The Silver Screen Oasis

I caught an interstitial this afternoon on TCM with Cicely Tyson discussing her role in Martin Ritt's Sounder (1972). Despite the fact that I was only half watching while doing something else, I teared up when they showed the scene when Tyson's character spots her husband in the distance (if you've seen the movie, you know how meaningful this moment was in the story).

What movies do you think had the best reunion of characters who had been separated for a time?

BTW, they don't all need to be dramatic either. If there are funny or ill-timed reunions on film, let's hear about those too, okay?

Seeing little Ivan Jandl reunited with his mother in The Search (1948) gets me every time.

Think this one might prove to be a lot of fun.

My favorite reunion? Easy, probably because it’s difficult to decide which of the highly-skilled performers better communicates the emotion of the moment. It’s the title scene from Lassie Come Home.

:–)—

The Search and Lassie Come Home are so moving. It doesn't seem to matter how many times I see them--I know the emotions they will evoke in me.

There are three reunion moments in the remarkable Best Years of Our Lives that never fail to affect me:

When Homer (Harold Russell) reluctantly arrives home after hesitating to leave the taxi and his little sister bursts out of the house, jubilant with excitement and love, and embraces him.

When Millie (Myrna Loy) senses her husband's presence without seeing him and turns and enters the hall to see him (Fredric March).

When Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) and Peggy Stephenson (Teresa Wright) gaze at one another during the wedding ceremony of Homer & Wilma...and then embrace.

Perhaps it is sentimental, but Greer Garson and Ronald Colman at the end of "Random Harvest" (1943) come to my mind; they have been married, but he did not remember her from his previous life (before he suffered amnesia) and that realization was very moving.

Conte's reunion with his brothers in "House of Strangers".

The re-meeting of Barry and Dickinson in "China Gate". It's one long reunion.

Jeffrey Hunter´s reunion with Natalie Wood in "The Searchers" (1956), and her reunion afterwards with Wayne. Overwhelming.

When the sisters are finally reunited in The Color Purple

Even though we never see him, when Claudette Colbert listens to the phoned telegram that her husband is alive and coming home in Since You Went Away

Moira, I totally agree with the March/Loy scene in "TBYOOL." I start tearing up when he knocks on the door.

A sort of fun/strange reunion is "My Favorite Wife." When Grant sees Dunne while getting on the elevator his reaction is so funny.

Strained reunions include Jimmy Stewart and Stephen McNally in "Winchester '73."

Great theme. And I too love Cary Grant's double take in the elevator in My Favorite Wife.
I remember Richard Conte's reunion with his family after Conte is released from Prison in Call NORTHSIDE 777. We'd been hoping for it throughout the film. We just knew Conte was innocent,and Jimmy Stewart knew it too.

MR LUCKY: Laraine Day and Cary Grant in the final scene . She had been looking out for his ship for so long and finally she sees him and her face lights up. Laraine is so lovely in this.

Just reading through these posts makes me realize how many of the movies you all have mentioned are my favorite movies. I guess I'm a sucker for the 'parted for a time, but finally reunited' kind of films.

A more recent movie, which I think is deeply romantic, is when Keanu Reeves returns to his pretend 'wife' in A Walk In the Clouds

knitwit45 wrote:
A more recent movie, which I think is deeply romantic, is when Keanu Reeves returns to his pretend 'wife' in A Walk In the Clouds

I have that movie on a DVD and once in a while my girlfriend wants to watch it and she's breaks out in tears when he (Keanu Reeves) returns to her and touched her deeply. I know exactly how you feel about it.

I'll have to give this subject some thought. A couple that come to mind right away:

1) The first reunion of Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman's characters in Magnificent Obsession, when he surprises her alone in her swiss hotel room the day she finds out the brain injury causing her loss of vision is inoperable.

2) The reunion of Atanarjuat and his two wives in The Fast Runner, when he returns home after a year's exile following an attempt on his life. "There's a strange dog team approaching." "Only Atanarjuat runs like that!"

The utter sweetness of Margaret O'Brien "reuniting" with her father, Eddie G., in Our Vines Have Tender Grapes, after the punishment over the roller skates. "This time, can I kiss you goodnight?" Makes me cry every time.

Modern Times (1936)

The final unforgettable image of the Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) arm in arm with the homeless Gamin (Paulette Goddard) silhouetted together and walking into the sunrise to face a new day, at the film's conclusion.


The Scene