphy[/caption]
When we meet Meg, we see her failing at recruiting a beast for Hades’s prospective army. Why is she doing this? Because she sold her soul in order to save her ex, who ended up leaving her the second someone else came along. Resulting in Meg having to carry out the rest of her sentence, alone. But everything changes when she lets her guard down and lets Hercules see her vulnerable side.
She would do anything for her farm boy.
And she shows that by saving his life by dooming her own. She shoves him out of the way of a falling pillar and is crushed underneath it herself. She does it in the name of love. And he dives right into that pit of souls and punches Hades in the face just to get her back.
"Ohana Means Family"
[caption id="attachment_133952" align="alignnone" width="978"]
Via MTV[/caption]
When you get swept up by the quirky alien fun and silly Elvis impressions, it can be easy to forget what the film is actually about. Sure, Stitch is funny and nothing can get a laugh out of an audience more than watching an otherworldly creature struggle to adjust to our Earthly customs. But underneath that is a film about two orphaned sisters who do everything they can to take care of each other.
But in the end, it almost wasn’t enough.
Nani did everything she can to raise Lilo the best she could but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hold down a job nor could she keep Lilo out of trouble. The hardest moment of the movie was the moment in which Cobra Bubbles comes to take Lilo away. I usually get up to go get a snack (and cry into the fridge) when that scene rolls around.
Franken-Woman
[caption id="attachment_133953" align="alignnone" width="836"]
Via Fanpop[/caption]
For those of you who haven’t seen the film, Pixel Perfect is about a dude whose band needs a new lead singer, so he decides to make one. Using photoshop, magazine clippings, and photos of his crush- he creates the “perfect woman” to lead their band and take them from the garage to the stage. But tragedy befalls them when his crush (and best friend) finds out that a part of her was used to create the holographic pop star. She finds dozens of photos of her with different parts of her body crossed out (i.e. not deemed “good enough” to exist on the “perfect woman” he was creating). Though this is remedied in the end by our lead saying that her imperfections is what makes her perfect, the idea that someone would evaluate and deem certain aspects of your appearance “not good enough” is quite abhorrent.
Peaceful Inferno
[caption id="attachment_133954" align="alignnone" width="880"]
Via Giphy[/caption]
Ah, yes. Toy Story 3. You know the scene… that painful scene where all your beloved childhood characters are facing a definite end to their life and they hold hands and embrace it? That scene? The fact that all of these characters might be ending is painful in and of itself. However, the fact that they serenely accept it makes it so much worse. They aren’t running.
They aren’t trying to escape.
The toys aren’t even trying to comfort each other or convince each other that it is going to be okay. They all know what is coming, they silently confirm it with each other, and they just accept that there is nothing that they can do except be here for each other. So that’s what they do. They spend their final moments letting each other know that no one is going into this alone. That if they have to go, they will go together.
That Time Belle Gave Up
[caption id="attachment_133955" align="alignnone" width="894"]
Via Giphy[/caption]
I know that the Disney straight to DVD/VHS sequels are a controversial topic in the Disney fandom, but I have to say that I might like Beauty and the Beast: Enchanted Christmas more than its predecessor. Belle’s solo book song is both beautiful on its own and it also provides a deeper insight into Belle and her interests that the original film does not. But in its later acts, the film takes a dark turn. After Belle nearly turns into a princess cube at the bottom of a lake while wandering into the forbidden part of the woods, the Beast locks her up in the dungeons for her own safety. And Belle gives up.
She loses her spirit, her defiant nature, and herself.
She stops fighting against the Beast and just gives up. Belle accepts that she will spend the rest of her life as a prisoner and turns into a shell of her former self. It is crushing to witness.
Taxing Taxes
[caption id="attachment_133959" align="alignnone" width="846"]
Via Popkey[/caption]
The Sheriff of Nottingham might, honestly, be the biggest villain in the entire Disney lexicon. I mean, I cannot imagine someone so cruel that they would think nothing of stealing a gold coin from a small child. Especially if that coin took their entire family months of scrimping and starving to save up for. He literally snatches that baby bunny's birthday coin before the baby even gets to hold the thing. I can’t even comprehend the wealth of emotions that mama bunny must have been struggling to control at that moment. Imagine doing everything you can, even though you’re struggling, so that you can give your small son a good birthday and then having a local government official kick down your door and steal your child's present.
No Moms Allowed
[caption id="attachment_133958" align="alignnone" width="827"]
Via Tumblr[/caption]
Disney has it out for moms. Honestly, I bet we could count the mothers who make it to the end of a Disney film on one hand. I don’t know which mother’s premature expiration hurt me the most as a child (and full grown adult.) Was it Cinderella losing both of her parents? Bambi’s mother being blown away right before his eyes in the midst of the storm? Was it Nemo’s mom meeting a fishy fate that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy? The Baker’s Wife who took a tumble off the side of a cliff in Into the Woods?
Was it Anna and Elsa’s parents who were torn apart at sea?
What about Ariel’s mother whose life was ended by the people who she protected from her husband? What about Dumbo’s mom? I mean, she doesn’t explicitly pass but she isn’t prancing around with her son either.
Fading Shadows
[caption id="attachment_133960" align="alignnone" width="1050"]
Via Giphy[/caption]
If you are watching a movie with an animal in it, you should Google whether or not that animal makes it till the credits before getting too invested. Since I was only seven the first time I saw Homeward: Bound, I didn’t have the ability to whip out a mobile device in order to check the longevity of the animals on screen. So I just had to trust in the fact that my parents would never knowingly show me a film that would hurt me so much. But when Shadow got stuck in the mud and realized that he wasn’t able to escape, I realized what true pain was. He was too old and he just couldn’t get out on his own. The sigh of relief that shot out of me when it was later revealed that he made it could have inflated a hot air balloon.
Father-Son Bonding
[caption id="attachment_133962" align="alignnone" width="900"]
Via GramUnion[/caption]
This scene will most likely have a much larger impact on me when I have kids of my own that I am struggling to connect with, but I’ve always felt for Goofy in this film. He is trying. Trying so hard. He just wants his son to be happy and safe, but he has no idea how to reconnect with his aging son. Everything he does to connect with his son just pushes Max further away.
Tensions rise until it all blows up.
But the moment where they let their guards down and let each other back into their hearts absolutely destroys me. Nothing makes me a bigger blubbering mess than healthy parent-child relationships. Sure, things between Max and Goofy aren’t perfect but they are both trying, and that’s all that matters.
I'm Too Young For This Heartbreak
[caption id="attachment_133963" align="alignnone" width="936"]
Via Giphy[/caption]
Kim and Ron were inseparable since they were little kids. Since the good ol’ pre-K years. But in the TV movie Sitch in Time, one of Ron’s parents get a crazy good job offer which prompts them to move across the world. This forces Ron and Kim to learn that long distance relationships are harder than they look. Child me was absolutely crushed when the duo reunited for their first post move mission and lost miserably to their greatest enemies.
They were out of sync. Even the best of friends lose touch when someone moves away and seeing it happen to my childhood idols were soul crushing. Luckily everything was fixed by the end of the film, but I was absolutely distraught while watching Ron and Kim pretending like everything was fine while they both struggled to maintain their friendship despite the distance between them.
You Know The One
[caption id="attachment_133964" align="alignnone" width="1021"]
Via That's So Elliot[/caption]
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the dozens of episodes of shows from the Disney Channel which delve into deeper topics. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good campy family sitcom but I also love when shows decide to take a break from puns and silly one liners in order to teach children important lessons. You could always tell that a serious episode was beginning when the laugh track would become suspiciously quiet. Some important topics covered were racism and eating disorders (That’s So Raven), the holocaust, cultural appropriation, and how to properly and respectfully interact with someone with a disability (Girl Meets World), male body positivity issues (Lizzie McGuire), and unhealthy relationships (Hannah Montana). Seeing these beloved characters struggle with such serious topics is always a difficult task and I always keep a box of tissues close when these episodes arise.
I Want To Forget
[caption id="attachment_133965" align="alignnone" width="864"]
Via Giphy[/caption]
Oh boy, Finding Nemo is just full of “tear-your-beating-heart-out-of-your-chest-so-it-stops-hurting” moments. I mean, come on. The movie opens with one of the most brutal scenes in the Disney lexicon. Shortly afterwards, Nemo is taken from his father and then when his father finally finds him, he sees him pretending to be belly up in order to trick the fish shaking Darla. Which causes Marlin to give up Belle style.
Without his wife or his son, he decides he has nothing.
But to Dory, Marlin is everything. She has made so much progress by the end of the film and she is terrified that losing him would result in her losing everything she had gained. The moment she utters the lines “I don’t want to forget” is the moment that I felt my heart fall into my stomach.
"Mother Knows Best"
[caption id="attachment_133966" align="alignnone" width="806"]
Via Gramunion[/caption]
People trust their mothers, even if they don’t have reason to. Even though Rapunzel’s “mother” was cruel, neglectful, and spiteful towards her, Rapunzel still trusted her with her life. When Rapunzel rebelled against her by searching out the lanterns with Eugene, she felt like, for the first time, that maybe her mother didn’t know best. But the second she thought Eugene turned on her, she realized that her mother was right about everything.
She returned to her tower; determined to never doubt her again.
But the moment that Rapunzel realizes that her “mother” had been lying to and manipulating her the entire time was the hardest moment of the film. Seeing the pain that flashes across her eyes as she realized that her entire life was a lie is just so painful.
The End Of A Gurgi
[caption id="attachment_133967" align="alignnone" width="894"]
Via DeviantArt[/caption]
For those of you haven’t seen the amazing fantasy film that is The Black Cauldron, allow me to fill you in. Basically, this dude named Taran has a future seeing pig that runs into the forest. When he goes to chase the pig down, he meets this little Smeagol like creature that sticks to him like glue (which Taran despises.) While hunting this pig down, he runs into The Horned King- who wants to use this magical pig for evil. Taran and the lovable misfits he meets along the way get captured by The Horned King and Gurgi realizes that the only way for his friends to sacrifice himself. So he does. I literally screamed at my TV when I watched him hurl himself off that ledge. Luckily, Gurgi makes it. But those ten minutes where I thought he was gone was the hardest ten minutes of my life.
I Didn't Even See It Coming
[caption id="attachment_133968" align="alignnone" width="1023"]
Via Tumblr[/caption]
The Bridge to Terabithia… Who decided to greenlight this movie? I mean, come on. I remember the first time I saw and was permanently scarred by this movie. It was in the sixth grade and our teacher decided to surprise us with a new movie that had just come out. She showed us the cover of the DVD and none of us had heard of the movie, but we were missing 2 solid hours of class time so there were no complaints.
And then Leslie… I can’t even say it.
You all know exactly which scene I am talking about. There was not a dry eye in that classroom. Even the boys were crying (and we all know how boys are terrified to cry in public in the sixth grade.) I have never watched that movie again.
A Broken Hero
[caption id="attachment_133969" align="alignnone" width="855"]
Via Imgur[/caption]
The Incredibles is a special movie. There is just nothing out there like it. The sadness gets under your skin and rips you apart from the inside out. I don’t know which scene was harder to stomach. Was it the part where Mr. Incredible was shackled up, thinking that he was listening to his family get torn from the sky, and not being able to do a single thing about it. He believed he had lost everything he held dear all because he wanted to hold on to his title of “hero” as long as he could. He thought he lost everything. That silence rang through that room. Or was it the moment where he begged Elastic Girl to stay with him in the film's final scene because he couldn’t stand losing them again?
Monsterous Moments
[caption id="attachment_133971" align="alignnone" width="909"]
Via Imgur[/caption]
Wreck it Ralph is one of the best and most underrated Disney films of all time. The message is equally untraditional and heartwarming in the most realistic way. Ralph doesn’t become the hero and Vanellope’s glitch isn’t fixed. They find ways to make the cards that they’ve been dealt work for them. They didn’t get changed or rescued, they just made the best out of what they already had. But since this film was made by Disney, they had to find a way to break our hearts some way or another. And for me, the hardest part of the film was watching Ralph smash Vanellope’s cart. She was nothing but kind, loving, and trusting. And she had to watch the person that she trusted the most break the thing that meant the most to her.
Happily Never After
[caption id="attachment_133974" align="alignnone" width="975"]
Via Gramunion[/caption]
The live-action Cinderella was far more painful than the original. In the original, it seems like Cinderella has already written off all chances of her stepfamily ever treating her with kindness and just wants to survive their house and move on whenever that chance arises. However, in the live action version, Ella struggles with the fact that her new family will never accept her as one of their own and that she will most likely spend the rest of her life as their slave. The most painful moment of the film is the moment where Lady Tremaine questions why Ella would think to set a place for herself at the table. This scene shows Ella that she will never be accepted or even loved by her new family and that they will never see her as anything else but a dirty servant girl... I need a moment.
The Scene That Started the Trauma
[caption id="attachment_133973" align="alignnone" width="874"]
Via Giphy[/caption]
You knew this was coming. You had time to prepare for it. Did you really think that I could write a list about Disney moments that made the world want to tear their hearts out of their chests without including the moment that scarred every millennial (and their parents) for life? Most of the Disney passings were offscreen.
They were subtle… merely hinted at.
Sometimes they happened during the intro dialogue so the absent family member was never truly a part of the story at all. But this was one of the first tragedies that happened on screen, in full view, in a Disney film. Not only does the “event” happen entirely on screen but we also have to watch Simba try to wake Mufasa up. Yeah, that one hurt. It was almost as bad as the wildebeests.