History TearJerker / SpiderMan1

* The Goblin attacking Aunt May at her home while she's praying to Uncle Ben, all in an effort get to Peter/Spider-Man, by attacking "his heart". Soon after, she's rushed to the hospital, hysteric and traumatized from being menaced by the villain. Just as Peter storms, May, not aware of her nephew's presence, cries, "Those eyes! Those horrible yellow eyes!". Peter is [[OhCrap appropriately horrified]] at the realization that Goblin knows who he is, and can attack anyone he cares about. Next on Gobby's hit list was Mary Jane.

** Uncle Ben’s death becomes even ''more sadder'' in the novelization. Peter first doesn’t realize the old man on the sidewalk is Uncle Ben, until he notices things such as his outfit and his facial features that look exactly like his uncle’s. Peter manages to cradle Uncle Ben before he dies, and then lets out a “[[SkywardScream howl like the damned]]”. Then when Peter hunts down the mugger, he first almost considers [[DeathSeeker wanting the bullet that the mugger fired to hit him]], thinking [[DespairEventHorizon he deserved to be shot]] for not stopping him and so he could [[TogetherInDeath be with Uncle Ben]].

--->'''Peter Parker:''' I can't help thinking about... the last thing I said to him. He tried to tell me something important, and I threw it in his face.

** Twice, Mary Jane is on the verge of tears as she leaves her house after these arguments. Then when her friends and Flash show up, [[StepfordSmiler she puts on a smile each time and doesn't let on what's wrong]]. Despite being considered more popular than Peter, it's clear that in a way, Mary Jane is just as lonely, insecure, and misunderstood as him, and doesn't really have many people in her corner either.

** On a rewatch, many of her initial scenes are sobering when you wonder how much of her carefree cheerfulness is fake, and how much is genuine.

*** At Peter's graduation, it's clear their interaction is weighing on him amidst the celebration. That night at home, May finds him crying in his room, recalling Ben's wisdom and regretting not being able to share this milestone with the man who ''was'' a father to him in every sense of the word.

** It's even worse in the {{novelization}}; what kickstarted their second family spat was Mary Jane learning her father had arranged for Flash to take her out that night. When she and her mother protest, Philip harshly rebukes them and basically yells that settling down with a boy like Flash is her ''only worth'', and she shouldn't bother coming back home otherwise. Mary Jane is furious and humiliated, but gives in before storming out. It's not only a distressing glimpse into what she endures at home and how despicable [[HateSink Philip Watson]] is, but, as Peter reflects on in the next chapter, proves that Mary Jane striving for popularity and a rich boyfriend is motivated by her desperation to prove something to her father and find happiness away from his cruelty, even as she's aware Flash is [[LikeParentLikeSpouse not much different]]. No wonder she has recurring relationship issues in the films.

** Even sadder, what should’ve been a proud occasion and a cathartic moment for MJ is rendered moot because there’s no one to support her in this difficult time. After Flash leaves, she feels completely empty and alone [[AloneInACrowd as her classmates are celebrating their graduation with their families around her]], while [[DaddyDidntShow her parents didn’t even come to the ceremony]], likely too occupied with their typical fights. MJ has taken the first steps in shedding the bad influences in her life, but it doesn’t feel rewarding – all she’s left with is the harsh truth of how lonely she truly is. When Harry finally checks on her afterwards, she promptly bursts into tears.

** Even sadder, what should’ve been a proud occasion and a cathartic moment for MJ is rendered moot because there’s no one to support her in this difficult time. After Flash leaves, she feels completely empty and alone while her classmates are celebrating their graduation with their families around her; [[DaddyDidntShow her parents didn’t even come to the ceremony]], likely too occupied with their typical fights. MJ has taken the first steps in shedding the bad influences in her life, but it doesn’t feel rewarding – all she’s left with is the harsh truth of how lonely she truly is. When Harry checks on her afterwards, she promptly bursts into tears.

** Mary Jane's expression when overhearing Norman demeaning her as a GoldDigger and Harry not standing up for her. She tried so hard to escape her past hardships and have a fresh start, yet is now realizing she's just entered another cycle of abuse like what she dealt with from her father and Flash. While she does right in breaking up with Harry, it's clear having to do so is very painful for her.

** It's even worse in the {{novelization}}; what kickstarted their second family spat was Mary Jane learning her father had arranged for Flash to take her out that night. When she and her mother protest, Philip harshly rebukes them, basically yelling that settling down with a boy like Flash ''is her only worth'' and she shouldn't bother coming back home otherwise. Mary Jane is furious and humiliated, but gives in before storming out. It's not only a distressing glimpse into what she endures at home and how despicable [[HateSink Philip Watson]] is, but, as Peter reflects on in the next chapter, proves that Mary Jane striving for popularity and a rich boyfriend is motivated by her desperation to prove something to her father and find happiness away from his cruelty, even as she's aware Flash is [[LikeParentLikeSpouse not much different]]. No wonder she has recurring relationship issues in the films.

** It's even worse in the {{novelization}}; what kickstarted their second family spat was Mary Jane learning her father had arranged for Flash to take her out that night. When she and her mother protest, Philip harshly rebukes them, basically yelling that settling down with a boy like Flash ''is her only worth'' and she shouldn't bother coming back home otherwise. Mary Jane is furious and humiliated, but gives in before storming out. It's not only a distressing glimpse into what she endures at home and how despicable [[HateSink Philip Watson]] is, but, as Peter reflects on in the next chapter, proves that Mary Jane striving for popularity and a rich boyfriend is motivated by her desperation to find happiness away from her father’s cruelty, even as she's aware Flash is [[LikeParentLikeSpouse not much different]]. No wonder she has recurring relationship issues in the films.

** Uncle Ben’s death becomes even ''more sadder'' in the novelization. Peter first doesn’t realize the old man on the sidewalk is Uncle Ben, until he notices things such as his outfit and his facial features that look exactly like his uncle’s. Peter manages to cradle Uncle Ben before he dies, and then lets out a “[[SkywardScream howl like the damned]]”. Then when Peter hunts down the mugger, he first almost considers [[DeathSeeker wanting the bullet that the mugger shot to hit him]], thinking [[DespairEventHorizon he deserved to be shot]] for not stopping him and so he could [[TogetherInDeath be with Uncle Ben]].

** It's also [[HiddenDepths a bit telling]] in that Norman knew he meant the world to Harry, despite how aloof he's been throughout the movie, to the point of even seeming preoccupied in Peter's accomplishments over his own son's. Before leaving for his final showdown with Spider-Man, Norman even promises to try and make amends to Harry. Now it'll never happen.

* From the moment they’re introduced, Harry and Norman’s relationship sadly only seems to bring out the worst in each other: Norman is [[ParentalNeglect too consumed with his work to be there for his son]] and Harry always seems to come up short with his father despite his efforts. Then Norman starts [[WhyAreYouNotMySon favoring Peter at Harry’s expense]], which is magnified when he becomes fixated on Spider-Man after transforming into the Green Goblin in his [[WellDoneDadGuy desire to find a son-figure he can relate to]]. Meanwhile, [[WellDoneSonGuy Harry]]’s continued efforts to prove himself worthy of his father’s love only pull him away from MJ, who he actually starts degrading to make himself look good, and especially Peter, who he comes to [[TheResenter resent for getting everything Harry wanted]]. In the end, Norman seems to finally [[JerkassRealization realize]] his folly and promises to be a better father to Harry, but is robbed of that chance after Goblin gets himself killed. As a result, Harry redirects his resentment towards Spider-Man, pushing him into a downward spiral.

** Mary Jane's expression when overhearing Norman demeaning her as a GoldDigger and Harry not standing up for her. She tried so hard to escape her past hardships and have a fresh start, yet is now realizing she's just entered another cycle of abuse like what she dealt with from her father and Flash. While she does right in breaking up with Harry, it's clear having to do so is very painful for her. In the novelization, Peter finds MJ sobbing outside on the sidewalk over once ''again'' being thought of as if she’s not worth anything.
*** Harry’s retort to MJ leaving is also upsetting. For all his talk and gestures, he proves he’s no different from the previous men in her life who used and hurt her.

* From the moment they’re introduced, Harry and Norman’s relationship sadly only seems to bring out the worst in each other: Norman is [[ParentalNeglect too consumed with his work to be there for his son]] and Harry always seems to come up short with his father despite his efforts. Then Norman starts [[WhyAreYouNotMySon favoring Peter at Harry’s expense]], which is only magnified when he becomes fixated on Spider-Man after transforming into the Green Goblin in his [[WellDoneDadGuy desire to find a son-figure he can really connect with]]. Meanwhile, [[WellDoneSonGuy Harry]]’s continued efforts to prove himself worthy of his father’s love only pull him away from MJ, due to him degrading her to make himself look good, and especially Peter, who he actually starts [[TheResenter resenting for getting everything Harry wanted]]. In the end, Norman seems to finally [[JerkassRealization realize]] his folly and promises to be a better father to Harry, but is robbed of that chance after Goblin gets himself killed. As a result, Harry redirects his resentment towards Spider-Man, further leading him into a downward spiral.

** While Mary Jane's burgeoning romance with Spider-Man is [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments touching]], it's sad when one lets it sink in that she falls in love with (from her viewpoint) a stranger in a mask because nearly everyone else she knows is indifferent at best or abusive at worst, only caring about her superficially. It gets worse when you consider that Spider-Man's memory is all she has left without Peter (until the [[Film/SpiderMan2 sequel]], thankfully).

* MJ and Flash’s breakup in the novelization, which reveals they had a blowup over her moving to the city to pursue acting instead of following him. While it was obvious Flash was an abysmal boyfriend, him confirming it by blatantly demeaning MJ is hard to read. Especially since it’s implied she was still hoping to salvage ''something'' of their relationship, but is forced to accept that her time with Flash throughout high school amounted to ''nothing'' positively real or tangible.

** Mary Jane's expression when overhearing Norman demeaning her as a GoldDigger and Harry not standing up for her. She tried so hard to escape her past hardships and have a fresh start, yet is now realizing she's just entered another cycle of abuse like what she dealt with from her father and Flash. While she does right in breaking up with Harry, it's clear having to do so is very painful for her.
*** Harry’s retort to MJ leaving is also upsetting. For all his talk and gestures, he proves he’s no different from the previous men in her life who used and hurt her. In the novelization, Peter finds MJ sobbing outside on the sidewalk over once ''again'' being thought of as if she’s not worth anything.

** Even sadder, what should’ve been a proud occasion and a cathartic moment for MJ is rendered moot because there’s no one to support her in this difficult time. After Flash leaves, she feels completely empty and alone while her classmates are celebrating their graduation with their families around her; [[DaddyDidntShow her parents didn’t even come to the ceremony]], likely too occupied with their typical fights. MJ has taken the first steps to shedding the toxic influences in her life, but it doesn’t feel rewarding – all she’s left with is the harsh truth of how lonely she truly is. When Harry checks on her afterwards, she promptly bursts into tears.

* Hearing [[AbusiveParents Mary Jane's father]] screaming at her and her mother is pretty sad. The arguing between her parents doesn't help, either. Mary Jane's pain is palpable, and based on her and Peter's reactions, this happens on a ''regular basis''.
** Twice, Mary Jane is on the verge of tears as she leaves her house after these arguments. Then when her friends and Flash show up, [[StepfordSmiler she puts on a smile each time and doesn't let on what's wrong]]. Despite being considered more popular than Peter, it's clear that in a way, Mary Jane is just as lonely, insecure, and misunderstood as him, and doesn't really have many people in her corner either.
** It's even worse in the {{novelization}}; what kickstarted their second family spat was Mary Jane learning her father had arranged for Flash to take her out that night. When she and her mother protest, Philip harshly rebukes them, basically yelling that settling down with a boy like Flash ''is her only worth'' and she shouldn't bother coming back home otherwise. Mary Jane is furious and humiliated, but gives in before storming out. It's not only a distressing glimpse into what she endures at home and how despicable [[HateSink Philip Watson]] is, but, as Peter reflects on in the next chapter, proves that Mary Jane striving for popularity and a rich boyfriend is motivated by her desperation to find happiness away from her father’s cruelty, even as she's aware Flash is [[LikeParentLikeSpouse not much different]]. No wonder she has recurring relationship issues in the films.
** On a rewatch, many of her initial scenes are sobering when you wonder how much of her carefree cheerfulness is fake, and how much is genuine.

** To add insult to injury, the novelization reveals Mary Jane being rejected from a soap opera on account of needing acting lessons was ''completely untrue''. In reality, she nailed her audition but was turned away by the casting director, Flash Thompson's aunt, as revenge for breaking up with him. It hits extra hard for anyone who faced such {{Nepotism}} in real life.
* Norman's reaction to being ousted from his company. While Norman's response to his firing is in no way justified, one can't help but feel upset when people he's known for dozens of years remove him from the company HE founded just to appease stockholders. Anybody who has ever been unjustly fired or laid off will know his pain.
** Norman's line, "[[SuddenlyShouting YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I SACRIFICED!?]]" Considering that Norman's work was the prime reason he was so neglectful towards Harry, him realizing that it all wasn't worth it hits very hard.

** It's worse in the {{novelization}}; what kickstarted their second family spat was Mary Jane learning her father had arranged for Flash to take her out that night. When she and her mother protest, Philip harshly rebukes them, basically yelling that settling down with a boy like Flash ''is her only worth'' and she shouldn't bother coming back home otherwise. Mary Jane is furious and humiliated, but gives in before storming out. It's not only a distressing glimpse into what she endures at home and how despicable [[HateSink Philip Watson]] is, but, as Peter reflects on in the next chapter, proves that Mary Jane striving for popularity and a rich boyfriend is motivated by her desperation to find happiness away from her father’s cruelty, even as she's aware Flash is [[LikeParentLikeSpouse not much different]]. No wonder she has recurring relationship issues in the films.

** Uncle Ben’s death becomes even ''more sadder'' in the novelization. Peter first doesn’t realize the old man on the sidewalk is Uncle Ben, until he notices things such as his outfit and his facial features that look exactly like his uncle’s. Peter manages to cradle Uncle Ben before he dies, and then lets out a “howl like the damned”. Then when Peter hunts down the mugger, he first almost considers wanting the bullet that the mugger shot to hit him, thinking [[DespairEventHorizon he deserved to be shot]] for not stopping him and so he could be with Uncle Ben.

** It's even worse in the {{novelization}}; what kickstarted their second family spat was Mary Jane learning her father had arranged for Flash to take her out that night. When she and her mother protest, Philip harshly rebukes them, basically yelling that settling down with a boy like Flash ''is her only worth'' and she shouldn't bother coming back home otherwise. Mary Jane is furious and humiliated, but gives in before storming out. It's not only a distressing glimpse into what she endures at home and how despicable [[HateSink Philip Watson]] is, but, as Peter reflects on in the next chapter, proves that Mary Jane striving for popularity and a rich boyfriend is motivated by her desperation to find happiness away from her father’s cruelty, even as she's aware Flash is [[LikeParentLikeSpouse not much different]]. No wonder she has recurring relationship issues in the films.
** On a rewatch, many of her initial scenes are sobering when you wonder much of her carefree cheerfulness is fake, and how much is genuine.

** It's worse in the {{novelization}} detailing her second family spat just before the backyard scene with Peter. Mary Jane's father arranges for Flash to take her out and when she and her mother protest, he harshly rebukes her and basically yells that settling down with a boy like Flash ''is her only worth''. Mary Jane is furious and humiliated, but gives in before storming out. It's not only a distressing glimpse into her home life and how despicable [[HateSink Philip Watson]] is, but, as Peter reflects on in the next chapter, proves that Mary Jane striving for popularity and a rich boyfriend is motivated by her desperation to find happiness away from her father’s cruelty, even as she's aware Flash is [[LikeParentLikeSpouse not much different]]. No wonder she has recurring relationship issues in the films.
** On a rewatch, many of her initial scenes are sobering when you wonder much of her happiness is fake, and how much is genuine.

* The scene at the beginning of the film that is the EstablishingCharacterMoment for pre-Spidey Peter. Despite being a totally normal and dorky guy, ''everyone'' but Mary Jane and Harry mocks and torments him in some fashion or another. It's to the point that ''his bus driver'' has a smarmy, smug smile of enjoyment of letting the poor guy run after the bus as long as he can get away with it. It shows that Peter really doesn't have much but his immediate family and two people looking out for him at all.

** It's worse in the {{novelization}} detailing her second family spat just before the backyard scene with Peter. Mary Jane's father arranges for Flash to take her out and when she and her mother protest, he harshly rebukes her and basically yells that settling down with a boy like Flash ''is her only worth''. Mary Jane is furious and humiliated, but gives in before storming out. It's not only a distressing glimpse into her home life and how despicable [[HateSink Philip Watson]] is, but, as Peter reflects on in the next chapter, proves that Mary Jane striving for popularity and a rich boyfriend is motivated by her seeking a refuge from the cruelty her father subjects her to, even as she's aware Flash is [[TheBully not much]] [[JerkJock different]]. No wonder she has recurring relationship issues in the films.

* With Mary Jane's role as the DamselInDistress, it's easy to forget that her entire character arc in this film is also tragic. She seems on top of the world in high school, but it's all a front for how miserable she is with her current path; her father is an unloving, controlling AlcoholicParent, her [[BigJerkOnCampus boyfriend]] only sees her as a piece of meat, and her [[JerkJock social]] [[GirlPosse circle]] doesn't understand her. After she finally escapes her toxic home and school life, she works to fulfill her dream of acting professionally and seeks a better boyfriend in Harry. However, she's saddled with a minimum-wage job and living in squalor, struggles to be taken seriously amidst the [[SoBeautifulItsACurse bullying and sexual harassment (and a near-assault) she faces for her looks]], and learns Harry is not the man she thought he was. The only people who treat her with actual affection, compassion, and respect are her mother, the Parkers, and Spider-Man. But when she opens her heart to Peter and declares her love for him, she's left heartbroken once again when he turns her down for reasons he can't reveal. At the end of the day, Mary Jane just wants to put her troubles behind her and make a full life for herself, but any HopeSpot she has is [[ButtMonkey torn away]], [[YankTheDogsChain leaving her back at square one.]]
** While Mary Jane's burgeoning romance with Spider-Man is [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments touching]], it's sad when one lets it sink in that she falls in love with (from her viewpoint) a stranger in a mask because nearly everyone else in her life is indifferent at best or abusive at worst, only caring about her superficially. It gets worse when you consider that Spider-Man's memory is all she has left without Peter (until the [[Film/SpiderMan2 sequel]], thankfully).