Couch theater — DVD previews

The No-cry Challenge: Tears are shed for many a reason. Unbridled joy. A particularly raucous round of laughter. Heartbreak. The ache of loss. And humans are a curious lot. There are times when we’ll go into absolute denial to avoid tears, but other times we rush right in. Case in point: tearjerkers. Some movies come at you right from the start (the entire first 10 minutes of “Up”) and some wait for the end to twist the knife (when Miguel sings with his great-grandmother “Coco”).

Either way, here are a collection of tearjerker moments in film for when you just need a little catharsis. Get a box of tissues and (potential spoilers ahead) have yourself a good cry.

“My Girl” -- The death of a child is no easy thing, but in this story of a girl named Vada Sultenfuss, living with her single dad in a funeral home, it’s heartbreaking. If you can get through the scene where Vada loses it at Thomas J’s funeral because he doesn’t have his glasses, I am not sure you are human.

“Inside Out” -- A quintet of emotions interact inside the mind of 11-year-old Riley in this Pixar classic. But it’s Riley’s forgotten imaginary friend Bing Bong who steals the heart in a loving act of sacrifice that will have you weeping buckets of candy tears.

“Steel Magnolias” -- In this touching story about a group of strong Southern women, there is more than one poignant moment, but for millions of ugly criers, it’s the scene where M’lynn delivers her monologue in the graveyard, bemoaning daughter Shelby’s lifelong ill health.