10 Pixar Moments That Will Reduce You To Tears

1) That Opening

It’s hard to be even more harrowing than a scene in which our childhood heroes are almost roasted alive, but the traumatic opening to Up somehow manages it. Instead of bringing out the child in us all, this sequence showcases a very adult scenario that will nonetheless tug at the heart of viewers of all ages.

Carl and Ellie have a happy married life together, but their life-long dream of travelling the world together tragically never happens. Ellie eventually dies, leaving an elderly Carl alone.

Condensing a couple’s entire lifetime into ten minutes makes for a staggeringly emotional opening, and the whole thing is beautifully scored by Michael Giacchino. There is a case to be made that the strength of this sequence eclipses the rest of the movie, but what’s important is that this terrific filmmaking got the acclaim it deserved – plus an Oscar Best Picture nod to boot.