History TearJerker / TheSecretofNIMH

** If you pay attention to Teresa [[FreezeFrameBonus just as Cyntha finishes asking if Timmy will die]], she looks like she's trying to not start crying at the idea of her little brother dying.

* Nicodemus's opening monologue as he laments Jonathan's death and wonders what will happen to his wife now:
-->'''Nicodemus:''' Jonathan was a dear friend. I am lost, knowing how to help his widow. She knows nothing of us, or the Plan. Perhaps best that I do nothing at present. I shall miss him. Jonathan, wherever you are, your thoughts must comfort her tonight. [[TearJerker She'll be waiting, and you will not return.]] Farewell...my friend.
** The fact that this is the ''first'' scene in the movie pretty much sets the tone for the emotional roller coaster that is in store for us.

-->'''Nicodemus''': Jonathan was a dear friend. I am lost, knowing how to help his widow. She knows nothing of us, or the Plan. Perhaps best that I do nothing at present. I shall miss him. Jonathan, wherever you are, your thoughts must comfort her tonight. [[TearJerker She'll be waiting, and you will not return.]] Farewell...my friend.

--->'''Cynthia''': Is Timmy gonna die?\\
'''Mrs. Brisby''': No, sweetheart. He's just very sick.\\
'''Theresa''': What's the matter with him, Mother?\\
'''Mrs. Brisby''': Mr. Ages called it...pneumonia.\\
'''Theresa''': Pneumonia?\\
'''Cynthia''': When will he get better?\\
'''Mrs. Brisby''': Soon...I hope.

-->'''Mrs. Brisby:''' (''reading'') "He was ki— (''her voice breaks'') …"killed today… while drugging the farmer's cat, Dragon." Oh, I....I never knew...just what happened.

* Nicodemus explains to Mrs. Brisby why Jonathan couldn't tell her about NIMH: the experiments performed on him, Mr. Ages, Nicodemus, and the other rats slowed their aging process. You can see Mrs. Brisby coming to realize that, for Jonathan, watching her grow old while he remained young would likely be ''[[FateWorseThanDeath even worse]]'' than [[DisappearedDad allowing his wife and children to outlive him]]. There's also the fact that her children would outlive her since they probably would have inherited their father's abnormal traits.

[[caption-width-right:350:Poor Nicodemus]]

-->'''Mrs. Brisby''':[reading] "He was ki.." [her voice breaks] "...killed today....while drugging the farmer's cat, Dragon." Oh, I....I never knew...just what happened.

--->'''Cynthia''': Is Timmy gonna die?--

* The death of Nicodemus as well as Justin and Mr. Ages's reactions to it. For that matter, when Mr. Ages tells Mrs. Brisby what happened, he breaks down crying in her arms, and she looks directly at the camera with her eyes full of tears and it's just heartbreaking. Having said that, she gets a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome immediately afterward when she composes herself and warns the rats that NIMH is coming to kill them.
** Justin has a momentary HeroicBSOD, while Mr. Ages breaks down and seems to start crying as he tells Mrs. Brisby what happened. Ages has been rather crotchety in all his previous scenes, but his sorrow makes sense when you realize that he and Nicodemus escaped NIMH together and must have been very old friends.

* The death of Nicodemus as well as Justin and Mr. Ages's reactions to it. For that matter, when Mr. Ages tells Mrs. Brisby what happened, he breaks down crying in her arms, and she looks directly at the camera with her eyes full of tears and it's just heartbreaking. Having said that, she gets an AwesomeMoment immediately afterward when she composes herself and warns the rats that NIMH is coming to kill them.

-->'''Cynthia''': Is Timmy gonna die?
-->'''Mrs. Brisby''': No, sweetheart. He's just very sick.
-->'''Theresa''': What's the matter with him, Mother?
-->'''Mrs. Brisby''': Mr. Ages called it...pneumonia.
-->'''Theresa''': Pneumonia?
-->'''Cynthia''': When will he get better?
-->'''Mrs. Brisby''': Soon...I hope.

** The part after the home was completely submerged in the mud is exceptionally well handled, at least in terms of Mrs. Brisby' reaction. She has a ''very'' disturbed (and disturbing) wide-eyed expression, summarizing the horror and shock of a widow seeing her house with all her children and her friend sink while the rescuers are just standing next to it, unable to do anything against it. Plus, they forcefully drag her away from said sinking house ''while she watches'', being all hysterical and quite possibly near breakdown. It is only moments later that there is ''any'' indication that this predicament would be resolved.

* The death of Nicodemus as well as Justin and Mr. Ages's reactions to it.

* Nicodemus explains to Mrs. Brisby why Jonathan couldn't tell her about NIMH: the experiments performed on him, Mr. Ages, Nicodemus, and the other rats slowed their aging process. You can see Mrs. Brisby coming to realize that watching her grow old while Jonathan remained young would likely be ''[[FateWorseThanDeath even worse]]'' than [[DisappearedDad allowing his wife and children to outlive them]]. There's also the fact that her children would outlive her since they probably would have inherited their father's abnormal traits.

* Nicodemus explains to Mrs. Brisby why Jonathan couldn't tell her about NIMH: the experiments performed on him, Mr. Ages, Nicodemus, and the other rats slowed their aging process. You can see Mrs. Brisby wondering how Jonathan felt watching her grow old while he remained young. There's also the fact that her children would outlive her since they would have inherited their father's abnormal traits.

--> '''Teresa:''' Mother. ''Mother!''\\

** The part after the home was completely submerged in the mud is exceptionally well handled, at least in terms of Mrs. Brisby' reaction. She has a ''very'' disturbed (and disturbing) wide-eyed expression, summarizing the horror and shock of a widow seeing her house with all her children and her best friend sink while the rescuers are just standing next to it, unable to do anything against it. Plus, they forcefully drag her away from said sinking house ''while she watches'', being all hysterical and quite possibly near breakdown. It is only moments later that there is ''any'' indication that this predicament would be resolved.

* Nicodemus explains to Mrs. Brisby why Jonathan couldn't tell her about NIMH: the experiments performed on him, Mr. Ages, Nicodemus, and the other rats slowed their aging process. You can see Mrs. Brisby wondering how Jonathan was feeling watching her grow old while he remained young. There's also the fact that her children would outlive her since they would have inherited their father's abnormal traits.

[[caption-width-right:350:Poor nicodemus]]

* Poor, poor Sullivan. True he was in league with Jenner, but the entire time the poor guy just can't bring himself to go through with the murder of their leader, and is essentially forced to work against his own just to appease the power-hungry Jenner.....[[MeaninglessVillainVictory who's victory will mean nothing]] [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom as NIMH knows where they are hiding and plan to have them destroyed by morning]]. Sullivan eventually comes to the aid of Justin over him in the final battle, and [[HeroicSacrifice quickly loses his life for it]]. Even after he lands the killing blow on Jenner with his final breath, we don't see anybody coming to mourn him onscreen.
* You have to feel sorry for Jeremy near the end, after going through all sorts of hell to impress Mrs Brisby, he finally comes back enthusiastically with string in tow to lift her house out of the mud, only to realize he's missed the whole ordeal. Dejected he fails to see any other point for the string anymore ("What's a guy like me gonna do with a love nest anyway?") and slowly walks away slumped over. However, just then [[ThrowTheDogABone a klutzy female crow crashes into him...]]

*** This is actually explicitly stated in the original novel.