Franchise works with their own Tear Jerker Moments pages:
The Disney film
If the only man you ever loved was just declared dead, wouldn't you feel the same way?
- After the Genie is freed, he and Aladdin say their final farewells. Mixed with Heartwarming.Genie: Oh, does that feel good! I'm free! Free at last! I'm hitting the road! I'm off to see the world! I— [sees Aladdin smiling sadly]
Aladdin: Genie... I'm gonna miss you.
Genie: [with tears in his eyes] Me too, Al. No matter what anybody says, you'll always be a prince to me. [they both hug]- This just gets harder to watch as of Robin Williams' death.
- Jasmine is so miserable with her life as royalty that she tries to run away early in the film. That's sad enough on its own; but the reaction of poor Rajah, Jasmine's only real friend up until this point, makes it worse. He tugs on her scarf as if begging for her to stay. And when she disappears over the wall, he's left whimpering softly to himself like...well, like a pet whose owner just abandoned them.
- After her escape plan has spectacularly failed, Jasmine weeps in her garden, believing that she's the one responsible for the execution of the boy who saved her life in the marketplace. Think for a moment about how this feels for her: making a deep connection with a stranger, then losing him in the same day and believing that it's all her fault. Rajah comes over to comfort her, but it doesn't help...Jasmine: It's all my fault, Rajah... I didn't even know his name!
- What led up to her realization was Jafar revealing with a faked expression of shock that he has to order him to be beheaded for his so-called attempted kidnapping of the princess when in actuality, he plans to use him to get the lamp from the Cave of Wonders- killing him anyway once he's outlived his usefulness in a serious tone before resuming his facade of sympathy before she runs off. When she's out of earshot, he casually chats with Iago that Jasmine took the news well sarcastically. A moment that solidifies Jafar as completely callous.
- Cut to Aladdin in prison after Jafar had him arrested and he's remembering what happened. He's so embarrassed by what he said to Jasmine and is sort of relieved he supposedly won't see her again as he feels unworthy of her due to his low status.
- Aladdin is confident in some respects — he knows he's good at street rat stuff — but he's constantly cutting himself down. After he wishes to be a prince, he just can't believe that Jasmine would like him for him. He puts on a rich douchebag persona, acting like he's hot shit to cover for the fact that he doesn't feel like that at all. All his mistakes throughout the film stem from his deep insecurities.Aladdin: Without you, I'm just Aladdin.
Genie: Al, you won!
Aladdin: Because of you! The only reason anyone thinks I'm worth anything is because of you!
- Aladdin is confident in some respects — he knows he's good at street rat stuff — but he's constantly cutting himself down. After he wishes to be a prince, he just can't believe that Jasmine would like him for him. He puts on a rich douchebag persona, acting like he's hot shit to cover for the fact that he doesn't feel like that at all. All his mistakes throughout the film stem from his deep insecurities.
- Even though it wasn't technically in the movie (although used in the Screen-to-Stage Adaptation), the song "Proud of Your Boy" is extremely poignant. Especially when you hear the story behind it. Just... watch the video
.- It's also chock full of heartbreaking Heroic Self-Deprecation, that really sounds like it's coming from someone with low self-esteem.So say I'm slow for my age, a late bloomer,
Okay, I agree!
That I've been one rotten kid.
...
You'll see, Mom, now comes the better part!
Someone's gonna make good, cross his stupid heart!
...
I'll do my best, what else can I do?
Since I wasn't born perfect, like Dad or you...- A heartbreaking Fridge Tear Jerker in the history of the song? This was one of the last songs Howard Ashman wrote before his death...and his mother outlived him. Looking at it as an apology for dying before her makes the song even sadder.
- Midway through the final verse, Abu bursts into tears.
- Even worse in the musical when the audience learns that his mother is dead.
- In Jafar's deleted Villain Song, "Humiliate the Boy", there's a brief moment wherein Aladdin looks out to the crowd and sees his mother giving him a look of deep disappointment. Aladdin's expression immediately afterward makes you wanna hug him.
- It's also chock full of heartbreaking Heroic Self-Deprecation, that really sounds like it's coming from someone with low self-esteem.
- When Aladdin asks Genie what he would wish for if he had the chance.Aladdin: What would you wish for?
Genie: Me? ... No one's ever asked me that before. Well, in my case- Aw, forget it.
Aladdin: What?
Genie: No, I can't, I-
Aladdin: C'mon! Tell me!
Genie: ...Freedom.
Aladdin: You're a prisoner?
Genie: It's all part and parcel, the whole genie gig. PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWERS! Itty, bitty living space.
Aladdin: Aw, Genie! That's terrible!
Genie: But, oh! To be free! Not have to go, "Poof! What do you need? Poof! What do you need? Poof! What do you need?" To be my own master. Such a thing would be greater than all the magic and all the treasures in all the world! But what am I talking about? Let's get real here, it's not gonna happen. Genie, wake up and smell the hummus. - The reprise of "One Jump Ahead".Riff-raff, street rat
I don't buy that
If only they'd look closer
Would they see a poor boy? No siree
They'd find out
There's so much more
To me- It's really sad because of the way Aladdin is judged simply because of his status in life. Everyone treats him like scum because he is a "street rat".
- After Aladdin refuses to set Genie free due to the pressure of keeping up his appearance as a prince, he angrily goes back into his lamp.Genie: Fine, I understand. After all, you've lied to everyone else. Hey. I was beginning to feel left out. Now if you'll excuse me... master.Aladdin: Genie, I'm really sorry.Genie: PPPBBBTTTHHH!!!Aladdin: Well, fine! Then just stay in there!
- Also, the reactions of Abu and the Carpet after Aladdin snaps at them. When they walk away disappointed and hurt by Aladdin taking his anger at Genie out on them, Aladdin has his Heel Realization and hangs his head in shame and guilt, accepting he can't live this lie any further just to be with Jasmine if it meant driving his friends away as a result.
- The reprise of "Prince Ali", remade into a Villain Song. After Jafar uses his newfound powers to revert Aladdin and Abu back to their real selves, then sends them flying far to the ends of the Earth, Genie could only watch helplessly as his friends get banished. It is alarming to see the happy-go-lucky Genie in despair as he was forced to watch his friends suffer, and despite the powers he wields, he is unable to do anything no matter how much he wants to, as he is bound by the rules of the lamp.Genie: "Sorry, kid... I got a new master now..."
- Look how sad Genie's face was when Jafar called to him for his second wish, he knew it was gonna be nothing good, but what choice does he have? Again, it breaks the heart to see a character so happy and full of life be left a broken shell, utterly depressed.
- The look on Aladdin's face when Jafar exposes him to Jasmine as not Prince Ali but a poor thief named Aladdin. He looks so mortified, ashamed that Jasmine saw the real him as well as his lie to her. He attempts to explain himself but is pushed away from Jasmine by Jafar.
- Jasmine too. She finds out the man she loves lied to her about his identity and then has to deal with Jafar taking over Agrabah and imprisoning her. Then she has to watch her father be tortured by him and Iago.
- Even Abu himself get this treatment as he furiously attempts to use his elephant form to ram down Jafar, only for the latter to thwart this by turning Abu back into a monkey. Given the saddened look on Abu's face, it can be implied that he may have gotten used to his elephant form.
- After Jafar is defeated and Aladdin is not really a prince, he and Jasmine start to say their good-byes, thinking they'll never be able to see each other again and Jasmine probably anticipating a bad arranged marriage since she cannot marry her true love due to the fact he's a commoner. Those moments are just heartbreaking.
- Jasmine is willing to forgive Aladdin for lying about his identity because she knows he pretended to be a prince so that they could be together. She angrily curses the law and admits her love for Aladdin. It must have been so frustrating for Jasmine in the end. She finally found someone she truly loved and wanted to marry but couldn't because of an unfair law. Fortunately, the Sultan remembers he makes the laws, and immediately changes it.
- Aladdin shows off his view of the palace to Jasmine, who he doesn't know is a princess yet. Jasmine instantly reacts, but not as Aladdin intended. He can't see her face full of disappointment and guilt, so she must preserve her cover by saying, "Oh, it's wonderful", as she turns away as soon as possible. Even so, her voice is dull, she can barely muster up enough enthusiasm to get her voice halfway to where it should be. Aladdin doesn't notice a thing.
- Just how Jafar became the Vizier is never gone into, but he only ever uses his hypnotic staff on the Sultan for decisions that the man would otherwise absolutely refuse (such as Jafar marrying Jasmine, and even that almost fails), and the Sultan is otherwise shown as completely trusting his vizier, never realizing just how little the man really thought of him. Jafar never cared about him at all, he wasn't Jafar's Sultan, he wasn't even his friend! Even Iago despised him, for the crime of not knowing that the parrot was actually sentient, and hated the Sultan for constantly feeding him crackers.
Stage Play
- Aladdin reveals that his mother died two months ago, and he wants to start an honest life where he doesn't have to steal. When he has to beg for his life from a visiting prince, he has to say that he's not worth killing. The prince agrees.
- Then Aladdin sings "Proud of Your Boy" a song that was deleted from the film. He promises his dead mother that he will make her proud, and apologizes for not being a good son. It later gets two reprises, one when the genie makes him a prince, and another when he decides the right thing to do is tell Jasmine the truth.
- The gang tries to earn a legitimate living as street performers. They do wow the crowd, but they don't earn enough. Aladdin apologizes to them for the wasted effort.
- The Sultan tries to listen to Jasmine when she says that a boy was imprisoned on false charges. He says there must be an explanation and asks Jafar what happened. Jafar, thinking Aladdin died in the Cave of Wonders, lies that he executed the boy. Jasmine runs off in tears, and Sultan in Papa Wolf mode tells off Jafar for acting so rashly.
- When the Genie is freed, he gives Aladdin a big hug as thanks. He still stays for the wedding, albeit packed and ready to go on a trip around the world so that he can see off his new friend. Each party waves the other goodbye while Genie says that he loves a happy ending.
- One staging, after Robin Williams died, had James Monroe Inglehart lead the audience in a group rendition of "Friend Like Me." He calls Robin Williams "one of the greatest entertainers of all time" with his voice choking. Then he says to give thoughts and prayers to Williams's family because he was a father before he was an entertainer. The crowd gives a big "aww" and enthusiastically agrees to sing.
