Crying at Movies

I am movie fan. I like old movies (even some silent ones), new movies and everything in between. I am interested in not only the story, but the acting, directing, producing and technical aspects of film making. I buy movies on DVD and used to buy VHS because since living overseas, I do not subscribe to cable or satellite TV. With the DVD’s I watch not only the movie, but the Special Features, especially the short film on making the big film, and often re-watch the film with the directors comments. I usually then run to my computer and read whatever Wikipedia has on the movie, follow the links for the director, actors and writers. I rotate my reading with a broad variety of book types (biography, history, theology, philosophy, fiction) and a regular in the mix is movie making or movie makers. To sum it up, I am interested in movies.
Now I need to tell you that, while I can get through most of life’s events without a good cry, I cry at movies. The medium touches me. Without any real conscious knowledge of it, I am wiping my eyes somewhere in the first hour of a good movie. It has nothing to do with the plot; it is about being touched deeply, and appreciating it. That ability, the strength of that medium and the director’s execution of telling the story really are a deep pleasure for me. Tears of joy just flow. I am pretty sure this state of euphoria helps me to sleep soundly through repeat showings of a movie for visiting friends or family. I very comfortably sleep through my favorite movies during repeat performance. I can attempt to watch my favorite movies over 20 times, but I only get through it a few times before I use the film as a drug to induce a fulfilling hour or so nap. The nap and the cry are independent of each other and not mutually exclusive. I am not sure if I cry in my sleep during movies, but I do not cry in my dreams.
Last night my wife had to leave the last part of a movie we were watching together. It was a movie recommended by her son. It was a recent movie release and had won awards for its director and actors. I finished the movie (with some moist eyes, pretty under control for me) and went up stairs to see her. She was crying in bed. I asked what was wrong and she told me her son had told her the main character dies at the end and she did not want to see that. I asked why she recommended the movie and she said it was because it was supposed to be a good one, and was. She just did not want to see the character die at the end. I comforted her for 15 or 20 minutes and when I she looked ready to fall asleep, I ran to my computer to finish my movie experience.
Now I can only say that whenever I watch that movie again, I will be too scared to sleep and to be too anxious to cry. I will worry about her the entire time (assuming she is there). Empathy is not something I had ever brought to the movie couch. My life may have changed forever.