Movies have the power to make you laugh, talk to the screen, hide behind a pillow, or sob for hours. It’s the sad movies that always get me. What’s the saddest movie to you? Is it one of the top sad movies that made the most money?
One of the first I remember crying over was the original “The Incredible Journey.” Watching Tao fall into the river and get swept away broke my heart. If you haven’t seen it and know what happens to Tao and his friends Bodger and Luath, I highly recommend the original and not the remake.
My mom was gifted a Siamese kitten born on the same day she had me. We spent 20 years together, so that breed is my favorite. Due to our bond while growing up, “The Incredible Journey” will always be my pick for the best sad movie. Some sad movies have been big hits at the box office, but “The Incredible Journey” didn’t do as well as others.
Sad movies come in all themes. I’ve sobbed watching dramas, romances, and even thrillers. It can be a familiar topic, such as dementia in “Still Mine, or a lonely child (“Max & Mary”) that gets the tears flowing.
If you look at the highest-grossing movies of all time, you’ll find “Avatar” and other sci-fi/action movies in the top three spots. That’s not to say there aren’t sad movies that haven’t succeeded. What are the sad movies that made the most money? Our list looks at the 50 saddest movies that did well in the theaters. (Explore them below after reading more about “The Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time.”)
To determine the sad movies that made the most money, 24/7 Tempo reviewed historical data on production costs from the film industry site The Numbers. Movies were ranked based on worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation. Data on the production budget is also from The Numbers. Box office and production budget figures were adjusted for inflation using historical ticket data from the National Association of Theatre Owners. Supplemental data on IMDb user rating is current as of April 2024.
50. Crash (2004)
- Worldwide box office: $149.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $10.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (427,361 reviews)
- Starring: Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Thandiwe Newton
49. I Am Sam (2001)
- Worldwide box office: $150.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $35.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (146,714 reviews)
- Starring: Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dakota Fanning
48. Imitation of Life (1959)
- Worldwide box office: $156.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: N/A
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (15,508 reviews)
- Starring: Lana Turner, John Gavin, Sandra Dee
47. Bicentennial Man (1999)
- Worldwide box office: $158.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $162.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (113,709 reviews)
- Starring: Robin Williams, Embeth Davidtz, Sam Neill
46. The Prince of Tides (1991)
- Worldwide box office: $162.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $65.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (17,443 reviews)
- Starring: Barbra Streisand, Nick Nolte, Blythe Danner
45. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
- Worldwide box office: $164.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $12.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (466,095 reviews)
- Starring: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell
44. Dear John (2010)
- Worldwide box office: $164.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $29.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (143,475 reviews)
- Starring: Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Richard Jenkins
43. About Schmidt (2002)
- Worldwide box office: $169.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $47.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (126,363 reviews)
- Starring: Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney
42. Finding Neverland (2004)
- Worldwide box office: $169.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $36.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (207,701 reviews)
- Starring: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie
41. The Notebook (2004)
- Worldwide box office: $171.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $44.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (540,636 reviews)
- Starring: Gena Rowlands, James Garner, Rachel McAdams
40. The Pianist (2002)
- Worldwide box office: $176.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $55.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (836,046 reviews)
- Starring: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay
39. Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
- Worldwide box office: $176.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $23.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (70,612 reviews)
- Starring: Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson
38. Ordinary People (1980)
- Worldwide box office: $178.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $21.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (49,514 reviews)
- Starring: Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch
37. We Were Soldiers (2002)
- Worldwide box office: $181.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $110.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (144,099 reviews)
- Starring: Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear
36. War Horse (2011)
- Worldwide box office: $181.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $80.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (151,930 reviews)
- Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, David Thewlis
35. Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
- Worldwide box office: $183.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $33.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (149,031 reviews)
- Starring: Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel
34. The Impossible (2012)
- Worldwide box office: $195.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $46.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (226,654 reviews)
- Starring: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland
33. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
- Worldwide box office: $203.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $22.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (704,537 reviews)
- Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Fassbender
32. Seven Pounds (2008)
- Worldwide box office: $212.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $68.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (293,833 reviews)
- Starring: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson
31. Me Before You (2016)
- Worldwide box office: $220.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $21.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (226,903 reviews)
- Starring: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Janet McTeer
30. Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)
- Worldwide box office: $223.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $65.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (37,180 reviews)
- Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, Jay Thomas
29. The Vow (2012)
- Worldwide box office: $227.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $34.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (196,420 reviews)
- Starring: Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Sam Neill
28. World Trade Center (2006)
- Worldwide box office: $228.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $90.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (84,756 reviews)
- Starring: Nicolas Cage, Michael Peña, Maria Bello
27. Mystic River (2003)
- Worldwide box office: $238.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $45.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (436,927 reviews)
- Starring: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon
26. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
- Worldwide box office: $244.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $17.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (105,134 reviews)
- Starring: Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, Dan Aykroyd
25. Hidden Figures (2016)
- Worldwide box office: $245.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $26.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (233,247 reviews)
- Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe
24. The Help (2011)
- Worldwide box office: $246.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $28.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (462,347 reviews)
- Starring: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer
23. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
- Worldwide box office: $252.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $19.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (338,254 reviews)
- Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams
22. Stepmom (1998)
- Worldwide box office: $312.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $97.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (63,913 reviews)
- Starring: Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris
21. Terms of Endearment (1983)
- Worldwide box office: $315.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: N/A
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (57,738 reviews)
- Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson
20. A Time to Kill (1996)
- Worldwide box office: $315.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $82.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (140,500 reviews)
- Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson
19. Marley & Me (2008)
- Worldwide box office: $316.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $76.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (160,238 reviews)
- Starring: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane
18. Wonder (2017)
- Worldwide box office: $319.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $20.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (152,948 reviews)
- Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Owen Wilson, Izabela Vidovic
17. The Terminal (2004)
- Worldwide box office: $322.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $110.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (427,304 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chi McBride
16. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
- Worldwide box office: $342.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $44.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (657,818 reviews)
- Starring: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman
15. The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
- Worldwide box office: $344.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $13.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (357,084 reviews)
- Starring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff
14. The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
- Worldwide box office: $369.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $46.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (76,951 reviews)
- Starring: Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Annie Corley
13. The Blind Side (2009)
- Worldwide box office: $373.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $42.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (336,377 reviews)
- Starring: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw
12. The Lost Weekend (1945)
- Worldwide box office: $374.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $42.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (35,404 reviews)
- Starring: Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, Phillip Terry
11. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
- Worldwide box office: $382.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $145.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (298,247 reviews)
- Starring: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O’Connor
10. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
- Worldwide box office: $394.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: N/A
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (139,028 reviews)
- Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander
9. Patch Adams (1998)
- Worldwide box office: $394.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $97.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (115,620 reviews)
- Starring: Robin Williams, Daniel London, Monica Potter
8. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
- Worldwide box office: $429.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $76.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (517,291 reviews)
- Starring: Will Smith, Thandiwe Newton, Jaden Smith
7. A Star Is Born (2018)
- Worldwide box office: $434.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $36.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (355,833 reviews)
- Starring: Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott
6. Philadelphia (1993)
- Worldwide box office: $445.4 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $57.5 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (232,086 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Roberta Maxwell
5. Life Is Beautiful (1998)
- Worldwide box office: $448.0 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $39.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (718,536 reviews)
- Starring: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini
4. The Green Mile (1999)
- Worldwide box office: $526.2 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $108.6 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,204,006 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse
3. Dead Poets Society (1989)
- Worldwide box office: $549.8 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $37.7 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (449,222 reviews)
- Starring: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke
2. Schindler’s List (1993)
- Worldwide box office: $712.9 million (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $55.3 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (1,359,268 reviews)
- Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley
1. Titanic (1997)
- Worldwide box office: $4.4 billion (inflation-adjusted)
- Production budget: $399.1 million (inflation-adjusted)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (1,181,693 reviews)
- Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane