Everyone loves their best friend, and the idea of one day losing that person is the kind that always inspires tears.

Naturally, Hollywood has spun this concept into a special sort of drama genre, with a bunch of movies which follow the stories of two best friends--that often end with a heart-breaking and tear jerking ending.

The newest film to enter that genre is the Drew Barrymore and Toni Collete helmed Miss You Already, which follows two best friends as they deal with the combined struggles of dying of cancer and trying to get pregnant and hits theaters this weekend.


The release made us think of other movies within the same genre which always inspire tears and make us want to hug all of our best friends--both the traditional and non-traditional kind. Here are the eight biggest tearjerkers about best friends:

Old Yeller (1957)


Dogs are called a man's best friend for a reason, and the bond between Travis (Tommy Kirk) and Old Yeller is no exception. But our hearts break every time Travis is forced to do the unthinkable when a wolf bite makes Old Yeller rabid and dangerous. You can purchase the movie on Amazon.

Brian's Song (1971)


Racial strife in football is a theme that's often explored, and this film, based on a true story about Brian Piccolo (James Caan) and Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams), is no different. The story, which explores the testy strife of relations between white and black players as it tells the true story of two men who come together as friends while playing together on the Chicago Bear in the 1960s--when one becomes stricken with terminal cancer. Stream it on Netflix.

E.T. (1982)


A friendship between a human and an alien is certainly less than traditional, but there's no denying that E.T. and Elliott (Henry Thomas) are true friends. And when Elliott sacrifices keeping his best friend with him so E.T. can go home--tears are everywhere. The movie is available for Digital Rental on iTunes, Vudu, and the Playstation Store.

Stand By Me (1986)


Four best friends go on a hike through the countryside to view the dead body of a missing child, and along the way, discover the true meaning of their friendship. Unfortunately, by the end of the movie, it's revealed they all eventually drifted apart as they got older, with all of their lives going in completely different paths--including death. The movie is available for purchase on both iTunes and the Playstation Store.

Beaches (1988)


The story of C.C. (Bette Midler) and Hillary (Barbara Hershey), who remain lifelong friends despite their lives taking them different places is a classic. Though one of the women is dying of a fatal heart condition, her best friend's love for her never falters, and she is there for her until the very end.

If Midler's song The Wind Beneath My Wings never made you cry before, you will be guaranteed to lose it when it plays during a scene which transitions from C.C. and Hillary's final time at the beach together to a funeral. The movie is available for digital rental at both the iTunes store and on Vudu.

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)


The story of the love and friendship between Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Ruth (Mary-Louise Parker) is only even more legendary as Ninny (Jessica Tandy) tells it to Evelyn (Kathy Bates). What makes it heart-breaking is that after Idgie is cleared of murder charges stemming from the death of Ruth's abusive husband, their time together is limited for unexpected reasons. Stream it on Amazon.

My Girl (1991)


Vada (Anna Chulmsky) feels distant from the only person she has left in her life--her father. However, when she meets and befriends Thomas J. (Macaulay Culkin), things seem to start looking up for her lonely life. But when Thomas J. tries to do something sweet for Vada, her life changes forever. You can purchase the film on Amazon.

RENT (2005)


Based on the smash Tony-Award winning musical, the film follows eight friends dealing with usual life issues like love, trying to stay afloat, and finding their purpose in life in the late 80s in New York's East Village. But things go far beyond the usual complications because half of the group's members--Roger (Adam Pascal), Mimi (Rosario Dawson), Collins (Jesse L Martin) and Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia) are HIV positive, making their struggles even more poignant. The film and musical have a certain share of light-hearted and fun moments, but the pain and heartbreak becomes more real when the mournful lyrics of the song Seasons of Love blare out with the lyrics "How do you figure a last year on Earth?" The film is available to stream on Netflix.

Tags: Tearjerker movies Best Friend movies