12:00 AM, 08-SEPTEMBER-08
Sci-Cry: 10 Guaranteed SF Weepers
Most people think of science fiction movies as hard and rational. But remember when the poster boy for all that is logical, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), died in 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? Come on, admit it: You had "a little something in your eye" at that moment.
Notwithstanding its image of lightsaber fights and starship battles, the science fiction genre of movies reveals a soft, gooey center of emotion and outright sentimentality underneath all that white plastic armor.
In no particular order, here are 10 more of our favorite two-hankie SF movies from the past three decades. (Spoilers ahead!!) Try to keep a dry eye if you can.
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Doe-eyed Henry Thomas plays Elliott, a little boy who finds a lost and terrified alien creature and hides the E.T. in his bedroom closet until it can return to its own planet. The two form a bond so strong that when one falls ill the other suffers as well; when it's time for E.T. to rejoin his brethren, it's a sorrowfully sweet parting. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Children of Men (2006). Just a couple of decades from now, mankind's seed has dried up, and new babies are a distant memory. That is, until a mysterious woman finds herself even more mysteriously pregnant. Both the government and nefarious scientists want to get her in their clutches. But a caring clique of subversives (Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine) step forward to help her, only to find themselves with a foot in their own graves. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón.
The Fountain (2006). A man's (Hugh Jackman) everlasting love for his terminally ill wife (Rachel Weisz) is so mighty that it sends him on a journey that spans centuries as he searches for a cure. If anguished death scenes are the death of you, you'll be wiping your wet cheeks more than once during this weeper. Directed by Darren Aronofsky.
The Fountain's Hugh Jackman is a sad, sad man.
Bicentennial Man (1999). In this adaptation of an Isaac Asimov novel, Robin Williams plays an android who evolves and begins to develop all kinds of feelings: nostalgia, affection, jealousy, joy and wistfulness, to name a few. Directed by a master of the maudlin, Christopher Columbus, the power of the story and Williams' performance yank a slew of tears throughout.
Solaris (2002). We know the remake isn't the popular version, but for the modern American's sensibilities, the tighter script and more romance-focused story successfully pluck more heartstrings than the 1972 Russian classic. In the remake, George Clooney plays a psychologist orbiting a strange planet, which sends him enticing visions of his dead wife (Natascha McElhone). Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
The Abyss (1989). Years before he'd helm the ultimate waterworks weepie, director James Cameron got his sea legs with this soggy story. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Ed Harris play an estranged husband and wife who are trapped in an undersea habitat that falls under siege. They realize they are still in love when each is forced to decide who will make the ultimate sacrifice to save the life of the other.
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008). While there's an awful lot of crazy stuff going on in this futuristic rock 'n' roll horror sci-fi opera--not to mention social satire at every turn--at its heart, this film is the solemn story of a father's (Anthony Stewart Head) unbreakable bond with his daughter (Alexa Vega). When grave misfortunes befall both of them, you actually care, thanks to a strong script (based on a stage play written by Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich) and unswerving performances by the actors. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman.
Repo! stars Anthony Stewart Head and Alexa Vega are sad, sad people.
Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001). Something like Bicentennial Man in that its protagonist is an android with feelings (adroitly played by Haley Joel Osment), this movie is the one story Stanley Kubrick always wanted to tell but died before he could finish it. Director Steven Spielberg took over after the master's death in 1999. While the tale would have been more effective if it had ended under the sea, where the little robot boy finally finds the elusive "blue fairy" of his dreams, it's still worthy of a least one grief-counseling appointment after viewing.
Sunshine (2007). This drama about interpersonal relationships, sacrifice and all-encompassing devotion to lovers, family and friends just happens to be set on a spaceship that's racing toward the sun. While the ensemble cast is stellar--each and every one--it is the ethereal and androgynous Cillian Murphy as the emotional anchor who focuses the sorrow like a magnifying glass. Directed by Danny Boyle.
I Am Legend (2007). This latest adaptation of the, er, legendary parable written by Richard Matheson in the mid-1950s isn't the best, but the third time's a charm as the most manipulative. Star Will Smith has the gravitas to make us care about the last man on earth, Dr. Robert Neville, and his ill-fated dog. If old episodes of Lassie make you howl, wait until you meet Sam (played with puppy-eyed, tail-wagging appeal by Abby). Directed by Francis Lawrence. --Staci Layne Wilson
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index...ory=3&id=59530
Sci-Cry: 10 Guaranteed SF Weepers
