Tam’s Think Tank

There could be others, and I’m sure if I sat here long enough I would think of other films I should’ve and would’ve included.  I think when I make one of these lists that it’s all about the day I’m making it.  Tomorrow the list would include some of these same films, but there would probably be differences.  That’s the way it goes.  That’s life.  For now, today, these are some of my choices for the top films that always make me cry.  Honorable mention would go to films like Piano, On Golden Pond, Old Yeller, Fried Green Tomatoes, and countless other films you might be thinking of right now.

Philadelphia

The humanity in this scene is sort of overwhelming.  You have to ignore the crappy dubbing and the Greek subtitles, but it’s powerful none the less.

Beaches

Friends know each other for years, have their differences, lead disparate lives, stay bonded through everything, and love each other to the end.

Steel Magnolias

Nothing more heart wrenching than mother losing daughter. I distinctly remember seeing this and crying and laughing out loud and crying again.

Mystic River

Again… parent losing child.  This is powerful.

Playing By Heart

This whole movie takes the watcher on a roller coaster of emotion.  I cried a few times.  This scene is just sort of indicative of what the movie is about.  Not really a scene that made me cry.  It’s got an amazing cast and is a great film, if you like emotional movies about love and relationships that is.  If not, skip it.

Schindler’s List

This is one of, for me anyway, the most powerful scenes in film, ever.  Schindler is leaving and he breaks down wishing he could’ve saved more, done more.  It makes me cry just thinking about this scene.  Spielberg is a master.

Ghost

Sort of a common choice, but good none the less.  A classic tear jerker.  The moment when they see each other and he gets peace.

Powder

Fighting and then giving over of yourself… if you haven’t seen this movie it is a powerful film about humanity.  Just strange and amazing.

The Hours

I could’ve picked more than just two scenes from this movie.  It’s another character study kind of film about choices and consequences and living with both.

E.T.

I had to include this… E.T. goes home.

Boys on the Side

Love… loss…

Immortal Beloved

I don’t know why this gets me so much, but it does.  Partly it’s the music, partly watching him remember and knowing, finally, as an audience member, what the music was born out of.

Saving Private Ryan

This is the worst battle scene I’ve ever seen in film, for me.  I started crying almost immediately and by the end I was a mess.

Today’s theme for the photo hunt is time. I scanned through my photos and came up with this one taken during our February trip to Philadelphia. Loved this shot. This building, Philadelphia City Hall, is spectacular. Wonderful photo ops all around during the day and evening.

If you’d like to join in all the photo hunt fun, click here.

Lastly, from Philadelphia, we ventured over to the Philadelphia Museum of Art with the intention of actually going inside and checking out the museum. We were also going to re-create the whole Rocky running up the stairs thing with Karen as Rocky, arms raised, wearing a hoodie, etc. Sadly it was Sunday, our last morning in town, when we went over and apparently the museum is free on Sundays, a good thing, and so everyone and their third uncles cousin goes on Sunday, a bad thing. We couldn’t find parking… anywhere. So instead of going up the steps and inside, we drove around it a couple of times, Karen shooting this photo from the car window while we were stopped at a red light. Next time we’re in Philly, we’re going. This time we settled for the drive by.

We did end up getting to see some areas of the city and just outside of the city we wouldn’t have seen. There’s a cool park running along two sides of a river (who’s name I can barely remember let alone try to spell) filled with sculpture and rowing clubs. Apparently it’s a training ground for Olympic rowers? Not really sure, but we think so. There were tons of people out rowing as we drove by so if nothing else, it’s a very popular thing to do.

And so ends the tales of our trip to Atlanta and Philadelphia. Nice time in both cities. We ran into some great people in both towns, very friendly, very hospitable. We saw some sights and enjoyed some down time (or at least I enjoyed some down time… Karen, unfortunately, had to work most of the time). It was a bit tiring traveling and then traveling and then traveling to get home. I don’t know how the traveling business person does it all the time. And sadly, Karen has to leave again tomorrow for LA. Business meeting. She flies back on Thursday, but still… what a bummer. If I’m tired, she’s exhausted. But then, that’s us… life on the go, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Philadelphia City Hall, originally uploaded by Tokenhippygirl.

The Philadelphia City Hall is a gorgeous building.

Pass and Stow, originally uploaded by Tokenhippygirl.

The famous crack that ceased the bell from ringing. Not the larger one that’s very visible, the smaller one running up through the Pass and Stow.

Independence Hall, originally uploaded by Tokenhippygirl.

The building where the decision for resistance and then war was made, the system of government was decided, and the constitution was drafted and signed.

Signatures, originally uploaded by Tokenhippygirl.

The room where our system of government and the Constitution was debated and then signed.

Get Your Cheese Steak, originally uploaded by Tokenhippygirl.

The little place where we bought our Cheese Steaks. Yum.

First Bank, originally uploaded by Tokenhippygirl.

The First Bank in the United States.

Exchange, originally uploaded by Tokenhippygirl.

This is the first stock exchange building in the United States.

The Delaware, originally uploaded by Tokenhippygirl.

We walked down to the Delaware River. We’d actually crossed it our first night in town, accidentally, just like Washington (though not in a boat). In the distance, in this photo, is the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. At the time it was built, in the 20′s, it was the longest single span in the world. Even though it’s lost that title, it’s still impressive, and beautiful. From the spot we were standing when I took this, pivoting to the right just outside of the shot, is an open air ice rink. It had just opened when we showed up here and people were happily skating around to piped music. What a cool thing.

The Clothes Pin, originally uploaded by Tokenhippygirl.

Philadelphia has some great sculptures and art around the city. We loved this one. It looked great at night as well.

 

Today’s photo hunt theme is free and what signifies free more than letting freedom ring. Today we hung out in Philadelphia and went to see the Liberty Bell. Pretty fantastic. I always sort of find myself getting emotional about history. Corny… maybe, but I do none the less. It’s amazing to me to be in the presence of such a symbol of the basic principles of freedom and all it represents. We take our freedom for granted I think sometimes and we shouldn’t. It’s nice to be reminded of what we have, and what the cost was to get it.

If you want to get in on all the photo hunt fun, follow the link.

We ventured out to walk the streets of downtown Philadelphia this evening. There were so many people out. I guess it is Friday, and this is a living downtown, so that shouldn’t have surprised me. It’s one of those downtowns that doesn’t roll up the sidewalks at 5:00. Restaurants, shops, bars, coffee shops, book stores, etc… all open for business and getting it.

We wandered a bit, grabbed a chai at a nearby Starbucks and while we were there Karen asked the baristas pouring our drinks where a good spot for dinner might be. The suggestion… the Nodding Head brew pub. So we moseyed on over, walked up a flight of stairs, and were promptly seated. Really great place. Nice atmosphere, good food, and a very tasty glass of grog. I kid you not, that’s what it was called and I have to say, I enjoyed the grog. I didn’t swing my glass back and forth and sing, but I liked it just the same.

After getting our fill of grog and food at the Nodding Head we walked down the stairs and turned right. Back on Sansom we walked until we got to Broad Street where we took a left and headed North. It’s pretty easy to find your way around downtown Philadelphia, at least it has been for us so far. It’s laid out pretty nicely. We had no idea where we were going, but I knew how we were going to get back to the room, so all was good. Luckily Broad Street was a good place to make a turn as we soon ran into the City Hall building. Let me tell ya, the place is a gorgeous piece of architecture. Really lovely. I think we’ll go back by when it’s light, but all lit up at night… pretty stunning.

Tomorrow… Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin’s post office, Old City, and whatever else we can find. It’s supposed to be cold, but dry… yeah!

So I was going to, or at least I tried, to post the actual map here, but then I thought OK, to do that it would have to be pretty small. Instead, you get the link. This map will show you where we are in proximity to the Liberty Bell. Pretty exciting huh? LOL OK, maybe not riveting, but still… we’re in Philadelphia, land of freedom, the seat of change. It’s pretty cool….

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