Tear Jerker / The Jungle Book (1967)

• The film's opening starts off with Bagheera scouting in the jungle until he comes across an infant Mowgli crying inside a basket on a canoe in the river. It remains unknown what happened to Mowgli's biological parents, but given to the fact that the canoe was torn apart in half, it can be implied that Mowgli's biological parents perished in a flood that scoured across the river, though it is still up to speculation.
  • What's very sad is the fact that Mowgli never got to know about his biological parents in spite of being happily raised by the wolves during his childhood. Even as Mowgli is taken to the Man Village, where he gets happily adopted by the village leader and his family in the sequel, he still has no idea what happened to his biological parents.
• When the Wolf Pack came to the decision to cast out Mowgli from the pack because Shere Khan would kill not only him but everyone in the pack, they don't take any joy and are very saddened by the fact that Mowgli would surely die. They really saw Mowgli as nothing more but a child and saw no pleasure in thinking they are sending him to his death.
  • Plus, just before this scene, Bagheera (narrating) says that, in spite of Mowgli's happiness, he would one day have to go back to his own kind.
• That moment when there's a very real chance Baloo had been killed by Shere Khan. While he gets better, Bagheera's eulogy is one that's sure to tug at the heartstrings..
  "Greater love hath no one than he who lays down his life for his friend. When great deeds are remembered in this jungle, one name will stand above all others: our friend, Baloo the bear. The memory of Baloo's sacrifice and bravery will forever be engraved on our saddened hearts. This spot where Baloo fell will always be a hallowed place in the jungle, for there lies one of nature’s noblest creatures."
• Bagheera finally convincing Baloo to take Mowgli to the man-village. Despite knowing Mowgli for all of a day, a great deal of attachment and devotion has been placed onto Baloo, making his realization that he will have to let him go (and break his promise) genuinely emotional. And his desperately trying to get around to explaining this to the blissfully unaware Mowgli, which is rather painful to watch. Mowgli feels betrayed when Baloo tells him he should go to the man-village, then running away and abandoning him.
  Baloo: I love that kid. I love 'im like he was my own cub...
  Bagheera: Then think of what's best for Mowgli and not yourself!
  • That line, in a way, also qualifies as a Tear Jerker moment for Bagheera, who basically had been doing just that from the beginning. Bagheera knew Mowgli much longer than Baloo. It's obvious it hurts him just as much to send him away, but he knows it's the right thing to do.
  • And during that scene, Mowgli is happily singing "The Bare Necessities" and gets excited for a fun day with his friend, which gives Baloo doubts about breaking the bad news to him.
  • Another small level to the tear-jerker: realizing what must be done, Baloo tries to find some excuse—any excuse—to stall for time and keep Mowgli around for just a little longer, finally asking if he can wait until morning to make his final decision. Only morning has already arrived while he and Bagheera were talking....
  • To push it further, if Baloo had actually been killed by Shere Kahn, this not only would've been their last conversation, which ended in an argument, but the last thing Mowgli had yelled to Baloo was that he was just like Bagheera. Stomach that for a moment...
• "My Own Home" is just a haunting tearjerker of a song.
• Mowgli's second encounter with Kaa shows just how hurt he is by Baloo's betrayal.
  Mowgli: (to Kaa) I don't trust anyone anymore.
  • Also, Mowgli seems less scared of Kaa than you'd expect, since he clearly knows Kaa wants to eat him. While he's clearly trying to resist Kaa, he doesn't seem especially scared, and doesn't even try calling for help, likely because he knows who would come. It's like he's so depressed by this point that a part of him doesn't really care if Kaa eats him or not, just as long as he doesn't have to leave the jungle.
    Mowgli: You told me a lie, Kaa! You said I could trust you!
    Kaa: It's like you said, you can't trust anyone!
• The final scene where Baloo just stares blankly for a moment when Mowgli shrugs and walks away, and then is coaxed by Bagheera into pretending as if everything is just fine, since Mowgli is safe where he belongs.
• The Cut Song "The Mighty Hunters" almost makes Shere Khan appear sympathetic in comparison to the despicable hunter Buldeo.
• The fact that this was the last animated feature which Walt Disney personally worked on before his death. The scene where Baloo and Bagheera dance off into the sunset on a light-hearted note can be a way of saying "Life goes on" and that all is well.
  • After the film was completed, Disney's personal nurse Hazel George went up to animator Ollie Johnston in tears, saying that the way Baloo and Bagheera danced off into the sunset together was perfect, since it was the same way Walt had gone out.

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