What makes a film poignant ? Why do we cry ?

Toy Story 3 opened in the UK on 16 July, and the big advance word from the US was that it is making grown men cry. So far, it's having the same effect over here ....

The toys tumble out of the box into a new adventure in Toy Story 3

Now, this is a very interesting phenomenon - that a light-hearted animated film about toys should provoke usually reserved adult males to tears.

This article from the BBC explores the issue well, essentially saying that poignancy is actually quite complex.

In fact, Toy Story 3 has kicked off wide discussion about which films make men cry:

We tend to think only very sad or tragic films will make us cry, but in fact a wide range of scenarios can provoke a welling-up of feelings among audiences: the bitter-sweetness of saying goodbye, memories of childhood, fondness for a friend.

Most of us have been affected by scenes which, while not sad or tragic, were moving. I remember being touched by the words in the film 'A River Runs Through It' when an old man think of people and events from decades earlier and reflects 'I am haunted by the waters'. Of course it is not the waters he is haunted by, but the memories of friends and times long gone.

Why do we weep in this way ? Well, we are reacting to the scenes placed before us in the film, which may be triggering feelings stored deeply within us. And this is probably a helpful role of art: to help bring out some unexpressed emotions. A colleague was saying this often happens by 'disassociation': one situation unlocks feelings which relate to another situation, which we haven't been able to access or express.

Similarly, in the Church, some talk of 'the ministry of tears': where people gain release from pent-up emotion through crying. It is seen as a gift from God, that we are able to deal with feelings in this way.

And Paul Simon recognises the unique role of weeping in his song 'The Cool Cool River' (1990) with its closing words 'Sometimes even music cannot substitute for tears'.