Drama Movies that will make you cry
by aprilcondon69 | created - 29 Oct 2012 | updated - 29 Oct 2012 | PublicThese are movies that will probably make you cry, having to do with cancer, child abuse and other categories.
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1. Flowers in the Attic (1987)
PG-13 | 93 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Children are hidden away under an attic by their conspiring mother and grandmother.
Director: Jeffrey Bloom | Stars: Louise Fletcher, Victoria Tennant, Kristy Swanson, Jeb Stuart Adams
Votes: 11,257 | Gross: $15.15M
2. An American Crime (2007)
R | 98 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The true story of suburban housewife Gertrude Baniszewski, who kept a teenage girl locked in the basement of her Indiana home during the 1960s.
Director: Tommy O'Haver | Stars: Elliot Page, Hayley McFarland, Nick Searcy, Romy Rosemont
Votes: 36,947
3. The Girl Next Door (2007)
R | 91 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
Follows the unspeakable torture and abuses committed on a teenage girl in the care of her aunt and the boys who witness and fail to report the crime.
Director: Gregory Wilson | Stars: William Atherton, Blythe Auffarth, Blanche Baker, Kevin Chamberlin
Votes: 29,356
4. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
PG-13 | 94 min | Drama, War
Through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a German concentration camp, a forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences.
Director: Mark Herman | Stars: Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, Zac Mattoon O'Brien
Votes: 246,042 | Gross: $9.03M
5. My Sister's Keeper (2009)
PG-13 | 109 min | Drama, Family
Anna Fitzgerald looks to earn medical emancipation from her parents who until now have relied on their youngest child to help their leukemia-stricken daughter Kate remain alive.
Director: Nick Cassavetes | Stars: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Walter Raney
Votes: 98,276 | Gross: $49.20M
6. Prison of Secrets (1997 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 92 min | Crime, Drama
A wife and mother is sent to prison for a monetary crime. Against the advice of her husband, she tries to raise awareness of the corruption going on there.
Director: Fred Gerber | Stars: Stephanie Zimbalist, Finola Hughes, Gary Frank, Rusty Schwimmer
Votes: 371
7. The Notebook (2004)
PG-13 | 123 min | Drama, Romance
An elderly man reads to a woman with dementia the story of two young lovers whose romance is threatened by the difference in their respective social classes.
Director: Nick Cassavetes | Stars: Gena Rowlands, James Garner, Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling
Votes: 619,432 | Gross: $81.00M
8. Mommie Dearest (1981)
R | 129 min | Biography, Drama
The abusive and traumatic adoptive upbringing of Christina Crawford at the hands of her mother, screen queen Joan Crawford, is depicted.
Director: Frank Perry | Stars: Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, Steve Forrest, Howard Da Silva
Votes: 18,309 | Gross: $19.03M
9. Boys Don't Cry (1999)
R | 118 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A young man named Brandon Teena navigates love, life, and being transgender in rural Nebraska.
Director: Kimberly Peirce | Stars: Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard, Brendan Sexton III
Votes: 103,245 | Gross: $11.53M
10. My Girl (1991)
PG | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Vada is obsessed with death. Her mother is dead, and her father runs a funeral parlor. When Vada's father hires Shelly, a makeup expert, and begins to fall in love, Vada is outraged and does everything in her power to split them up.
Director: Howard Zieff | Stars: Anna Chlumsky, Macaulay Culkin, Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis
Votes: 88,787 | Gross: $59.85M
11. Old Yeller (1957)
Approved | 83 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
A teenage boy grows to love a stray yellow dog while helping his mother and younger brother run their Texas homestead while their father is away on a cattle drive. First thought to be good-for-nothing mutt, Old Yeller is soon beloved by all.
Director: Robert Stevenson | Stars: Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, Tommy Kirk, Jeff York
Votes: 15,144 | Gross: $21.91M
12. The Man in the Moon (1991)
PG-13 | 99 min | Drama, Romance
A coming of age story set in the south of the U.S. when Elvis was King.
Director: Robert Mulligan | Stars: Sam Waterston, Tess Harper, Gail Strickland, Reese Witherspoon
Votes: 18,405 | Gross: $2.85M
13. Big Fish (2003)
PG-13 | 125 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A frustrated son tries to determine the fact from fiction in his dying father's life.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange
Votes: 458,631 | Gross: $66.26M
14. Running on Empty (1988)
PG-13 | 116 min | Crime, Drama, Music
The eldest son of a fugitive family comes of age and wants to live his own life.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: River Phoenix, Christine Lahti, Judd Hirsch, Jonas Abry
Votes: 17,890 | Gross: $2.84M
15. Patch Adams (1998)
PG-13 | 115 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
The true story of a heroic man, Hunter "Patch" Adams, determined to become a medical doctor because he enjoys helping people. He ventured where no doctor had ventured before, using humour and pathos.
Director: Tom Shadyac | Stars: Robin Williams, Daniel London, Monica Potter, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Votes: 122,195 | Gross: $135.03M
16. Finding Neverland (2004)
PG | 106 min | Biography, Drama, Family
The story of Sir J.M. Barrie's friendship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan.
Director: Marc Forster | Stars: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell
Votes: 211,974 | Gross: $51.68M
17. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
R | 134 min | Drama, Romance
Ennis and Jack are two shepherds who develop a sexual and emotional relationship. Their relationship becomes complicated when both of them get married to their respective girlfriends.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, Randy Quaid
Votes: 381,859 | Gross: $83.04M
18. Rudy (1993)
PG | 114 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Rudy has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of playing for Notre Dame.
Director: David Anspaugh | Stars: Sean Astin, Jon Favreau, Ned Beatty, Greta Lind
Votes: 69,015 | Gross: $22.75M
19. P.S. I Love You (2007)
PG-13 | 126 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A young widow discovers that her late husband has left her 10 messages intended to help ease her pain and start a new life.
Director: Richard LaGravenese | Stars: Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Harry Connick Jr., Lisa Kudrow
Votes: 218,315 | Gross: $53.70M
20. Marley & Me (2008)
PG | 115 min | Drama, Family
A family learns important life lessons from their adorable, but naughty and neurotic dog.
Director: David Frankel | Stars: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Kathleen Turner
Votes: 167,696 | Gross: $143.15M
21. What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)
R | 118 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of singer Tina Turner's rise to stardom and how she gained the courage to break free from her abusive husband, Ike Turner.
Director: Brian Gibson | Stars: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, RaéVen Kelly, Virginia Capers
Votes: 24,559 | Gross: $39.10M
22. Where the Red Fern Grows (2003)
PG | 86 min | Drama, Family
Where the Red Fern Grows is the heartwarming and adventurous tale for all ages about a young boy and his quest for his own red-bone hound hunting dogs.
Directors: Lyman Dayton, Sam Pillsbury | Stars: Joseph Ashton, Dave Matthews, Renee Faia, Mac Davis
Votes: 1,370
23. The Blind Side (2009)
PG-13 | 129 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All-American football player and first-round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.
Director: John Lee Hancock | Stars: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Jae Head
Votes: 360,173 | Gross: $255.96M
24. Armageddon (1998)
PG-13 | 151 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After discovering that an asteroid the size of Texas will impact Earth in less than a month, NASA recruits a misfit team of deep-core drillers to save the planet.
Director: Michael Bay | Stars: Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler
Votes: 450,472 | Gross: $201.57M
25. Ghost (1990)
PG-13 | 127 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
After a young man is murdered, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic.
Director: Jerry Zucker | Stars: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn
Votes: 235,703 | Gross: $217.63M
26. Beaches (1988)
PG-13 | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A privileged rich debutante and a cynical struggling entertainer share a turbulent, but strong childhood friendship over the years.
Director: Garry Marshall | Stars: Bette Midler, Barbara Hershey, John Heard, Spalding Gray
Votes: 28,856 | Gross: $57.04M
27. Titanic (1997)
PG-13 | 194 min | Drama, Romance
A seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates
Votes: 1,278,795 | Gross: $659.33M
28. A Walk to Remember (2002)
PG | 101 min | Drama, Romance
Two North Carolina teens, Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan, are thrown together after Landon gets into trouble and is sentenced to perform community service.
Director: Adam Shankman | Stars: Mandy Moore, Shane West, Peter Coyote, Daryl Hannah
Votes: 221,255 | Gross: $41.28M
29. Seven Pounds (2008)
PG-13 | 123 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A man with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.
Director: Gabriele Muccino | Stars: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Michael Ealy
Votes: 315,062 | Gross: $69.95M
30. Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
PG | 96 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
A preteen's life turns upside down when he befriends the new girl in school and they imagine a whole new fantasy world to escape reality.
Director: Gabor Csupo | Stars: Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Patrick
Votes: 173,108 | Gross: $82.27M
31. Ladder 49 (2004)
PG-13 | 115 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A firefighter, injured and trapped in a burning building, has flashbacks of his life as he drifts in and out of consciousness. Meanwhile, fellow firefighters led by the Chief attempt to rescue him.
Director: Jay Russell | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, Jacinda Barrett, Robert Patrick
Votes: 59,411 | Gross: $74.54M
32. Message in a Bottle (1999)
PG-13 | 126 min | Drama, Romance
A woman discovers a tragic love letter in a bottle on a beach, and is determined to track down its author.
Director: Luis Mandoki | Stars: Kevin Costner, Robin Wright, Paul Newman, John Savage
Votes: 40,342 | Gross: $52.88M
33. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
PG-13 | 132 min | Drama, Sport
Frankie, an ill-tempered old coach, reluctantly agrees to train aspiring boxer Maggie. Impressed with her determination and talent, he helps her become the best and the two soon form a close bond.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jay Baruchel
Votes: 721,196 | Gross: $100.49M
34. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
PG-13 | 166 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Tells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with consequences.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Julia Ormond
Votes: 695,160 | Gross: $127.51M
35. The Lovely Bones (2009)
PG-13 | 135 min | Drama, Fantasy, Thriller
Centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family - and her killer - from purgatory. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg, Saoirse Ronan, Susan Sarandon
Votes: 179,815 | Gross: $43.82M
36. Brian's Song (2001 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 88 min | Drama, Sport
The story of professional football players Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo, and how their friendship on and off the field was affected when Piccolo contracted a fatal disease.
Director: John Gray | Stars: Mekhi Phifer, Sean Maher, Paula Cale, Elise Neal
Votes: 1,549
37. The Road (I) (2009)
R | 111 min | Drama, Thriller
In a dangerous post-apocalyptic world, an ailing father defends his son as they slowly travel to the sea.
Director: John Hillcoat | Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall
Votes: 253,968 | Gross: $0.06M
38. Enough (I) (2002)
PG-13 | 115 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After running away fails, a terrified woman empowers herself in order to battle her abusive husband.
Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Billy Campbell, Tessa Allen, Juliette Lewis
Votes: 47,720 | Gross: $40.01M
39. What Dreams May Come (1998)
PG-13 | 113 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Chris Nielsen dies in an accident, and enters Heaven. But when he discovers that his beloved wife Annie has killed herself out of grief over the loss, he embarks on an afterlife adventure to reunite with her.
Director: Vincent Ward | Stars: Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr., Annabella Sciorra, Max von Sydow
Votes: 114,312 | Gross: $55.49M
40. Selena (1997)
PG | 127 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The true story of Selena, a Texas-born Tejano singer who rose from cult status to performing at the Astrodome, as well as having chart-topping albums on the Latin music charts.
Director: Gregory Nava | Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Edward James Olmos, Jon Seda, Jackie Guerra
Votes: 31,582 | Gross: $35.42M
41. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
R | 127 min | Drama
Depicts the final twelve hours in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, on the day of his crucifixion in Jerusalem.
Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern, Christo Jivkov
Votes: 250,889 | Gross: $370.78M
42. How Green Was My Valley (1941)
Passed | 118 min | Drama, Family
At the turn of the century in a Welsh mining village, the Morgans, he stern, she gentle, raise coal-mining sons and hope their youngest will find a better life.
Director: John Ford | Stars: Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara, Anna Lee, Donald Crisp
Votes: 26,463
43. Untamed Heart (1993)
PG-13 | 102 min | Drama, Romance
A waitress hardly notices a shy busboy who secretly loves her; until one night she's attacked and he comes to her rescue. From there a relationship sparks but one secret could mean disaster for these fated lovers.
Director: Tony Bill | Stars: Christian Slater, Marisa Tomei, Rosie Perez, Kyle Secor
Votes: 15,439 | Gross: $18.90M
44. The Green Mile (1999)
R | 189 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
A tale set on death row, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the lead guard, Paul Edgecombe, recognizes John's gift, he tries to help stave off the condemned man's execution.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt
Votes: 1,405,587 | Gross: $136.80M
45. The Burning Bed (1984 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 95 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An abused battered wife has had enough of her husband beating up on her. Everywhere she turns for help, there's not much anyone will do. After he rapes her one night, she sets the bed on fire with him in it asleep.
Director: Robert Greenwald | Stars: Farrah Fawcett, Paul Le Mat, Richard Masur, Grace Zabriskie
Votes: 3,427
46. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
PG | 119 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Four best girlfriends hatch a plan to stay connected with one another as their lives start off in different directions: they pass around a pair of secondhand jeans that fits each of their bodies perfectly.
Director: Ken Kwapis | Stars: Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, Blake Lively
Votes: 64,980 | Gross: $39.01M
47. Steel Magnolias (1989)
PG | 117 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A young beautician, newly arrived in a small Louisiana town, finds work at the local salon, where a small group of women share a close bond of friendship, and welcome her into the fold.
Director: Herbert Ross | Stars: Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Sally Field, Julia Roberts
Votes: 62,976 | Gross: $83.76M
48. Atonement (2007)
R | 123 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
Thirteen-year-old fledgling writer Briony Tallis irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit.
Director: Joe Wright | Stars: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Brenda Blethyn, Saoirse Ronan
Votes: 299,546 | Gross: $50.93M
49. Crash (I) (2004)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Los Angeles citizens with vastly separate lives collide in interweaving stories of race, loss and redemption.
Director: Paul Haggis | Stars: Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Thandiwe Newton, Karina Arroyave
Votes: 448,858 | Gross: $54.58M
50. The Air I Breathe (2007)
R | 95 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A drama based on an ancient Chinese proverb that breaks life down into four emotional cornerstones: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. A businessman bets his life on a horse race; a gangster sees the future; a pop star falls prey to a crime boss; a doctor must save the love of his life.
Director: Jieho Lee | Stars: Brendan Fraser, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Andy Garcia, Kevin Bacon
Votes: 34,929 | Gross: $0.03M
51. Dragonfly (2002)
PG-13 | 104 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
A grieving doctor is being contacted by his deceased wife through his patients' near death experiences.
Director: Tom Shadyac | Stars: Kevin Costner, Susanna Thompson, Joe Morton, Ron Rifkin
Votes: 39,946 | Gross: $30.32M
52. Mystic River (2003)
R | 138 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The tragic murder of a 19-year-old girl reunites three childhood friends still living in Boston--the victim's gangster father, a detective, and the disturbed man they both suspect of killing her.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Emmy Rossum
Votes: 485,501 | Gross: $90.14M
53. Mockingbird Don't Sing (2001)
Not Rated | 98 min | Biography, Drama
Based on the actual events of one of the most horrific cases of child abuse ever to be documented, this haunting drama tells the tale of a young girl that was locked in a room for over 12 years.
Director: Harry Bromley Davenport | Stars: Melissa Errico, Michael Lerner, Joe Regalbuto, Sean Young
Votes: 2,249
54. Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)
R | 98 min | Drama
A mother and daughter find their lives adversely affected when a new man enters the picture. Will their family ever be what they expect?
Director: Anjelica Huston | Stars: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ron Eldard, Glenne Headly, Lyle Lovett
Votes: 4,804
55. Radio Flyer (1992)
PG-13 | 114 min | Drama
A father recounts a dark period of his childhood when he and his little brother lived in the suburbs.
Directors: Richard Donner, David Mickey Evans | Stars: Lorraine Bracco, John Heard, Adam Baldwin, Elijah Wood
Votes: 14,198 | Gross: $4.65M
56. Onaji tsuki wo miteiru (2005)
106 min | Crime, Drama
Two young heroines struggles to keep their true gender identities a secret when they are forced apart by they fascist government. Watch as they travel through worlds of bureaucracy to find each other once again.
Director: Kenta Fukasaku | Stars: Yôsuke Kubozuka, Meisa Kuroki, Tarô Yamamoto, Edison Chen
Votes: 157 | Gross: $12.51M
57. The Little Princess (1939)
Approved | 93 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A little girl is left by her father in an exclusive seminary for girls, when her father fights in the Second Boer War. Later, when he is presumed dead she is forced to become a servant.
Directors: Walter Lang, William A. Seiter | Stars: Shirley Temple, Richard Greene, Anita Louise, Ian Hunter
Votes: 6,731
58. Wit (2001 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 99 min | Drama
A renowned professor is forced to reassess her life when she is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Emma Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Eileen Atkins, Audra McDonald
Votes: 11,396
59. Stepmom (1998)
PG-13 | 125 min | Comedy, Drama
A terminally ill woman must deal with her ex-husband's new lover, who will be their children's stepmother.
Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris, Jena Malone
Votes: 74,464 | Gross: $91.14M
60. Crazy Sexy Cancer (2007)
Not Rated | 89 min | Documentary
Crazy Sexy Cancer is an irreverent and uplifting documentary about a young woman looking for a cure and finding her life. Weeks after she was diagnosed, filmmaker Kris Carr began ... See full summary »
Director: Kris Carr | Stars: Aura Carr, Kenneth Carr, Kris Carr, Leslie Carr
Votes: 270
61. Letters to God (2010)
PG | 110 min | Drama
A young boy fighting cancer writes letters to God, touching lives in his neighborhood and community and inspiring hope among everyone he encounters. An unsuspecting substitute postman with ... See full summary »
Directors: David Nixon, Patrick Doughtie | Stars: Tanner Maguire, Jeffrey Johnson, Robyn Lively, Lisa Curtis
Votes: 5,259 | Gross: $2.85M
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