Favorite "Inspirational" Moments in SFF Films (and/or TV)

[AE35Unit]

Oh, I love when SFF doles out inspiration, and I think its full of it. I don't care if you start to slag me off for it, but I think Armageddon is totally inspiring. Its in Rippers' Top Five films. I sob every time, and not just at the sad bits. I start crying early on, BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT'S COMING! Terrible really.

The speeches before a battle in space, the saving of whole races, the defending of planets, overcoming adversity against the odds. No other genre has the capacity to inspire. Independence Day, The Matrix speech by Morpheus, kicking the Borg's arses (or should that be arse, singular?)

You go for it SFF. We're with you. (Punches the air as chin starts to wobble slightly)

Have you seen a film called Space Cowboys with Clint Eastwood and Tommy Lee Jones about 3 old astronauts pulled in by NASA to carry out an emergency space mission? There's a touching scene at the end of that one too.

 

[clovis-man]

Have you seen a film called Space Cowboys with Clint Eastwood and Tommy Lee Jones about 3 old astronauts pulled in by NASA to carry out an emergency space mission? There's a touching scene at the end of that one too.

This one was pretty much played for laughs, but I agree that the final scene was poignant.

 

[Rodders]

Sorry to keep harping on, but i think the scene in B5 when G'Kar is being whipped and refuses to scream even though he knows that by 50 the whip will kill him. Londo standing aside watching and willing his "Colleague" to scream. That was an amazing scene.

As for blubbering like a baby, the "I am your Father" bit and the Carbon Freeze chamber in Empire Strikes back gets me each time.

 

[j d worthington]

Sorry to keep harping on, but i think the scene in B5 when G'Kar is being whipped and refuses to scream even though he knows that by 50 the whip will kill him. Londo standing aside watching and willing his "Colleague" to scream. That was an amazing scene.

I find that scene extremely difficult to watch. The techniques used for it could so easily spill over into parody, but I find they heighten the varied emotions and the pain of watching what is happening almost beyond endurance.

As for B5 itself... while it has its moments that just go "thud" and lie there, it also has one heck of a lot of fine stuff to it, and I see no reason to apologize for bringing it into the discussion. I frankly find many moments from that series to be very moving, whether it be inspiring in the sense used for this thread, or awe-inspiring, or terrifying, or just jaw-dropping, catch-in-your-breath unexpected chutzpah, or what have you. Whatever its faults, it was a darned fine series....

 

[revelshade]

This one's probably a little too obvious, but...

I was a Doctor Who fan in the Tom Baker and Peter Davison days. The first time I saw Eccleston's Doctor was (you've already guessed it) The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances.

"This time, everybody lives!!"

I've had many reactions to Doctor Who, but -- tears of joy? That was a first.

 

[Rodders]

As for B5 itself... while it has its moments that just go "thud" and lie there, it also has one heck of a lot of fine stuff to it, and I see no reason to apologize for bringing it into the discussion. I frankly find many moments from that series to be very moving, whether it be inspiring in the sense used for this thread, or awe-inspiring, or terrifying, or just jaw-dropping, catch-in-your-breath unexpected chutzpah, or what have you. Whatever its faults, it was a darned fine series....

After watcing the first series again recently, it was quite interesting to see that this was set up then. There was a scene in which G'Kar was in some pain givers and was to be tortured before being killed. He didn't scream then either. I wonder if this was a happy coincidence, or actually planned by JMS as a part of the story?

 

[j d worthington]

I would imagine it was thought out well in advance (at least as a potential connection), as he seems to have planned out the first several years of the series before ever going into production. And then you had Ellison there as consultant, and given the friendship between those two, I would imagine Harlan would have never let him hear the end of it had he not connected the dots.....