Real life can be just as sad as fictional life: these biopics will get you right in the feels.
The goal of this series is to show that being “manly” and being disconnected with your emotions do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. While the approach to these articles is one of comedy and satire, the emotional core of these movies is very valid. Manly movies make guys cry, for example:
Biopic Movies
Whether you pronounce them bi-yaw-pics or biooopics, these films based on historical people and events are fascinating to watch. Biopics are how many of us learn about who came before us. Whether the film follows one individual person at a pivotal point in their lives or their entire life in total, the best of these films are entertaining and also touch your soul. Some fans like these movies for the historical stuff, some like to see famous people before they hit it big, and some just want to see the past come alive in a live rendition of a person long gone. But like anyone’s real life, these films can be fun in parts and brutal in others. Here’s a list of biopics entertaining enough to be worth watching, but harsh enough to make us cry.
1. A Beautiful Mind
The duality of mental illness and genius are often explored in biopics, and this one does it with gusto. Russell “Wanna fight about it?” Crowe plays a man battling paranoia, hallucinations, and the fact that he’s Russell Crowe. This film is at its strongest when diving into the frustration of a mathematical genius taking anti-psychotic medication…which dulls his mind. Since his mind is his greatest attribute, it’s understandable that Russell tries to think his way out of the hallucinations rather than medicate them away.
The sad part of this film is a pivotal point when Russell, thinking his hallucination is “watching” the bathing baby, goes into another room. His wife, the incomparable Jennifer Connelly, rushes in only to find the bath water inches away from drowning their child. Russell realizes figments of his imagination make poor babysitters, but it’s too late. He’ll never be trusted alone with his child again, and that is a tough pill to swallow.
2. Cinderella Man
Another Russell Crowe film? Sure, why not. In this boxing movie set in the Great Depression, Russell “A Beautiful Mind” Crowe plays a boxer who’s been out of the game due to an injury. An opportunity to get back in the ring leads to him winning. It’s fun to see someone at rock bottom rise up the ranks, even though Russell’s wife can’t stand the violence. This is like Rocky if it were based on a true story and set in a really picturesque era of the sport.
What really gets me is when Mrs. Russell barges into fight manager Paul Giamatti’s house, upset that he’s been making a profit off of her husband’s fights. The apartment is bare, with barely a chair to sit on. Having sold everything he owns to keep up appearances, Paul was in the same financial boat as everyone else. It was jarring to see the reality of his situation and the pride strip from his face. It showcased the financial destitution that people were really going through, and helped illustrate why a man past his prime might fight ferociously to feed his family, literally.
3. The Aviator
Moving on to Leonardo DiCaprio, or that guy you seriously didn’t think would be a great actor but he totally is one now. The Aviator has Leo marketing sunglasses…wait…no, he’s an airline mogul. Again, mental illness and genius are juxtaposed, with the real life Tony Stark inventing, adventuring, and then slowly losing his battle against mental illness.
Unlike A Beautiful Mind, this film has a far more realistic approach to mental illness, and thus is all the more heartbreaking. Leo has a similar “I’m just going to will my way out of being crazy” moment when he emerges from a self-imposed isolation, seemingly cured. He and the audience are led to believe he’s faced his demons and won. Then later, during a seemingly trivial conversation on jet engines being “the way of the future,” Leo repeats that line over and over compulsively. A complete loss of control of his faculties.
We realize that he wasn’t cured at all, but just had a moment of clarity in the lifelong storm of mental illness to come. As he stares into the mirror, still repeating the same phrase, he too comes to the realization that this isn’t something he can run away from.
4. Catch Me if You Can
The hell man? Leo again? Are there only two actors in Hollywood doing biopics? No, but I picked the films I liked and there was a trend.
Leo plays a con artist being chased by Tom Hanks. That’s really all you need to know to want to see this film. Plus Christopher Walken’s his dad. And he uses his powers of con to woo women, buy James Bond’s entire wardrobe and car, and become a doctor, lawyer, and airline pilot without any training at all. I mean come on, what more could you want? The only downside of being a con artist is that on Christmas Eve, Leo calls Tom the stodgy FBI agent up because he has no one else to talk to other than the very man looking to bury him.
It’s a humbling moment to an otherwise uber-confident persona. It’s one thing to have no one, but it’s another thing to be so alone that calling up your enemy and potential captor seems like a good idea. We find out that the incredibly intelligent, Leo-DiCaprio-level handsome young man would risk throwing his whole lifelong scam away for real human connection.
5. Schindler’s List
You can’t really talk about biopics that make us cry without bringing this one up. Liam “I will find you” Neeson plays a war profiteer who is so affected by the atrocities of the Holocaust, he changes his life’s goals from profit to saving lives. This film is so well-known, you may not have seen it but still feel like you have the gist of it. I implore you to watch it anyways, as it’s worth it.
As if this movie has to have one point that stands out among any other as “the sad part,” the moment when the survivors give Schindler a gold ring made from their melted down gold fillings is pivotal. Schindler all but breaks down in a regret-pile, crying that the gold of that ring could have bribed enough to save another life. No matter how much good he did, Schindler is still crushed by regret of not doing more. He was a great man, it’s a great movie, and now I have something in my eye.
Like what you see? Secure enough in your masculinity for more? Check out more Guy Cry Cinema or watch Dan on No Right Answer, the weekly debate show that knows what’s really important: Pointlessly arguing about geek culture.
