Tears happen for a multitude of reasons when watching a movie. Some actors can make an audience laugh so hard they cry. There are films that break hearts due to what happens to beloved characters. Then there are the stories that have a mixed ending where something good happens at the expense of something devastating. These films make you believe that everything will end well, but by time the credits are rolling, there is a twist you may or may not have seen coming that leaves the heart feeling bittersweet.
Feel-good movies do not always end with the "happily ever after," and for that, true fans of the genre are grateful. The writers who focus on this type of story want their audience to feel real and raw emotions by the end of a perfect feel-good film. A content smile paired with a few tears when the captions start rolling means a film successfully hit its mark. Check out 10 of the most underrated feel-good movies that are sure to make you cry as well as smile for a few different reasons.
10 Secondhand Lions (2003)
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Secondhand Lions deals with the common abandonment storyline, but the lessons learned through unlikely friendships are worthy of a better score and ranking than what the film originally received. This film proves that not everyone is meant to be a parent when Mae Caldwell drops off her 14-year-old son with his great uncles, Hub and Garth, without so much as a proper goodbye. The two men were neither expecting young Walter's company nor were they happy about him staying for the summer.
However, once Walter convinced Hub and Garth to spend some of their mysterious fortune on the things brought to the house by pushy salespeople, the atmosphere on the farm shifts. The great uncles learn that there is more to life than sitting on their wealth, and Walter discovers he is more loved and cared for by them than he ever has been or will be by his mother.
By the end of this film, audiences will be crying, but it will be a good cry. A successful and much older Walter reminds us that certain occurrences should be seen as heartwarming, not heartbreaking.
9 Five Feet Apart (2019)
Everyone seems to want to criticize YA book-to-movie adaptations. Of course, things are going to be left out from the book and other scenes will be exaggerated or added to help the story move along as it is a visual work of art with a time limit rather than words on a page. That does not mean a movie is always bad when compared to the book.
Five Feet Apart focuses on two teenagers, Stella and Will, who both have cystic fibrosis. Stella religiously follows her treatment plan while waiting for a pair of lungs to be a match while Will is the typical angsty teenager who does not care too much about his treatment or drug trial. As the storyline usually goes for romantic comedies, the two form a friendship and fall in love despite all other complications. The hopeful feeling is strong in this feel-good film, but anyone can see that there cannot be a true "happily ever after" for both characters.
The plot may be on the more predictable side, but the journey of the two learning, growing, and falling in love will pull at even the coldest heartstrings.
8 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Either fans adore or absolutely despise Brad Pitt, but The Curious Case of Benjamin Button does not feel like the typical "Brad Pitt movie." Pitt gives a remarkable performance alongside Cate Blanchett and Taraji P. Henson as a young man, Benjamin Button, who begins life in the body of an old man only to mentally age forward while he physically ages backwards.
The premise is unique, to say the least, but not all critics enjoyed the aging phenomenon. Some believed that the movie was nothing more than a standard love story with an impossible gimmick that peaked the interest of people. However, these folks would be missing the point of the frame tale. Blanchett's character, Daisy, is days away from passing away when she asks her daughter to read aloud Benjamin's diary. Through Benjamin's written accounts, Daisy's daughter, Caroline, discovers Benjamin was her father. The experience shared between Caroline and her elderly mother is rather beautiful, but it is overshadowed by the fantasy element.
7 Me Before You (2016)
Writers, directors, and actors expect to face backlash and receive negative reviews when an able-bodied individual gets cast as a character with disabilities. When the cast list was released for Me Before You, the feedback was no different. Sam Claflin plays Will, a formerly successful and active man who becomes tetraplegic due to a motorcycle accident. A young and energetic woman, Lou (played by Emilia Clarke), is hired as Will's caregiver, and let's just say, the two do not get along at first. Will has arranged plans to go through with assisted suicide, and Lou makes it her mission to show Will that his life is still worth living.
The storyline is interesting, and the chemistry between Clarke and Claflin is clearly there. However, knowing that Claflin's character has already made up his mind before he inevitably falls for his caregiver keeps a knot in one's stomach. This feel-good film does not end how most would hope, but there is something respectable about Will's final words. Perhaps the morbidity of this romantic movie is why it goes underrated in comparison to upbeat and humorous rom-coms.
6 My Sister's Keeper (2009)
As previously stated, book-to-film adaptations are expected to have some minor changes that can (and should) be overlooked. However, the director of My Sister's Keeper made the executive decision to completely change the ending of Jodi Picoult's novel, and this likely resulted in such negative reviews.
The casting was great with Cameron Diaz as the morally questionable mother, Abigail Breslin as the outspoken younger sister, and Sofia Vassilieva as the eldest sister with cancer. The plot itself is unique with a "savior baby," Anna, conceived for the purpose of donating blood, tissue, and even organs to her older sister, Kate, who has been diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia.
The chemistry between the actors is phenomenal, and the connection between the sisters as well as the mother is enough to bring most people to tears. The changed ending should not cause the controversy it did because emotions still run high and tissues are very much needed.
5 Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
Imagination comes to life on the screen with Jess (Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie (AnnaSophie Robb) as they create the world of "Terabithia" together. The sanctuary of the woods and imaginative land gives the two preteens a safe place to sort out their troubles with reality.
Bridge to Terebithia rightfully earned five of the seven awards it was nominated for, but fans found the lack of a sequel disappointing. Jess and Leslie spent an hour and a half capturing the hearts of many with their incredible imaginations. Then, when it seemed like the adorable pair was doing okay, an innocent life is tragically lost, and there is not a dry eye in the room. Even with the loss of a beloved character, the ending of the film seems hopeful with Jess introducing his younger sister, May Belle, to Terabithia.
4 The Glass Castle (2017)
Based on Jeannette Walls' memoir, The Glass Castle focuses on a dysfunctional family moving all around the country due to several events caused by Jeannette's alcoholic father, Rex. This film perfectly portrays the highs and the lows children go through while desperately seeking a normal life among their difficult parents.
Fans root and cheer for the children to grow up and get away from their parents' lifestyle, but there are some instances one cannot help but ask if the parents are doing a decent job at raising their children. Rex and Rose Mary may not have much to offer their children, but they make sure that their lives are never stagnant.
In a sense, the parents teach their children that life can be extremely difficult, and they have to learn to make the best of a bad situation. By the end of the film, fans are conflicted with their feelings about Rex Walls, but one thing is certain; he touched many hearts the same way he did for the only child who never completely lost faith in him.
3 Charlie St. Cloud (2010)
Zac Efron stars as the titular character in Charlie St. Cloud, who loses his younger brother to a car accident. During Sam's funeral, Charlie runs away from the event to be alone, and he finds his brother's spirit waiting for him. Charlie then feels like he cannot leave his hometown because he owes it to his little brother's spirit to make the most of their time together every single day. However, once a young woman comes into Charlie's life, his routine is thrown off, and he realizes his supernatural ability to interact with certain spirits forces him to make a heartbreaking choice.
Unfortunately for the former High School Musical star, this film was not well received. Perhaps there were too many elements at play with the spirits, drama, and romance on top of casting an A-list actor. However, if an audience is willing to suspend their disbelief, the story as a whole is rather tragic and heartwarming all at once.
2 The Way, Way Back (2013)
Coming-of-age stories almost always have a certain nostalgic feel to them, and The Way, Way Back reminds audiences what it is like to be the misunderstood quiet kid who simply needs a little motivation. Liam James plays Duncan, a young teenage boy who is fed up with how his mother's boyfriend treats him. However, due to Duncan's non-confrontational personality, he chooses to "escape" his toxic environment each day while on summer vacation with them. He finds friendship in some unique workers at the local water park, and they naturally bring Duncan out of his shell.
This film is grossly underrated probably due to its predictable and subtle plot. There is nothing new to a troubled young man finding solace at his new job. There are no surprises, and the storyline is considerable normal. However, all of this makes the film one of the most heartwarming and relatable summer flicks. Some people need to see others go through daily and mundane struggles on the big screen, so they can find their own solutions in real life.
1 The Bucket List (2007)
A dynamica duo, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, pair up in the delightful comedy, The Bucket List, which will make you laugh, cry, and remember that life is too short. Carter Chambers (Freeman) and Edward Cole (Nicholson) start off as strangers sharing a hospital room, but as they both undergo treatment for their lung cancer, they develop a unique friendship. Unfortunately for the pair, they each receive the news that they have roughly six months to live.
Edward gets an idea from a list Carter was creating, and he asks his roommate if he would like to go on the grandest adventure together, fully funded by Edward, to enjoy everything the world has to offer. Carter did not hesitate to jump at the opportunity, but he did stall for a moment when they both decided to go skydiving. From racing sports cars to making amends with loved ones, this underrated film beautifully reminds fans that there are incredible things in life just waiting to happen.
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