PopWatch Confessional: Do you cry at all the wrong movies?

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Published on February 21, 2013 10:16PM EST

After seeing Safe Haven this weekend and not shedding a tear, I realized I don’t cry at Nicholas Sparks movies — even though they pull out all the stops: war, cancer, the beauty of nature, Alzheimer’s … sometimes all in the same film. Although this fills me with pride, it also makes me think about when I do cry at movies, and it turns out, the issue might be with me. So here goes my confession: I cry at all the wrong movies.

If you look through EW’s top 25 tearjerkers ever, I’ve only ever cried at two of them — Brokeback Mountain (Heath!) and E.T. No, I didn’t cry at Titanic or Ghost, or The Shawshank Redemption. Having said that, the hardest I’ve ever cried in my entire life was watching King Kong. Both versions. When I was young, I loved apes, so it was understandable that I cried at the original. Knowing my track record, my brother refused to sit next to me when we went to see the remake in 2005. And he made the right choice, because I was a blubbering fool. But don’t just chalk up my tears to my love of animals. Yes, I did sob hysterically when Will Smith had to put down his dog in I Am Legend, and Homeward Bound gets me every time — For the love of God somebody help Shadow! — but people make me cry, too.

For example, I cried in The Pursuit of Happyness. So maybe it’s just Will Smith? No, that’s not true. I cried so hard while watching Warrior that I made my roommate sit through the credits so that I could collect myself. And don’t get me started on John Q. But still, if you put on any classic romance or tale of endless love, my cheeks will be perfectly dry at the end of it. But as soon as King Kong starts his way up the Empire State Building (which I argue is also about love), I’m practically drowning.

Am I alone in this? Do you cry at uncommon moments? Is Will Smith and/or Tom Hardy your weakness too? What is the hardest you’ve ever cried in a movie? Please don’t say The Notebook.

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