Film deaths that genuinely upset you

[Buelligan]

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Danny Vinyard

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in American History X.

[Noodle Lizard]

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Danny Vinyard

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in American History X.

It upset me the first time, but on subsequent viewings it does kind of feel like an afterthought.  Also, it gives mixed messages to some extent: they're trying to show that being a bad racist can get you killed, while at the same time vindicating the opinions of said bad racist.  The original ending apparently had

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Derek shaving his head and going all Nazi again

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which would have been even more conflicting.

[holyzombiejesus]

When ET died in that plastic tent thing I got so upset I had to switch the film off and have never been able to watch it since. Poor ET.

[Cerys]

Dammit, holyzombiejesus, you missed the best bit - where he suddenly revives, rises from his plastic shroud and sprouts plasma cannons.  'Elliot - spell ANNIHILATION' - the best line in an 80s film ever.

[Noodle Lizard]

I don't care how much of a cliché it's become, but the last 20 minutes or so of 'The Green Mile' fucking destroyed me.  I haven't seen it in a while, mind.  'The Wrestler' too

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assuming he dies at the end

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. 

Also Johnny Depp's died quite sadly in some films[nb]though I don't think I'll be too shook up when the real thing croaks[/nb]:

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'The Libertine'

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and

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'The Brave'

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spring to mind.  And, er ...

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'Nightmare On Elm Street'

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of course.

Kirk Douglas has died quite spectacularly too[nb]though it seems nothing will kill the real thing[/nb]: 

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'The Vikings'

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and

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'Spartacus'

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spring to mind.

[Noodle Lizard]

Oh, one of the tags reminded me:  Our Lord

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Jesus Christ

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in 'The Last Temptation of

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Christ

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'.  I have a bit of a thing for those "what could have been" things, which is probably why the ending of '25th Hour' gets to me so much (though it doesn't involve a death). 

The film itself is a bit of a mess, but that final "I want to be

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crucified

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and rise

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again

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- I WANT TO BE THE

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MESSIAH

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!" line is pretty emotional.

EDIT: 

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Oliver Reed in 'The Devils'

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[Noodle Lizard]

When ET died in that plastic tent thing I got so upset I had to switch the film off and have never been able to watch it since. Poor ET.

He turns out

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alright

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, y'know.

[Thursday]

If I'm allowed to do Twin Peaks the series

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Obviously Maddie's death is shocking in it's violence and it's revealing who the killer is, but it's only on rewatching recently that I realized how astonishing the scenes at the bar inbetween the murder is. The song, Coopers vision of the giant appearing again and the fact that the old waiter is there and comes to comfort Cooper. The way that Bobby is suddenly there looking visibly shaken and Donna is in absolute tears. As if they can all somehow sense what's going on, there's obviously many memorable scenes in Twin Peaks, but that must be the most emotionally affecting. Well along with the Major telling Bobby his vision

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[Olarrio]

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Mij the otter

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in Ring of Bright Water. The ring of bright water, in this case, was a still-glistening pool of my own precious tears.

[Buelligan]

Not from a film but from The Wire -

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Wallace

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sob,

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Sherrod

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sob,

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Bodie

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sob and

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Omar

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sorry, I can't type anymore, I'm crying too much...

[Marty McFly]

If I'm allowed to do Twin Peaks the series

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Obviously Maddie's death is shocking in it's violence and it's revealing who the killer is, but it's only on rewatching recently that I realized how astonishing the scenes at the bar inbetween the murder is. The song, Coopers vision of the giant appearing again and the fact that the old waiter is there and comes to comfort Cooper. The way that Bobby is suddenly there looking visibly shaken and Donna is in absolute tears. As if they can all somehow sense what's going on, there's obviously many memorable scenes in Twin Peaks, but that must be the most emotionally affecting. Well along with the Major telling Bobby his vision

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All of these things.

Also emotionally affecting Twin Peaks things:

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Coop getting his Bookhouse Boys badge, Albert's pacifism speech ending with "I love you, Sheriff Truman",

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and of course the end of the final episode, which wrenched my soul apart the first time I watched it.

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[Tommy Trumpet]

If I'm allowed to do Twin Peaks the series ...

...then am I allowed to do The Wire?

Recently been re-watching, and of all the tragic events over the five seasons, it's still hard to watch the death of

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Wallace

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in Season 1.

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When you know it's coming every moment leading up to it is horrible - especially D'Angelo telling Stringer and Avon that they don't need to worry about Wallace. Then the lunch with Bodie and Poot, and finally that horrible pitiful scene. So utterly lacking in glamour, the bare surroundings, two teenagers killing another for no good reason. The worst part is that you can't feel any anger with Bodie and Poot, it just feels like they are part of this inevitable unfolding event. The moment when Bodie hesitates is the worst, and then Poot: "If you're gonna do it, do it!".

There's also an extra layer of horror to it because it was really not a fair call from Stringer/Avon - they had no real substance in suspecting Wallace - and yet they were right. He did have to die, and it gets Stringer off the hook for a murder charge.

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[QDRPHNC]

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The worst part is that you can't feel any anger with Bodie and Poot, it just feels like they are part of this inevitable unfolding event.

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I always thought Poot was a dick.

[Default to the negative]

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Tom Hanks

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in Road To Perdition. The way everything falls silent except for the sound of the waves, then two gunshots rip through the tranquility. Jude Law casually setting up his camera and saying "Smile." Not a great film but it does have great moments and that's one of them. Very bleak.

His death in

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Saving Private Ryan

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always gets me too.

[Marty McFly]

While I'm thinking about David Lynch, I have to nominate The Elephant Man. The whole film is upsetting, really.

[Buelligan]

...then am I allowed to do The Wire?

Recently been re-watching, and of all the tragic events over the five seasons, it's still hard to watch the death of

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Wallace

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in Season 1.

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When you know it's coming every moment leading up to it is horrible - especially D'Angelo telling Stringer and Avon that they don't need to worry about Wallace. Then the lunch with Bodie and Poot, and finally that horrible pitiful scene. So utterly lacking in glamour, the bare surroundings, two teenagers killing another for no good reason. The worst part is that you can't feel any anger with Bodie and Poot, it just feels like they are part of this inevitable unfolding event. The moment when Bodie hesitates is the worst, and then Poot: "If you're gonna do it, do it!".

There's also an extra layer of horror to it because it was really not a fair call from Stringer/Avon - they had no real substance in suspecting Wallace - and yet they were right. He did have to die, and it gets Stringer off the hook for a murder charge.

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[The Duck Man]

I think the only fictional death I've cried at was Tommy the Irish stereotype when watching Titanic aged 12.

Recently, I was surprised that I felt rather sad when

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Giovanni Ribisi

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copped it in Gangster Squad, given the overall quality of the film. Actually said actor's death in

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Saving Private Ryan

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still packs a punch, as does, to a slightly lesser extent,

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Adam Goldberg's

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.

Loads of deaths in Game of Thrones, the ones that had me a tiny bit were

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Sean Bean, Luwin, Jory Cassel (the eye, ouch!) and that poor butcher kid Joffrey had done

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. Oh, and when he kills the

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pet wolf

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, boo.

Various deaths in Harry Potter[nb]Hey, I've admitted Titanic, may as well go whole hog.[/nb] had some impact when reading them[nb]

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Fred Weasley's

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pretty sad, got spoiled on

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Dumbledore

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so can't remember how I felt there, that may also have been the case with

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Sirius.

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[/nb] - but not in the films, as I recall, knowing what's coming.

[Thomas]

The Duck Man, that was spoiled for me too, but a kindly stranger stepped into the argument I was having with my brother in Asda and said something to the effect of 'Don't worry, my friend said the same to me, but they were lying.'

This stranger, it transpired, was the actual liar, but I appreciate that she helped rebuild my ignorance so that

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Dumbledore's deadly demise of death

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came as a surprise. Had to read it about three times out of shock, which is always a good sign, I think. Same happened a couple of times with Jurassic Park.[nb]

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Nedry

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and

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old man Hammond.

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[/nb]

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Godzilla's

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death in

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Godzilla (1998)

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got me, too. I went a bit weird for an hour or so after, sat on my bed with a

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toy Godzilla,

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re-enacting the scene and crying.

[kidsick5000]

Kirk Douglas has died quite spectacularly too[nb]though it seems nothing will kill the real thing[/nb]: 

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'The Vikings'

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and

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'Spartacus'

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spring to mind.

The great thing about growing up in the 80s is that an epic film like

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Spartacus

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would just be thrown out in the afternoon without any fanfare.
That said, it screwed with my young mind that the hero doesn't end triumphant.

That and

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Gene Hackman

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in

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The Poseidon Adventure

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. That death is the only reason it's a well remembered film. I even hoped that he'd pop up safe and sound in the awful sequel.

[gepree]

The death of George Tully on The Railway Station story on Sapphire and Steel.

[Pepotamo1985]

Not from a film but from The Wire -

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Wallace

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sob,

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Sherrod

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sob,

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Bodie

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sob and

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Omar

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sorry, I can't type anymore, I'm crying too much...

Yes!

I'd go one further and add

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D'Angelo

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. Stringer's

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own capping at the barrels of Brother Mouzone and Omar is absolutely brilliant catharsis

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.

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Bodie

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getting killed is amazingly savage because we'd witnessed his transformation from uppity, aggressive prick to fundamentally decent, honest person in quite beautiful detail.

[Noodle Lizard]

I have a soft spot for any (usually minor) character who wears glasses and is a bit rubbish who gets killed (usually after losing their glasses).  So, Newman in 'Jurassic Park', that guy in the 1999 version of 'The Mummy' er ... Macaualay Culkin in 'My Girl'? 

[Cerys]

Oh, come on - Nedry is killed because of his own actions.  I can't get upset by that.

[Thomas]

Oh, come on - Nedry is killed because of his own actions.

And perhaps that's the underlying tragedy of Dennis Nedry.

[Johnny Townmouse]

Despite the fact that he is an objectionable, horrible, psychopathic scumbag in both Goodfellas and Casino, Joe Pesci's deaths in both films are pretty upsetting, if nothing else because of the way they are executed (rofl). The former, because he is unfairly double-crossed, and the latter, because it is so unremitting in its graphic violence. I don't think I can think of a more unpleasant death in a film than Pesci's at the end of Casino, despite the fact that other films are more graphic[nb]Hostel, Human Centipede, etc[/nb], the characters more sympathetic[nb]Take your pick from this thread, but I would nominate Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon[/nb], or the nature of the death being more torturous and obviously painful[nb]The Passion of the Christ, Salo, etc[/nb].

[Cerys]

And perhaps that's the underlying tragedy of Dennis Nedry.

That could be really interesting - Nedry as a tragic hero.  What is his fatal flaw?  What 'mistakes' did he make ?  Hammond says that Nedry should pay for them, but what were they?  A narrative that follows Nedry through to his tragic death at the teeth of the dilophosaurus ... I'd watch that.

[QDRPHNC]

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Tony Soprano

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.

Fight fight fight!

[Johnny Townmouse]

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Tony Soprano

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.

Fight fight fight!

Oranges, man. Oranges.

[Buelligan]

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Tony Soprano

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.

Fight fight fight!

I've been saving the last few episodes of the Sopranos for years.  This made me laugh.

[Ian Benson]

The old, homeless guy in Groundhog day. When I first saw the film, as a child, I thought that we were seeing all of the days, if you get my meaning, but on a more recent viewing I realised that obviously that wasn't the case. So then, with the realisation that Phil was likely trapped on February 2nd for years and years, it occurred to me that he probably spent ages trying to save that guy. It's dealt with pretty quickly in the film, but the reality of it, where you would just keep seeing this guy die over and over again despite your best efforts, struck a chord with me. At what point would you give up, what with all the variables of things you could do differently? The film suggests that Phil is finally forced to give up on this project, after who knows how long, and I just found that sort of sad. It's also cool how this guy is set up early and dealt with throughout as just a little running gag (at first there's no way Phil is going to give him any money, and we see variations on that, and then later, Phil gives him a small fortune), only for him then to become the sad bit of the film.