Weepy Hollow: The 9 Most Emotional Moments In Tim Burton's Films

One of the most beautiful things about film is its power to make us feel a wide range of emotions. Whether we're laughing or crying, we feel a bond with other moviegoers.

Some filmmakers have a better talent for triggering raw emotion than others — and for me personally, I would have to put Tim Burton at the top of the list. Throughout his career, Burton has done an incredible job with tapping viewers' emotions, often reminding us that "sad or happy" isn't always so cut-and-dried, but rather encompasses a wide range of feelings.

Here are nine classic scenes in which Tim Burton gave real meaning to "all the feels." Let's all be emotional together, guys — it's a safe place for us to just let it out.

(Spoilers follow for Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Frankenweenie and Corpse Bride, if you somehow haven't seen them yet.)

9. Kim's Ice Dance ('Edward Scissorhands')

Whether it's the beautiful music, scored by longtime Burton collaborator Danny Elfman, or the stunning visuals, there is no way to deny that you got a little bit emotional during Edward Scissorhands watching Kim dance in the "snow" created by Edward's ice sculpture. After all, who doesn't love watching Winona Ryder dance?

In a neighborhood that never experienced such a wintry thing, Kim letting herself go to dance is a beautiful moment. Not only was it essential to Kim's character development, but you are moved to tears when she admits — as an old woman — that she still believes Edward is alive and still dances in the snow because it reminds her of him.

8. Sweeney Todd Unknowingly Murders His Wife ('Sweeney Todd')

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a rather bleak experience in general, so we can safely say it's definitely not without its fair share of emotional moments. I mean, the whole premise of the film is a man who returns to London after being unjustly imprisoned, believing his wife is dead and his daughter is lost forever.

However, in the sea of emotional moments, there is one that stood out the most, and it came at the end of the film when Sweeney cut the throat of his own wife, Lucy. In the stress of the moment (and not recognizing her), his razor meets her throat and your heart seriously just breaks when he eventually realizes what he had done.

7. Victor Loses Sparky ('Frankenweenie')

Anyone who has had a pet understands how hard it is when you eventually have to say goodbye. A good number of us have felt what the loss of our non-human best friend is like and how painful it is.

Frankenweenie tugged at our hearts with the depiction of Victor and the Frankenstein family losing their dog, Sparky. After chasing a ball into the street, Sparky is struck by a car and killed, and our hearts completely broke. We do have some reprieve when Victor brings his dog back to life, but it still doesn't erase the emotional moment that hits you at the beginning of the film.

6. Selina Kyle Becomes Catwoman ('Batman Returns')

You wouldn't think much emotion would come from a Batman movie, but Burton managed to make us feel quite a few things with Batman Returns — specifically with the portrayal of Catwoman. By far the most emotional (and oddly empowering) moment came from Michelle Pfeiffer when her character, Selina Kyle, makes the transformation into the famous DC Comics villain.

After being shoved out of a window by her evil boss, Max Shreck, Selina returns to her apartment and promptly has a mental breakdown, resulting in the total destruction of her life up to that point. Selina creates her new persona of Catwoman, and you're left to feel a range of emotions, from sadness to "you go girl!"

5. Jack Skellington And Sally Are Simply Meant To Be ('The Nightmare Before Christmas')

The Nightmare Before Christmas is pretty emotional all the way through, if you actually pay attention. However, the love between Jack and Sally is one of those things that you can't help but root for, and you're absolutely psyched when it finally works out for them.

After Sally comes to the rescue to save Christmas (and Jack Skellington), she disappears back to her solitude in the cemetery. After all, she'd already come to the conclusion that she and Jack would never be together. But in a happy turn of events, Jack realizes that he loved her too, and they meet together in the cemetery; it's assumed that they live happily ever after together in Halloween Town. It's definitely a moment that puts a smile on your face, and maybe even some tears in your eyes.

4. Emily's Soul Is Freed ('Corpse Bride')

Similar to The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride is pretty much an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. I mean, the movie is about a lonely ghost named Emily who was killed for her dowry. That right there shows it's a bit of a macabre tale to begin with.

However, after Emily and her new husband Victor learn more about each other (and the audience finds out how Emily died), you are left an emotional mess because Emily sacrifices her newfound companion so he can remain among the living. But in the process, Emily's soul is freed and she is no longer bound by the loneliness and abandonment she carried with her to the afterlife. It's happy and sad all at the same time, and you're left wondering why a children's movie was so heavy.

3. Adam And Barbara Deteriorate ('Beetlejuice')

Let's face it, Adam and Barbara are the epitome of relationship goals. Their love for each other (even in the afterlife) is ridiculously adorable, and you secretly wish you could have a relationship as loving as theirs.

That is why your heart completely breaks when Otho decides to resurrect Adam and Barbara for a séance, and the couple's ghostly forms begin to deteriorate. Not only do you feel for Lydia, when she believes for a moment that she might forever lose her new friends, but you can't imagine Adam without Barbara (and vice versa) existing anywhere without each other.

2. Edward Realizes He Can't Be With Kim ('Edward Scissorhands')

Edward Scissorhands is arguably the most emotionally charged movie that Tim Burton has released. The storyline itself is quite sad when you sit down and think about it, but the execution just continues to break your heart all the way to the end.

After Edward is framed by Kim's boyfriend (and accidentally cuts her brother's face with his hands), he begins to realize that his physical form might actually cause more harm than good. This gives us one of the most heartbreaking moments when Kim asks him to hold her and he simply says, "I can't."

Edward's realization that he can't be with Kim — without inevitably hurting her in some way — brings up emotions you didn't even know you had.

1. The Inventor Dies ('Edward Scissorhands')

Again, this is a safe place. You might be the toughest person on the planet, but you can admit that your eyes got watery during this moment in Edward Scissorhands.

When we eventually learn how Edward was orphaned in the Inventor's castle, his flashbacks brought us right up to the day his creator gifted him with prosthetic, human hands. Edward's excitement was evident and the Inventor seemed more than overjoyed that his creation loved his gift, but everything is shattered when he collapses to the ground and dies. Not only does he die right in front of Edward, but Edward's scissors cut apart his brand new hands in the process.