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Cryfest 101: Movie Tropes That Make You Cry Every Time

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Photo Credit: Photofest.
There are a few different types of criers in the world.
There are quiet criers. There are loud ones. There are those that whimper. There are wailing criers, too. There are cute criers and there are ugly criers.
I am a proud, quiet, and ugly crier. The quiet part comes in handy when I'm in public, say, sitting in a crowded movie theater watching the incredibly beautiful and heartbreaking film The Light Between Oceans.
The movie, based on a novel by the same name, centers on the (real-life) couple Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender as newlyweds who struggle to start a family while living on a small island in total isolation. After they finally find happiness, one of them has to make the decision to...well, I won't give any spoilers, except for the fact that you will cry. A lot. For many reasons. During the final scene of the movie, I had a few big, black mascara tears slowly running down my face. Like I said, quiet and ugly.
But while watching the movie and attempting to stifle the waterworks before they went off, I realized there are certain elements and scenes of films that consistently trigger all of the sad feels. Dying animals? Forbidden love? Parents dying? Terminal illness? Are you crying yet?! I tallied a total of 17 cinematic tropes that always result in a full-on cryfest.
So yes, this is the unofficial saddest slideshow of all time. Tissues not included.

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