What's your never-ending tear-jerker?

What's something that, no matter how many times you've read/seen it, can still make you cry (or nearly so)? From a book, movie, song, video game, anything, what's something that remains a tear-jerker and simply doesn't wear out?

I can think of two (maybe three) instances for me. Two of them probably don't fit most people's expectations, though.

First is in Speaker For The Dead when Ender is finishing Marcao's speaking (from memory, and thus probably inaccurate):

And in case any of you think she deserves your petty spite, I want you to remember one thing. Novinha did all this, suffered all this, for one reason: to keep the piggies from killing Libo.

His words left ashes in their hearts.

Second is from Terry Pratchett's Going Postal when the clacks from the contest is being read: Who will speak for the dead? . . .

The third is a song by Jim's Big Ego, The Ballad of Barry Allen. It's about a comic book superhero, but between the writing and the music, it's tragic and, for me, deeply emotional.

Lord of the Rings: The Grey Havens.

Yeah, Impolex, I can definitely understand that one. Are you referring, btw, to the books, movies, or both?

The ending of Return Of The Jedi, when Anakin redeems himself and thanks Luke for saving him with his dying breath.

And the ending of Futurama episode "Jurassic Bark", when we find out that Fry's dog spent the remaining twelve years of his life waiting for him.

edited 16th Aug '11 9:36:56 AM by DoktorvonEurotrash

I've only seen that episode once because of that ending. If it's on, BAM. Channel changed. Damn you Connie Francis!

The Last Unicorn (book) makes me cry far too much.

Seconding the Gray Havens. Also, this bit from Changes:

I used the knife
I saved a child.
I won a war.
God forgive me.

I'm referring to the books. Haven't seen the movies.

The Iron Giant. If you've seen it, you probably don't need specifics. And if you do, well, one word: Su-per-maaaaan.

Similarly, Lilo And Stitch has two good moments. The first is the perenially heartbreaking "Aloha 'Oe" scene, but Stitch's speech at the end of the movie is quite tearjerking too: "This is my family. I found it, all on my own. Is little, and broken. But still good. Yeah. Still good."

And since this is the literature subforum, here's one from a book: The Magic Thief. I've only read it three times now, so it still has time to prove itself, but each time, I have gotten stupefyingly misty-eyed over this particular line: "And that, Conn, is why you are not a gutterboy or a snipe thief."

The Little Prince. "I shall cry." INDEED. ;3;

"If We Hold On Together", from the Land Before Time soundtrack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMD5nzSSOMU

Can't listen to it without blubbering like a baby.

Was by Geoff Ryman. Oh god, that book.

edited 16th Aug '11 2:32:01 PM by Viergacht

. . . and "Jennie" by Douglas Preston.

It's about a chimp raised by a human family as an experiment to see how humanized she could become, sort of, based on what was done to several real chimps. Told from the perspectives of several different characters long after, with varying motives, reactions, hang-ups and levels of involvement, it's absolutely fascinating, but the ending makes me want to cry just thinking about it. I first read it on a plane and it was VERY hard not to have a breakdown and freak out the other passengers.

The middle of House of Leaves. The last Animorphs book does a number on me too.

Interesting, mailedby, so there's (as far as I, having not read it, understand) an existential horror novel and a children's adventure book. Of course, mine are from an odd rock song, a comedic fantasy novel and a difficult-to-classify s.f. novel, so maybe I shouldn't comment on oddness.

A few others have mentioned Futurama, too, a grown-ups' animated sitcom. (It's too bad, btw, that the word "adult" has been so thoroughly taken over by pornography. It makes it hard to discuss some things in a serious tone.) My roommate actually mentioned how much that episode affected him as well.

The second to last chapter of Anne Of Green Gables always makes me cry, and I've reread that thing countless times since I first read it at the age of 10!

The Scholar's Tale from the Hyperion Cantos, for me. Rachel just keeps getting younger and forgetting more and more, and her parents are doing everything they can but eventually they can do nothing but enjoy what time they have with her, and she keeps forgetting her life, and one day she doesn't remember "in a while, crocodile" anymore and I just bawl.

From the title I thought you meant a Doorstopper that makes you cry! Fortunately my only literature Tear Jerker is both. No matter how many times I read it, the last 100 pages of Les Miserables still make me cry. Same for the musical: I have never made it through that without crying at least twice.

Since other people are mentioning films, for me it would have to be Toy Story 3.

Yeah, this isn't intended to be restricted to books, but I have to pick a particular forum for it, and two of my examples were books.

The end of Bridge to Terabithia, Dumbledore's funeral, and Tara's death in Buffy.

Ah damn you Chalkos. I'd forgotten about that one until now.

@Z: Yeah, in general my tastes are weird like that. Though they do make me cry for different reasons.

edited 17th Aug '11 2:17:16 PM by mailedbypostman

For me, my never-ending tear-jerker is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. That scene where Harry uses the Resurrection Stone to bring back his Lily, James, Sirius, and Lupin was just tear-jerking. Not only was he probably the first and only person to use the Resurrection Stone properly, but he actually got to talk to the four people who mattered most to him. The conversation between them is the sort that if it didn't make you feel anything, then either you have no soul or you have a soul similar to Voldemort's.

The second episode of Dae Jang Geum (a Korean drama). I've seen it maybe four times and it makes me tear up everytime.

Oooh, beat me to it. That whole chapter is just...

The last Babylon 5 episode "Sleeping in the Light."

Thanks to Emily G, I got the urge to rewatch Land Before Time. I went through about ten kleenex and a dog when Littlefoot's mom died. So.. there's another one. Littlefoot's mom. All my tears.