Tear Jerker / Spider-Man 3

"The only thing left of me now...is my daughter."

WARNING: Spoilers are unmarked.

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Film

• Flint Marko summing up himself and his miserable lot in life with just one sentence; one can't help but feel sorry for him.
  Flint: I'm not a bad person. Just had bad luck.
• Flint Marko/Sandman getting up in the silo doubles as heartwarming. If the shot of him trying to grasp his daughter's locket doesn't do it, the music in the scene will.
  • Similarly, the scene where he blows away in the wind after Peter forgives him makes for a rather sad and touching moment as his last words signify that he's finally giving up on saving his daughter and now only wants to spend as much time with her as possible before the inevitable happens. It's a surprisingly poignant moment from such a cheesy film.
  • Marko's whole character arc is heartbreaking. His daughter is terminally ill, so he desperately resorts to partnering with a criminal to get money for her treatment, only to get arrested for an Accidental Murder, and he was only arrested because he stayed behind to call for help for his unplanned victim, while his partner flees and dies. After escaping from jail, Flint accidentally falls into a testing site and gets turned into Sandman. He then tries to use his powers to commit just one big robbery, just one for his daughter's sake, but Spider-Man keeps thwarting him and leaving him empty-handed. Spider-Man almost kills him the second time because he happens to be the nephew of Marko's accidental victim. Marko becomes desperate enough to partner with another criminal, a supervillain, to kill Spider-Man and stop his interference. Flint's partner dies again, and he comes to terms with the fact that everyone now sees him as a monster and there's nothing he can do to save his daughter or make up for any of the bad things he's done. Peter's forgiveness is Flint's sole consolation.
  • When he says, "The only thing left of me now is my daughter," you can see a tear from his eye starting to trail down his face. When it cuts back to Peter, the same is happening for him. Damn...
• When Flint visits his beloved Penny after sneaking into his house, he slips a stack of letters under her pillow, all of which were returned unopened to him by his ex-wife. It's sad to see his estrangement from his family even if they had valid reasons when all he wanted to do was provide for them.
  • When Emma confronts Flint and makes him leave, she looks and sounds so... tired. After all the tragedies that befell her family (Emma being ill, Flint going to prison, caring for Penny on her own), it's hard to blame her.
    • In the editor's cut, Emma warns Penny not to get her hopes up with her father because he'll only break her heart. She's clearly speaking from experience.
  • Throughout it all, Penny knows she's living on borrowed time and her father became a criminal who killed someone in his efforts to save her. However, she's accepting of her fate and still loves her daddy, only wanting him back in her life even though it may be impossible.
• The flashback of Ben's death. Especially when we find out that it was an Accidental Murder, and that Ben had been trying to talk Marko out of doing something he'd regret. Peter's anger only makes it worse.
  Peter: No, I have no intention of settling down! This man killed my uncle, and he's still out there!!!
  • Just as an extra kick in the teeth in an already tragic scene, after Marko accidentally shoots Ben, we can see him mouth "No," like he can't believe what he's just done.
    • When Spider-Man does confront him in the subway tunnels, he angrily asks Marko if he remembers killing a man named Ben Parker. This was clearly meant to be a rhetorical question, but the devastated look on Marko's face indicated that he does remember and that mistake still haunts him even now.
      Spider-Man: Flint Marko.
      Sandman: What do you want from me?
      Spider-Man: Remember Ben Parker? The old man you shot down in cold blood?!
      Sandman: [eyes widen in shock] ...What does it matter to you anyway?!
      Spider-Man: EVERYTHING!
• If one subscribes to the theory that Aunt May realized Peter was Spider-Man in the second movie, then the scene where Peter tells her that Spider-Man killed Marko (since he sees it as justice served for the murder of Uncle Ben), and her shocked reaction, is more of a tearjerker than it already is.
• Harry giving in to his hatred and becoming the New Goblin. Peter is forced to fight his best friend, who has become the next generation of his most dangerous enemy. In their first battle, Peter tries to keep things from spiraling out of control and appeal to their friendship, but is angrily rejected.
  • After MJ's play, Peter desperately tries to talk to Harry, only to be coldly shut down. He clearly tried for a long time to finally explain the truth of Norman's death in an effort to mend the rift between them, but it's too late. Harry chose to take his father's mantle, and there's nothing Peter can do to stop it.
  • It's brief, but when Harry proclaims, "You knew this was coming, Pete!", he actually looks regretful. Almost as if he doesn't want to hurt Peter either but feels like he has to.
• Peter David's novelization details Harry's struggle and how his crusade is ultimately to avenge his father in the futile hope that Norman will finally be proud of him. Even as he's risking his life going down a dark path, Harry clings to his hallucinations of his father because they provide him with the affection and guidance he desperately wished he received from Norman in life. He is so blinded by his insecurities and troubled past that his mental state is fracturing and his moral compass is completely skewed.
  • At one point when seeing Norman, Harry "hugged him as hard as he’d always wished he had in life." When subjecting himself to the Goblin serum, he powers through the Painful Transformation by pleading for Norman's gratification. Damn...
  • This puts his reaction to Peter's "Reason You Suck" Speech in a new light. Deep down, Harry might know Peter is right that his mission is pointless and self-destructive, and his father was not a good person, but can't bring himself to let go of his grief and anger—a tragically realistic depiction of how hard it is to shed such toxic relationships and the unhealthy mindsets they create.
• Harry's happier, relaxed disposition thanks to his amnesia is this and heartwarming, as it's who he could've been if he wasn't so consumed by his inner demons. Unfortunately, those demons gain the upper hand once more after Mary Jane turns him down again.
• Mary Jane being upset over all the critics of her play lambasting her performance, contextualizing her feelings as "I read these words, and it's like my father wrote them." Heartbreaking to see someone who wanted to make a life for herself to escape her abusive father's words and the negative feelings he gave her, only to feel like she hasn't escaped the abuse at all.
  • Later that day, Mary Jane learns she has been replaced in her role because of the bad reviews. While her bosses try to be kind about it, she's clearly bitter over being cast aside so easily after all the work she'd put in over the years to become an actress.
• Peter blows up at Mr. Ditkovitch after the latter asks him about his overdue rent. The landlord, clearly crushed, slowly says that Peter's a good boy and something is wrong for him to be acting like this.
  Peter: You'll get your rent when you fix this DAMN DOOR!!
  • Ursula's look of sad disappointment in Peter's symbiote-influenced outburst makes it seem as though she comes close to regarding the young man that she admires as a Broken Pedestal. Fortunately, her father's recognition that Peter must be going through something in his personal life to make him act so uncharacteristically, coupled with Peter's apology to Mr. Ditkovich a couple of scenes later, quickly restores her faith in his goodness.
• After Mary Jane breaks up with Peter, he confides with Harry, who twists the knife by "revealing" that Mary Jane cheated on Peter with him. Heartbreak combined with a thirst for vengeance all becomes too much for Peter and he's left vulnerable to the symbiote's temptations.
  • The Editor's Cut makes things tragic in a different way. After losing Mary Jane, Peter goes back to his apartment and quietly seethes in bitterness before deciding to put on the black suit. He knows it's going to corrupt him, but he also knows that wearing the suit makes him feel better. As soon as his grief is overcome, Peter gets rid of the suit and tries to talk things out with Harry, with the same tragic results. Cut to Harry's home where Peter - instead of demanding to know if Harry forced Mary Jane's hand - just shows up cheerfully stretched out on the bed. The same bed he left Norman's dead body for Harry to find. As a result, the ensuing fight is less about Peter seeking justice and more about looking for a fight.
• It's a bit depressing seeing how head over heels Ursula is for Peter, especially during his symbiote-induced craze. She's barely able to contain herself around him and is lapping up all of his attention, baking him cookies and feeding him. And while Peter may appreciate her gesture, he doesn't have feelings for her.
• Gwen realizing that Peter only went out with her to make Mary Jane jealous, and her tearful apology to MJ.
• The scene where Peter hits Mary Jane in his symbiote-induced rage and his reaction.
  • It's also horrifying from Mary Jane's perspective. She's faced emotional and psychological abuse all her life, and latched onto Peter because he was kind and gentle towards her. And then she sees Peter behave precisely like every other man in her life.
• Aunt May consoles Peter after his downward spiral from using the symbiote suit, telling him to forgive himself and that she believes that he will set things right again.
• As much of a Jerkass as he is, Eddie Brock becomes pretty damn pitiful after losing his job at the Daily Bugle and his "girlfriend" Gwen, leaving him a sobbing wreck who resorts to praying to God to kill Peter.
  • Eddie spends his final moments choosing to die with the symbiote, jumping toward its mass as a last desperate act to rebond with it. After losing everything due to his hubris, all he has left is the symbiote; and thus, he dies a terrified, helpless addict to the Power High it gives. Notably, he looks to Peter and screams "NOOOO!" while being yanked out. There was nothing left of Eddie Brock even before he died, just Venom, halved and desperate to become one again to avoid death.
• Peter asks Harry for help in stopping Sandman and Venom. He is pleading for his friend's aid, only to come face-to-face with Harry's scarred visage and Harry replying, "Get Out!" with half-anger, half-sadness.
  • The Editor's Cut makes it worse. After Peter leaves, Harry finds a shattered picture of himself, Peter, and Mary Jane together in high school, and a Single Tear runs down his cheek. And the crack is mainly separating Peter and Harry in the photo.
• Penny and the Sand Castle, a deleted scene (at least until the Editor's Cut came out). Marko says goodbye to his daughter before he heads off to engage Spider-Man in what he believes will be a life-or-death battle.
  Sandman: I swear to you... he won't stop me again.
• Harry Osborn's death. After Peter and Harry have been at each other's throats throughout the movie, their feud is finally ended when Harry shields Peter from Venom's attack with his body.
  Peter: HARRYYYYY!!!
  • Immediately after, Venom lets out a mocking snarl and cruelly tosses Harry's body aside. All Peter can do is scream his name.
  • Mary Jane frantically rushes to Harry's body and cradles him in her arms. She tries to get help, but Harry simply asks her to stay, knowing he doesn't have much time left.
    • When Peter joins them, he also insists Harry will get through this, only for Harry to gently refute him. When Peter looks at MJ, she just tearfully shakes her head as well, signifying the inevitable.
  • Peter's and Harry's last chat, in which they finally reconcile before the latter succumbs to his wounds.
    Peter: I should never have hurt you... said those things...
    Harry: None of that matters, Peter. You're my friend.
    Peter: Best friend.
  • This is brought up in No Way Home when Ned Leeds asks Tobey's Peter if he has a best friend. It's very clear that ever since Harry's death, Peter 2 never had a meaningful friendship with anyone else like he had with Harry despite what he did to him and decades since then.
    Ned Leeds: So, do you have a best friend too?
    Peter 2: I did.
    Ned Leeds: You...did?
    Peter 2: He died in my arms. After he tried to kill me. It was heartbreaking.
• Harry's funeral. Peter has to once again grieve the loss of someone close to him, after they just made amends, no less. However, he accepts that Harry chose to be the best version of himself amidst the battle raging inside him, and maybe Peter can too.
  • Amongst the attendees is Bernard, who has now experienced the deaths of both Osborns he served so faithfully.
• The film's final scene and the last of the Sam Raimi trilogy as a whole. It’s simply MJ singing at a club, then she and Peter slow dancing together 'till it fades to black with their love theme playing in the background. The whole mood of this scene is rather somber instead of like the first two movies’ endings with triumphant music and bright visuals. These two are back together but in a sorrowful way as they find comfort in each other over the loss they share; their best friend, Harry. Overlaps with Heartwarming.
• Snow Patrol's Signal Fire, playing at the film's credits, emphasizing the trilogy's end.

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