It’s not just women who can be brought to tears by movies. I’ve seen the proof in my own husband’s eyes. It has dawned on me that this time of year I tend to buy more boxes of tissue than at any other time of year. I’ve surmised that it’s due to the abundance of Christmas movies that pull at our heartstrings so well that we continue to watch them over and over again every Christmas, and thus, continue to need tissues to cry into, over and over again. Below I have shared my top five favorite, most lachrymose moments in Christmastime movies. I could list more but thought that might be cruel, in a way, assuming you’ve seen most of these movies and will sob uncontrollably along with me while watching the videos. I also wanted to give our readers the chance to add to this list. Do you have any favorite tear-rendering moments in Christmastime movies to share with us?

5. Scrooged (1988)

Once TV executive Frank Cross (Bill Murray) has seen the light after visits from the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future, he interrupts the network's live telecast of A Christmas Carol to tell the world about the miracle of Christmas. For me, the tears always come when the little boy, who hasn’t spoken for five years, since he saw his father killed, finally speaks.

4. The Bishop’s Wife (1947)

Cary Grant, as an angel named Dudley, provides some divine intervention for a bishop (David Niven) whose life is suffering due to his religious obligations. But rather than helping him solve problems the bishop thinks need to be solved, Dudley eliminates the problems with more appropriate alternatives and steers the bishop’s attention back to his family and the real meaning of Christmas. The movie ends with the bishop's Christmas sermon which simply yet sublimely imparts the true meaning of Christmas. He truly feels the words in his heart as he speaks them, but doesn’t remember writing them, nor does he remember the true author, Dudley, who has completed his mission and moved on.

3. An Affair to Remember (1957)

This movie may not be thought of as a “Christmas” movie, but this most memorable and final scene takes place on Christmas Eve. The “tissue moment” in this movie has got to be one of if not the biggest tear-producing scenes in movie history. Fox understands this treasure and pulls any video of the scene that tries to find its way on YouTube. But I’ve found another way to get the point across. In this scene from Sleepless in Seattle, Rita Wilson (Tom Hanks’ real life spouse) tells you everything you need to know about the scene, replete with tears. The second clip I’ve included below is a montage of the movie, An Affair to Remember, with clips and stills of this famous scene and other memorable moments.

2. White Christmas (1954)

“What can you do with a general, when he stops being a general?” Bing Crosby sings in White Christmas. Crosby and Danny Kaye, a show biz duo after serving together during WWII, end up at a quaint Vermont inn, unexpectedly owned by their former commanding general, who obviously feels quite useless after his retirement. Crosby goes on a TV show and invites all of the old outfit to the inn to surprise the general for Christmas. The general’s housekeeper is in on the secret, and sends all of his suits to the cleaners so that he has to wear his uniform for the inn’s Christmas show.

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

With the help of an angel named Clarence (Henry Travers), who is trying to earn his wings, George Bailey (James Stewart) gets to see what life for his friends and loved ones would be like without him having been a part of it. He somberly realizes that his and a whole lot of other people’s lives were much better off before he wished he had never been born. When a desperate and repentant George is given a second chance at life, well… I don't care if you've seen it countless times, just get your tissues ready.

Image: Wikimedia Commons