As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.
The Movie
- Jim sulking on the roof of the Benbow and overhearing his mother fretting over him; his guilt and self-frustration are written very clearly on his face, and anyone who's ever seen their parent at their wits' end over you...
- For that matter, Sarah herself deserves a mention. She mentions to Delbert that she's "at the end of [her] rope," and has tried everything she can think of to steer Jim back onto the straight-and-narrow. The pain she feels at not being able to help her son and fearing what will happen to him is clear in her voice and body language. It also resonates with anybody who has watched a loved one make poor decisions and can't do anything but watch.
- The scene with the song "I'm Still Here" accompanied by images of Jim's father leaving him and his mother. Especially that shot where Jim runs down the stairs in the morning to find Sarah crying, then runs outside to catch up with his father before he takes off, but fails. The sequence is done beautifully.
- Right after the "I'm Still Here" sequence, Jim asks Silver how he became a cyborg. Silver gets a sad look on his face and solemnly replies that "You give up a few things... chasing a dream." while looking at his mechanical hand. There's obviously a sad story as to what happened to him, one which the audience can only guess.
- The look on Mr. Arrow's face as Scroop gleefully cuts his life-line. Poor guy...
- Gets worse when Captain Amelia and the rest of the crew discover that Mr. Arrow was lost, due to his line not being properly secured (in Scroop's words). You can just see the anger and disappointment the Captain has toward Jim for "his negligence" that ended in her closest friend's death, especially when she complimented him not five seconds ago. Her speech just shows us how much she's grieving, but she has to keep up a tough front for the crew.
Amelia: Mr. Arrow was a... fine spacer. Finer than most of us could... ever hope to be. But he knew the risks, as do us all. Return to your posts, we carry on.- A Blink-and-You-Miss-It moment, but when Scroop tells the crew of Arrow's death, the crew members glare at Jim. It's not just Amelia who's disappointed and angry with the kid, it's the whole crew (minus Silver, who knows exactly how Arrow died, Morph, Delbert, and Scroop).
- The part where Silver encourages Jim after the boy thinks he has royally screwed up and caused the death of one of the crewmembers.Silver: Now you listen to me, James Hawkins... Ye got the makings of greatness in ya! But ye gotta take the helm and chart yer own course! Stick to it, no matter the squalls! And when the time comes, ye get to really test the cut of yer sails and show what you're made of... well, I hope I'm there... catchin' some o' the light comin' off ya that day...
- This was apparently a case of Write What You Know; when animating this scene, Glen Keane — Silver's lead animator — drew on a memory of his high school football coach giving him a particularly strong pep talk which ended with both of them in tears.
- Jim's monologue right before Silver comforts him.Jim: Don't you get it?! I screwed up! I mean, for two seconds, I thought maybe I could do something right!
- A bit of Fridge Brilliance mixed into a tearjerker: During the montage of Jim bonding with Silver and coming out of his shell, he sheds the black jacket he's been wearing since the start of the film, symbolizing him breaking down the walls he put up after his father walked out. But then, after realizing how badly he screwed up,note he's seen wearing the jacket again. He goes right back into his shell, stewing in shame and anger at himself.
- What is Jim doing when Silver finds him in the rigging? Tying knots.
- Jim has his first open moment of emotional vulnerability after this conversation, unable to do anything at the end but rest his head on Silver's chest and start crying. Especially sweet/sad since Silver actually has to force himself to break off the hug he gives him a moment after. "Getting in too deep", indeed.
- The betrayal on Jim's face when he overhears Silver denying that he cares for Jim and is only pretending to keep Jim off of the pirates' tail...
- Remember, Jim has felt this kind of pain before. He's been abandoned by his father who didn't really care about him or his mother. Now, he's forced to go through that pain all over again.
- Not just abandoned; he's hearing the only person (other than his mother) who's ever believed in him now say it was all a sham. No wonder he hits a brief Heroic BSoD.
- When Silver sees Jim escaping with the map, he aims his laser gun at him and has a clear shot... but finds himself unable to pull the trigger. You can actually see him trying to hike himself up to do it, and failing.
- After the dressing down Jim gives Silver where he throws the latter's words back at him and tells him that he'll make sure Silver never sees one doubloon of his treasure, the two begin yelling at each other before Silver threatens to use the ship's cannons to blast him, Doppler, Amelia, and B.E.N. to bits if Jim doesn't give him the map by tomorrow morning. He turns to leave until he notices Morph hovering beside Jim and orders him to "hop to it". When Morph remains beside Jim, Silver yells, "NOW!" at Morph, only succeeding in scaring Morph, who nervously hides behind Jim's shoulder. Silver and Jim then storm back to their respective bases, while Silver momentarily stops to look back regretfully.
- The expression on Silver's face when Jim hurls the heartfelt speech Silver had delivered earlier about Jim's potential proves that he meant every word about Jim's potential and wanting to see the kind of man he would become, and now he's thrown it away. Ouch.
- The scene where Silver leaves. The whole speech he gives about why he needs Jim to take Morph, when really he's talking about himself is emotional, then after a certain point both characters are sniffling and concealing tears right along with the audience. The part where Silver flies away to freedom and lets out the most joyful laugh ever is the final straw.
- For a satisfying final image, Jim looks out to the stars, and sees an image of Silver in the clouds smiling down on him, complete with a star mimicking the gleam of his cyborg eye. Doubles as a Heartwarming Moment.
