I know how to make grown men cry
Sit them down in front of a dog movie where the dog dies.
Old Yeller. My Dog Skip. Year of the Dog. Any one will do.
I know this because I watched Marley & Me with my roommates last night. Both are male. Both grew up with dogs. And both were teary by the end of the movie.
I take that back. One of them -- the one who rarely gets emotional about anything -- was openly crying. He declared it the "worst dog movie ever" because the death scene at the end was so protracted. He said he hadn't cried that way since Homeward Bound.
This unusual scene reinforced what my father has said for years: "Wanna see me cry? Make me watch a dog movie. Horror film, war movies, romantic tragedies ... not a drop. But a dog movie? I'm done."
Note: This is the man who got upset at the My Dog Skip trailer and refused to watch it on a cross-country flight because he knew he'd be upset in front of other passengers.
So men, I ask you ... what is it about the man-and-dog narrative that socks you in the tear ducts? Is it any more or less evocative than buddy movies or sports films, and why?
And in return, I promise to answer any lingering questions you have about women's movie-watching habits. Let the explanations begin!
Photo by superrune