Pro Acting Coach Breaks Down 10 Crying Scenes | Good & Bad Acting

Acting coach Jonna Johnson reacts to 10 iconic crying scenes from movies, reviewing the highs and lows of the actors' performances.
Every movie star has their own cry face, from Daniel Kaluuya's thick tears in the sunken-place scene from "Get Out" to Tobey Maguire's signature "ugly cry" from the "Spider-Man" movies. When it's time for the tears to roll on camera, some actors go for a single droplet strategically placed on the cheek, while others like to unleash the full waterworks. Some draw in the audience by emoting hard, like Julianne Moore does with her unbridled sobbing in "Still Alice;" others tell a story through subtle facial movements, as Jennifer Lopez does in a teary confrontation scene from "Hustlers."

With such a wide variety of crying styles, what makes some sob scenes pack an emotional punch — while others strike audiences as goofy or overdone? In this episode of "Good & Bad Acting," Johnson unpacks 10 of the best and worst cinematic tears, from Viola Davis' visceral monologue in "Fences" to Nicolas Cage's cartoonish breakdown in "Vampire's Kiss."
Johnson evaluates how various shades of crying suit different genres and styles of film, ranging from Reese Witherspoon's over-the-top breakup cry in the classic 2001 rom-com "Legally Blonde," to Heather Donahue's dread-filled apology in the 1999 found-footage horror flick "The Blair Witch Project," to Leonardo DiCaprio's collapse into tears in the dark 1995 drama "The Basketball Diaries." She deconstructs the greatness of Marlon Brando's primal yelling in "A Streetcar Named Desire," pointing out the shades of anguish and vulnerability in the way Brando voices those cries of "Stella!" Johnson dissects the nuances of actors' approaches to weeping on camera, from the build-up of snot seen in "Fences" and "The Blair Witch Project" to the tensed facial muscles seen in "Hustlers" and "Get Out.

Throughout the video, Johnson pins down the acting choices that make some cries come as forced or insincere, while others read as authentic emotional behavior on screen.

For more from Jonna Johnson:

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Pro Acting Coach Breaks Down 10 Crying Scenes | Good & Bad Acting

[lee-cimj]

Toby McGuire looks like he’s forcing the tears out, Daniel kaluuya looks like he’s trying to keep them in, they’re a huge difference

[Maazzzo]

I'm a fan of Jonna's 'silent film test' approach. As a Deaf person, music doesn't matter in scenes for me, it's all about the face and the body action, so I think it's a very good test.

[Casanova]

The crying scene in Get Out by not only the main character, but by the Black woman who played the butler for the white family (which we later found out her mind was taken over by their dead grandma), was oscar worthy. Unreal from both stars.

[guyyouseewhenyoudie]

I wish there were more examples of acting scenes that DIDN’T work

[shashareid]

The scene in I, Tonya where Margot Robbie was breaking down while simultaneously trying to keep it together was fantastic acting. The scene in Love Actually where Emma Thompson breaks down, but has to keep it together for the sake of her kids. Ugh those two scenes are too relatable.

[jayaitch]

“Someone whose mental state is not coherent with what we are accustomed to.” What a respectful statement.

[Blinkisageek]

I've never seen that movie, but Leonardo DiCaprio's scene is so good. I live downtown in a city with drug problems and I see addicts break down like this sometimes from my window. It's crazy how accurate this portrayal is.

[bink]

Man, even just that clip of Leonardo Decaprio’s scene had me gutted for his character, even though I’ve never seen the movie and someone was talking over it. That’s some seriously good acting.

[evan]

Every time tobey tried to cry he looks like hes smiling

[vnth]

Wait, there's a career for crying? You guys are getting paid?

[SunflowerSpotlight]

I'd like to see mental health experts break down scenes that are supposed to show depression, anxiety, Bipolar, DID, etc. And someone well respected when it comes to disability. I'm chronically ill and not traditionally employable. So much media shows illness or injury as something to "get past, " to grow beyond before healing and being stronger for it, but that pervasive message can create a negative expectation that people just... get better from these things, and when you don't, when you stay sick, that's a disappointment. If they don't, it's usually part of a little broken bird trope where they're being supported about it by a colorful cast of friends who stick by them. Or they're considered desirable because of the whole damsel in distress "I can take care of you, " trope.

I think taking a look at media that showcases the reality of various aspects of disabilities would be interesting and cause the viewer to think about the lives REAL people live. If people with chronic pain alone lived in a country, it would have more inhabitants than any country currently existing in the WORLD. But it's not... well understood and showcased. Whether physical or mental, it's hard, especially for people who've been gifted with good health their whole lives. If you can't even identify with body aches during the flu because you've NEVER been sick, it's kind of hard to wrap your mind around the toll it takes, and it would be hard to mimic the stress it puts on you, like increased respiration and even holding your breath while you're bracing through the pain, so your breath comes out in little gusts. A lot of people have their affect and pitch drop when they'e in pain; they're mentally struggling with it, coping with it, so they may also be more distracted. There are so many little things, and rubbing your back and looking sad sometimes while literally saying, "Ow, " doesn't cover it, not to someone who really knows pain. Before COVID, I was able to work at a pain management clinic (not of the pill mill variety; we ran a pretty tight ship), and there are so many non-verbals to know how a patient is doing, if we need to bump them up the list because they won't physically be able to sit in the chair another half an hour. It's not a fun thing to look at too closely, pain. But if that's the job the actor has, well, let's just say some could stand to look closer.

[kerryann]

Leo in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape... honestly... when he’s crying over the grasshopper & then later his mom. You FELT that.

[marieklenke]

Leo... No matter what you look at: crying, rage, dying, love scenes... He is always brilliant!!

[mubasshiraal]

Matthew McConaughey's crying in the Interstellar was one of the best I have seen . Also the moment when Alan Rickman saw lily's body and burst into tears was just an oscar worthy scene with perfect cinematography and music score

[andymaybe]

I saw The Basketball Diaries for the first time a few days ago, and what struck me the most in Leo's crying scene is how much he looks and sounds like a young boy who's desperate for his mom. I cry every time I see that scene again :(

[anoop]

The first one was so good it was uncomfortable to watch

[blankb-_-]

I didn't even know there was something such as a crying coach 😂

[Cakez]

Viola Davis is a helluva actress!! And Leo and the actor from Get Out were also very memorable.

[crystalsunshine]

I have this spot in my brain that refuses to let me watch another person crying without crying myself. IDK wtf it is. I KNOW that they're acting. FFS I'm crying NOW! That Leonardo scene kills me, that Jennifer Lopez scene, KILLS ME. UGH.

[jordanthistle]

I remember when I first watched the Blair witch project I was like 10 years old. I watched it at my friends house and didn't understand that it was a Hollywood movie. I thought it was real found footage. I was so scared I didn't walk near a tree for years 😫