I am participating in the Get Rec’d: A Movie/TV/Book List Challenge and this is the sixteenth week’s entry. I have decided to be bold and list a response for all three categories; a movie, a television show, and a book.
Week 16: Made Me Cry The Hardest
Movie: Wit (2001)
From IMDB: A renowned professor is forced to reassess her life when she is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. Emma Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Eileen Atkins
I’m not one to cry during movies. I’ll tear up for some because I have a soul, but few films have caused me to burst into tears. I used two full boxes of Kleenex while watching Wit and another box after it ended. Emma Thompson’s performance rips your heart out. She’s beyond fantastic.
Television: Doctor Who – Vincent and the Doctor – (2010)
From IMDB: The Doctor and Amy travel back in time to meet Vincent Van Gogh and face an invisible monster that only the painter can see. Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Tony Curran
While there are many episodes of television that cause tears, Vincent and the Doctor makes me well up thinking about it. The more you know about how troubled Van Gogh was, the more impact this will have on you. The episode addresses how one great happy moment can’t undo years of depression. It’s a fantastic scene which works out of context from the series or even the episode.
Book: Lily and the Octopus (2016) by Steven Rowley
From Goodreads: The magic of this novel is in the read, and we don’t want to spoil it by giving away too many details. We can tell you that this is a story about that special someone: the one you trust, the one you can’t live without. For Ted Flask, that someone special is his aging companion Lily, who happens to be a dog. Lily and the Octopus reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all.
Lily and the Octopus combines humor and dealing with an unpleasant medical situation with a pet. The relationship between Ted and Lily is so sweet and so loving. You will laugh out loud as much as you will cry at the end. I have a series of texts from a friend who was listening to the audiobook: “Lily! I have an hour left. He’s decided to take her to the hospital. I can’t listen! This is heartbreaking! He knows it is time, but I’M NOT READY! I’m balling my eyes out here! An hour! I can’t do it. I can’t.” She finished it and decided she needed to find an author signing so she could hug him.
Coming Up Next
Next week will be “Favorite Law Enforcement Team/Officer/Detective”
What are your picks? Let us know in the comments.
As I mentioned in another post, A Prayer for Owen Meany is one of my favorite books and I’m always a bit down each time I finish it. How did you end up liking it?
I loved it. I thought that he did a great job of building everything up to that very last scene. When he sees them get off the plane until the end is just devastating. Almost as devastating and painful as the movie adaptation.
“O God — please give him back! I shall keep asking You.” Glad you liked the book!