What memories this movie brings back. I've shed tears everytime I watched. It's been at least 10 years since I've seen it, probably more. But just thinking about it again makes my eyes water. Who can resist such a child, especially with children of my own now. Fanastic Movie and SO well done.
shareThis is a fantastic movie. I'm surprised more people don't know about it. I cry every time I watch the end. Such great acting.
shareI know. I watched this when I was a little kid. I was about the same age as Bridgette. My favorite scenes are when they're playing the theme song "Savannah Smiles" and playing during the picnic. And my most favorite is where Alfee, the one who was so mean at the beggining, was holding her after she had a nightmare. They played the song "Pretty Girl" and he slow danced with her in his arms. It makes me cry cause whenever I was sick my dad did the same thing and he would listen to that sorta music. And it was so cute when Savannah was telling the guys a bedtime story. The fox, rabbit, squirrel (think it was) how they was just a gigglin' and a gigglin'. It was so cute! I cried like 4 times watching this. I hadn't seen it in years. She was precious, and I don't even like kids but she was a doll.
shareI like everyone else cry everytime I watch the movie! One of my favorites is one of the last scenes where Alfee is remembering running after a truck full of his family, and when he finally catches it...I just bawl! And when they are in the police car and she is waving at them, and Bootsie says "what if someone tells her we were bad" and Alfie says "it doesn't matter..she won't believe it anyway".
sharemy sister and I grew up on films like this. I as well as all of you, cry everytime I watch it now. There is just this unusually strong sense of home that I feel everytime I watch it. Excellent film!
and Celane-1, that part at the end gets me everytime. :)
The part of the movie that gets me everytime is at the end when Savannah asks Bootsie and Alvie is they will come visit her and when they say yes, she says, "you won't forget?" and her voice cracks a little. I just bawl like a baby.
I am tearing up just thinking about the end. Awww...
THATS A LOT OF NUTS-Kung-Pow:Enter The Fist
I rented this movie on netflix as I last saw it in 1985 and had fond memories of it. I decided to see what happened to Bridgette Andersen who played Savannah and learned that she died of a heroin overdose. I see this film and cry to see what happened to such a sweet little girl. So, so sad. I keep watching th part where they are in the park playing with the ball while the song Savannah SMiles play and I just ball like a baby.
I wound up buying the DVD.
The point where I start to cry is the song at the picnic "When Savannah smiles, I hear somebody sayin', hey loser, you just won."
Every time I watch.
I agree. This movie is a classic. A favorite. <3
Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?
oh man....ive probebly watched this movie seriously about 100 times and i cry EVERY time! i cry at two main parts-where theyre playing with her and the savannah song comes on, and the end. when i was little, this was my favorite movie and i would bawl every time and my mom would say "why are you crying?" and i would say "you know!", which meant that i had watched the movie. we just found it today and watched it, and sure enough, i cried so hard. its such a touching movie because they loved her so much.
http://www.myspace.com/shayelovesyou
xoxo
shayebird - you got it perfectly -
the exact two times that i always got misty when watching this movie. i haven't seen it in years....would love to again!
I can't believe there are people like me who love this movie. I remember seeing this movie for the first time when I was in second grade-over 20 years ago!!! My friends and I sat there in the theater and cried and cried. One of my favorite lines..."Don't you just love love? I just love love!" I would love to get a copy of this movie!
shareMan, about the time the police are closing in on them and Alvie tells Pat Morita (the priest) "I could use a friend, Padre" through the end of the movie, with all of the quotes already mentioned ("Won't forget?"), the tears just start streaming for me. Whenever people ask about the all time tear jerkers, I always mention this movie. Most have never heard of it, and that's a shame. It really is a touching story and all three actors turn in wonderful performances. My sister and I must have watched this movie a hundred times on Beta Max (I'm really dating myself here) as kids. I haven't seen it in years, but when my little girls get a little bit older, the wife and I will definitely have to spring for the DVD. It is a classic.
shareI haven't seen this movie in 20 or so years and a tear just ran down my cheek reading everybody's comments. I think I might have to go get the DVD.
shareI haven't seen this movie in 20 or so years and a tear just ran down my cheek reading everybody's comments. I think I might have to go get the DVD.
shareThere is no way I will pass up on this DVD. I was born the same year as Brigette Anderson and even I cried as a kid watching this movie. The other day I saw the movie Little Miss Sunshine and all I could think of was Savannah Smiles.
I grew up in northern Utah and since the movie takes place in Utah I feel even more connected to this movie.
This movie needs more recognition, hopefully with the DVD release it will get a new audience.
I can't even think about this film without crying. Will somebody please pass me an effin' Kleenex?
shareI'm ashamed to admit it, though I'm 33 yrs old from the UK, this movie really moved me to tears....and I only saw it a couple of years ago.....
shareIf you have not gotten this movie on DVD---you need to get it. It really is an all time classic. You really can watch it 100 times not be bored with it and cry every time.
I just watched it last night and I cried AGAIN. Then reading these posts I cried AGAIN.
$15 well spent!
I named my daughter Savannah because this was my all time favorite movie as a child.
shareYES! This movie is the reason I love the name Savannah. If we had had a girl, that's what she would've have been named.
shareI just let a friend of mine borrow my VHS tape of this movie. It was the only movie I ever bought at full price on VHS and it was then very expensive. I am so glad that people remember and love it like I do. I just looked up what happened to Bridgette was so sorry to hear about her death and am sorry I missed her in other things. What a shame but she leaves a remarkable legacy in this film of love and innocence.
shareThis is indeed one of my childhood favorates!
Is this movie on DVD? I remember it impacting me as a child cause I was about the same age as Savannah. I really want to see it again!
shareIf you can't find it at your local Best Buy, Borders or Barnes and Noble, you can find it on Amazon.com. Be sure to get the ANCHOR BAY issue (widescreen and a very nice print!).
shareI remember always watching this movie growing up and it still makes me tear up every single time I watch it. It is my favorite movie of all time tied with Can't Buy Me Love and The Last Seduction. Bridgette Andersen was such an adorable little actress and it is a shame what happened to her.
shareI grew up watching this movie with my sister. It has been years since we last watched it but I remmeber well the sobbing. My sister and I came out of the room from watching it and my mom thought we had just heard of someone's death.
"Everything is fine every single time Savannah smiles at me."
Ahh...I'm in tears just reading about this movie.
We all have so many faces
The real self often erases
- The Scarlet Pimpernel
This was one of my favorite movies growing up. My sisters and I would watch it over and over again. (We would crack up at the part when Alvie says 'Bad king Deloris is out there' and she'd correct him saying, 'not Deloris, BORIS' LoL :) Little Bridgette Andersen was just too adorable for words. I was so very sad and shocked to learn of her passing 10 years ago at such a tender young age. In fact, when I saw the title to this post 'Hard movie to watch' ...it reminded me of the first time I caught parts of it after learning of her death. That's when I couldn't help but shed a few tears.
As far as I can remember I don't think I've ever watched this movie until today ! It just ended moments ago here on TCM. I was getting worried about my emotional stability and had to come here and see if anyone else had the same emotional reaction to it. Glad to see I'm not alone ! Either we're all screwed up or, as I prefer to think, we are all "human" in the best use of the word !
What a tear jerker! What I really like about this movie is the acting - first rate and two, there is nothing in this moview that seems "forced" so as to play
on our emotions - it does DO that as ones heart strings get tugged about every 10 seconds but it is not "false" or cynical - at least it doesn't feel that way.
The movie seems to progress seemlessly from one scene to the next, all honest.
I know the films makers delibertly chose an adorable child. The music, if not originally composed for the score, seems to be made for this movie. I wonder what came first - the films title or the song ? In any event I think I'll stop here as this is a movie that doesn't need to be disected, just a slice of humanity portayed by the actors/makers so as to show us the "worst" in us humans (the overly agressive cop) and the very best. I will say this though for the cop. If he didn't proceed the way he did he would, at the very least,have been incompetent. We knew these guys wouldn't harm a hair on her head but the police woukdn't have known that. Ah, the heck with it. I'll just stop here. This is a movie to be watched, enjoyed and aplauded. Such a shame that the girl came to such a tragic end. I can't help but think that if she had these characters in her life for real her fate may have been a whole different story
and a happier ending.
[deleted]
[deleted]
It's kind of funny, I first saw this movie on cable TV (HBO) shortly after it had come out. I was 19 years old, bored to death, watching it because nothing else was on and I was waiting for my dad to get ready to go somewhere. At some point early on, he asked, "What are you watching?" and I replied, "Some really dumb 'family' comedy starring a too-cute kid in an absurd situation." (Yes, I really did talk like that as a teen.) So he comes into the living room after showering and shaving, it's the end of the movie, and I'm on the couch with a pillow over my face trying desparately to hide the fact that I'm bawling like a dork. The part where they stop the truck and let Alvie on just really hit me. It was so contrived, so obvious, but man, it got me.
share