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Hello Starshine! Here's a meme that was super fun to fill out. Thirty scenes I've always loved since the moment I first saw them.
The template belongs to Sukoshi13

Row One
Because He Succeeded: Jaimie sees Jack in "Rise of the Guardians" -This was the best scene of the movie. Jack uses his ice magic to rekindle Jaimie’s belief in the Easter Bunny, inadvertently making it snow in his room. And Jaimie remembers an expression his mom used and believes in Jack as well. He becomes the first human to see and hear Jack, who is overjoyed to finally have a believer. The best part is that he wasn’t even trying to get a believer. He’s spent three hundred years basically as ghost, trying everything to get noticed. He might have even tried something like this before. Now, that he’s doing something for someone else (a rival no less) he gets what he’s wanted for so long. It’s just like in Disney’s "Hercules": You become a hero; a guardian, by putting others first.

Because He Shined as a Character: RJ takes the wagon of food in "Over The Hedge - In between the exaggerated humor and the zany Hammy moments, this movie has a lot of heartfelt scenes; the best one being this scene. RJ the racoon conned a group of foragers into gathering up human food so he can repay a debt to Vincent the bear; incurring the wrath of a neat-freak business woman and an overzealous exterminator. He feels rotten about doing this and to add insult to injury, Vincent praises him for abandoning them, saying it’s the mark of a true survivor. RJ watches the exterminators’ truck drive under the cliff they’re standing on, and you can see him thinking of a plan. Then, he takes the wagon of food, pushes it over the edge, and rides it down to the road where it stops the truck and knocks the exterminator out. He does this knowing that Vincent will come after him (which he does) and that the family will be mad (which they are, which the ironic exception of Vern) It shows how much he cares about them and how they filled the lonely space in his life.

Because Close Ones Reunited: The hospital scene in "Patriot's Day" - (I couldn't find an actual screenshot of that part, so I posted one of the movie posters) When I first heard of a movie based on the Boston Bombing, I was skeptical. But my mom pointed out that if the people of Boston were okay with it, then so was she. I’ve only seen it a few times, but I remember the subplots centered around people who were caught in the blast and separated; such as a father watching the race with his son, and a couple who entered the race together. Later, after the first bomber is killed and during Mark Wahlberg’s big speech, we see these people reuniting in the hospital. It’s a heartwarming moment and it reminds you that even though the bombing didn’t kill a lot of people, it hurt a lot of people. And the best way of going through that hurt is together.

Because Everyone was happy: The ending of "Gravity Falls: Take Back the Falls" - Bill is destroyed, Stan and Ford are friends again, and our main duo have embraced growing up. Not to mention, Soos is the new owner of the Mystery Shack. Everything is winding down from Weirdmageden and all the residents (human and monster alike) are embracing the inherent strangeness of their home and celebrating the twins who saved their lives. Even minor characters like Toby and former villains like Gideon are doing good. Happy endings all around! And not once does any of it feel forced or shoe-horned. These people have EARNED the great stuff in their lives, and it's high-time they started enjoying them.

Because it was Beautiful: The Opening to "Revolutionary Girl Utena" - I wasn’t officially allowed to watch anime until I was thirteen; but that didn’t stop me from sneaking a few peeks at the Funimation channel. I especially loved watching the Utena opening. I never got tired of it! Even at the tender age of eleven, I understood that this was about two women who fall in love. The show itself is pretty surreal, but that’s just part of the fun. I especially like the midway point in the song where they’re laying on the ground and their clothes transform as they sit up. SO COOL!

Because of the Admirable Subtext: The Climax of "Ed, Edd, & Eddy's Big Picture Show" - For those of you who aren't familiar with this show, it centers around three boys with the same name and very different personalities trying to scam the local kids out of candy money while avoiding the love-crazy Kanker sisters. Throughout the show, there have been mentions of Eddy's much-older brother, whom he adores and the other kids are scared of. In the movie, after a scam gone horribly wrong, assorted escapades lead the Eds, the Kankers, and all but one of the kids in front of Big Brothers' whale-shaped amusement park trailer home. (He's never given an actual name btw, Eddy just calls him Bro) Eddy knocks on the door, and his brother is revealed - voice and face - in all his grown-up hipster glory. He then proceeds to "play" with Eddy by holding him in the air by his lip, literally twisting his leg around like a wind-up toy, and throwing him against his trailer like a basketball. And when Edd (the most likable character) tries to tell him off, Bro pounds him into the ground like a nail using Eddy as a hammer. Uncool. The word 'abuse' is never used. It doesn't have to be. This is a big show-not-tell moment; the darkest moment in the series. And while the violence portrayed is pretty tame compared to stuff previously shown on the show, the mere fact that it's an adult meting out violence on a kid WHOM HE'S RELATED TO is the real gut punch. So much so that the other kids go from being angry at the Eds, to standing up for them.

Row Two

Because It Was Hilarious: Smollet and Mina''s argument in "Muppet Treasure Island" - There were lots of options for this one, because a lot of scenes and sketches make me laugh. So, I decided to go with a nostalgic piece. Just thinking of Muppet Treasure Island makes me smile. Especially this scene where Captain Smollet (played by Kermit) finds his long-lost fiancé Benjamina (played by Piggy) living as a queen on the title island. However, instead of a beautiful reunion, it's a catastrophe as Mina, just after laying eyes on him, smacks him into a gong. Then later she tears him a new one for leaving her at the alter on their wedding day, revealing that her attempted rebound with Captain Flint was what got her marooned on the island in the first place. What makes it extra funny is that a scene like this could easily be played for drama in a live-action movie or even a regular animated movie. But since these are puppets, and they over-act at everything, it’s just played for laughs. Which is exactly what they get.

Because It was Adorable: Capable comforts Nux in "Mad Max: Fury Road" - Okay so, Nux. For the first half of the movie, he’s technically on the bad guy’s side. But he himself is not shown as a bad person. In fact, he has some of the best lines of the whole thing. Then at the start of the second half, one of the escaped wives, Capable finds him crying on the back of the rig, overwrought by his constant ‘failures’ to Joe. She could easily push him over or call the others, but instead, she lays down next to him and comforts him as he talks about how he wanted to do something special with his half-life. It’s here we see how sick and vulnerable he really is. He drew smiley faces on his tumors and named them! And then Capable reaches out to touch him and you can just tell the is the closest he’s ever been to a girl! It’s such a tender scene and a fantastic moment for shippers!

Because he got what he Deserved: The judgement scene in "Deathshead Revisited" - This is my all-time favorite, favorite, FAVORITE Twilight Zone episode. A former Nazi captain travels from Argentina to the concentration camp he used to be in charge of to reminisce on his ‘glory days’. There he runs into a former victim who calls bullshit on his excuse of “Just following orders”, tells him he’s a monster and a sadist, and puts him on trial before a jury of ghosts. Then, when the captain tries to laugh it off as some dream, he suddenly remembers that he killed this particular prisoner before fleeing from the Americans. He is then rendered insane as he is made to experience all the pain he inflicted on people. It’s stuff like this that makes me glad I’m religious because even if a bad person isn’t punished in this life, they will be punished by the afterlife. Remember, God forgives all your sins; but that doesn’t mean they won’t make you sorry for them.

Because of how It Concluded a Plotline: Edison reveals his crush to Julia: I love movies like Valintines’ Day, Love Actually, and New Year’s Eve. Movies with elaborate storylines and ensemble casts who are all interconnected. This particular story line is about a grade-school boy who wants to give flowers to his secret crush. When he doesn’t get them at school, he gets the florist (who is friends with his teacher) to drive him to the restaurant with a special bouquet. There his crush turns out to BE his teacher. She takes his confession in stride and gently redirects him to a cute classmate (whose family happens to own the restaurant.) It is so wholesome and endearing and even sets off other plot conclusions.

Because The Writers Made A Bold Choice: Hiccup gets a pegleg in "How to Train your Dragon" - I don’t know if this happens in the books, and I don’t care. It is such an incredible statement to give an animated character (the Hero no less) a noticeable, permanent disability in the climax of the film. Not two minutes earlier, we saw his dad break down in tears over his son being alive and rescued by the very creature he thought was his enemy. And now, Hiccup and Toothless both have matching injuries on their left sides, symbolizing their brotherly bond. AND SAVOR THE IRONY! Hiccup, the runt who had no interest in getting battle scars, now has the biggest coolest scar of all!

Because I Could Relate: Abe's whole storyline in the season three finale of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" - Okay so Abe; he lost his job at Harvard, he had to move out of his nice apartment, and his wife is turning into Hello Dolly. Then, partway through season three, he writes a review for a friends’ play. And when a stranger accosts him on the street over the review, he comes home ecstatic, not because of the fight itself, but because someone RESPONDED to his piece. As a wannabee writer I can totally relate. Any critique, even a negative one, is welcome by somebody trying to make their mark. I hear about people getting death threats over posts and tweets, and I feel jealous of them! (Frankly anyone who threatens you over a supposed offense, deserves to be offended.) I sometimes post controversial stuff on Instagram, just to see how people will react! No random attacks yet but, fingers crossed!

Row Three

Because Their Dreams were Fulfilled: Nothing's Gonna Stop Us number from "Cat's Don't Dance" - I’ve got a soft spot for this one, since it’s something that literally my whole family loves to watch. In a world where humans coexist with anthropomorphic animals, Danny the cat travels to 1930s Hollywood to fulfill his dreams of stardom; only to learn that animal actors are marginalized into bit parts and minor roles. (a reference to the treatment of actors of color) He decides to rally his fellow beasts and put on a big show to get the human’s attention. When their first attempt is thwarted by spoiled child star Darla Dimple, (at least I think she’s a child) they later upstage the showing of her latest movie and wow the people with an elaborate song & dance number. This time, Darla’s attempts to mess with them only serve to make them more impressive. And they get roaring applause.

It's a hard fact that not everyone gets exactly want they want out of life. So, when they do, it’s a big cause for celebration.

Because Hard Work Paid Off: The Students Appear in "Changing Of The Guard" - This was a tricky one for me because even in the world of fiction, hard work doesn’t always pay off. So, I went with an example that’s a little unorthodox. When I first got into The Twilight Zone, I just expected it to be a horror show. But it’s much more than that; it's existential. Especially the episodes that aired around Christmas time. In Changing of the Guard, an English Professor, so old that he's outlived some of his students, is told that he’s being retired right before Winter Break. He then has a major crisis, going on about how he’s accomplished nothing with his life and wanders around the school courtyard planning to blow his brains out. Then, he sees the lights turn on in his classroom, and when he goes there, the ghosts of his former students appear and tell him about how he inspired them and encouraged them to give their lives for something greater. It’s incredibly touching and life-affirming and in my opinion wayyy better than It’s a Wonderful Life.

Because It Was A Great Viewing Experience: Come A Little Bit Closer scene in "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2" - Kinda morbid but still fun to watch. Yondu, Rocket and Groot wreak havoc on the mutineers who took over the ship and killed the rest of the crew. And they do it to the tune of one of Peter’s songs. It’s a catchy song too; all about a guy who dances with a banditos girlfriend and gets away. While the lyrics don’t exactly match up to the events onscreen, they provide beautiful background noise to the strait-up execution of Yondu’s former crewmates. And while I feel a little sorry for them for being killed in such a casual way; I still remember that they shot their friends into space, beat up Yondu, bullied Groot, and were about to attack the rest of the Guardians (who were dealing with their own problems). So, I just sit back, watch the flying red arrow, and enjoy the MARVELouls symphony of Death!

Because He Did a Good Deed: Piglet lets Owl have his house in "THE MANY ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH - Originally, I was going to show the scene in Cars where Lighting turns around to help the King. But then I remembered A Blustery Day and decided to go with something a bit more nostalgic. So, Owl’s treehouse gets knocked over in a windstorm, and Eeyore the donkey goes to find him a new home. Later, after the rainy day flood adventures, Eeyore interrupts Pooh’s Hero party to tell them he’s found a place: Piglets’ house. Due to the character’s bad spelling skills, Eeyore mistakenly believes that the sign says OWL instead of WILL. Piglet has every right to refuse Owl taking his home (which has been in his family for generations) but he instead tells everyone that Owl can have the place. And when he tearfully contemplates where he will live, Pooh happily invites him to move into his home. I’m surprised they never wrote that into any of the shows. It would’ve been so cool watching these two as roommates!

Oh well…

Because My Ship Sailed: Bones tells Booth she's pregnant in "The Change In the Game" - My ship and everyone on the shows’ ship. For the past six years, these two have been going back and forth over their mutual feelings for each other; neither one wanting to make the first move because it might jeopardize their friendship (and the show’s ratings). But, in the episode right before this they engage in ‘comfort sex’ after the untimely death of a beloved intern. The event is not brought up again until the very end of this episode (the season finale) where Bones tells Booth she is pregnant with his child (in a previous season, she asked him to be her sperm donor, ironic am I right?) and his reaction is just to break into a massive smile. No words are needed. In following seasons, they are an official couple and eventually get married and have a second child together. And while the later seasons have some annoying things like recurring villains and government conspiracies, their relationship never feels stale or stunted, at least not to me.

Because It Exceeded My Expectations: Friends on the Other Side number in "The Princess and the Frog" - When I first heard of this movie, I thought it would be like Chicken Little or Enchanted and just satirize the fairy tale. I still went with my siblings to see it in theaters, and I am so happy I did. It isn’t just based on The Frog Prince; it expands on it; acting as something of a spiritual sequel to the original story. Most surprising is that my favorite number is the villain’s song (I usually prefer love songs myself) Visiting royal Prince Naveen and his valet Lawrence come across Dr. Faciliar (aka the Shadow Man) who lures them into his voodoo emporium and uses all the power of Hollywood Voodoo (such as talking masks, dolls and his own shadow) to manipulate them into making deals with him. The title ‘friends’ are never named, but they’re implied to be spirits to whom he owes a massive debt. The song is so beautiful and scary that when it’s over, I wish it could be longer.

Row Four

Because it Had the Right Amount of Cheese: The Rumor Weed becomes a flower in "VeggieTales; LarryBoy and the Rumor Weed" - Aside from zany Bible retellings, VeggieTales does a good job of satirizing Batman. They even change Archibald’s name to Alfred (Which caused me so much confusion as a kid) Anyway, this was the first VT movie I ever watched and it’s still one of my all-time favorites. When a misunderstanding cause Junior Asparagus and Laura to think Alfred is a robot, they let it slip to a sentient weed who feeds off rumors and she spreads it to others, adding to it every time, getting bigger and stronger until she bursts out of the ground and wraps herself around a building. But then Dad Asparagus comes along and does some fact-checking that gets everybody to realize their mistake. And they all acknowledge that Mr. Alfred is in fact, “a nice man”. That in turn, causes flowers to bloom on the weeds’ body, culminating in her entire head blooming. It’s cooler than it sounds, trust me. As a kid, this really drove home how damaging gossip can be. Even now, I’m disgusted by things like gossip columns, tabloid articles and stereotypical gay men chatting at water coolers. Point One for Kid’s cartoons. Plus: I'm not entirely sure, but I think the plot of this video was inspired by the Biblical story of Susanna.

Because I Waited So Long For It: Zuko confronts the Fire Lord in "Day of Black Sun; Part 2" - The one thing I hate more than domestic abuse is when the victims constantly stand by their abuser. For the first two seasons of ATLA, that’s what Zuko does for his father. Then during the Black Sun Arc, he finally grows some sense and stands up to him. Not just standing, he holds him at sword-point and tells him off for being a terrible father, a terrible leader, and for rallying their nation into a pointless genocidal war. He then pledges his new allegiance to his Uncle Iroh and Aang. And when Ozai retaliates by shooting lightening at him, he uses his new bending technique to shoot it right back. He’s literally taking his treatment and throwing it back in his abusers’ face! That’s empowerment!

Because All Hope was Restored: The True Colors number in "TROLLS" - Pretty sure 50% of Trolls fans went to see it because of this scene in the trailers. It certainly influenced me. It’s rock-bottom for Princess Poppy; her love-interest betrayed her, her entire clan has been captured by Bergens, (who were totally named after the ventriloquist) and they’re minutes away from being eaten alive. They're all so heartbroken, that their bodies lose their color and turn grey. Then Branch, the village grouch who’s been grey since childhood, starts singing True Colors to Poppy, revealing (with the lyrics) that he himself is in love with her. This restores not just her color, but his and everyone else’s.

When I first heard of this movie, I thought it would be like Inside Out with a moral about non-conformity and how you can’t be happy all the time. But nope; totally different moral. This is all about smiling in the face of adversity, and how some people have a tougher time cheering up than others. It’s kind of like a fantasy version of Pollyanna.

Because It Boosted My Confidence: My Shot number in "Hamilton" - Another hard one to pick because there are so many scenes and lines that inspire me to DO MORE. So, I went with a more recent one. What can I say about Hamilton that hasn’t already been said? I wasn’t even interested when it first came out. But now, songs like My Shot and Wait For It fill me with inspiration and hope. The funny thing is, while the third song is the the longest and most popular song in the show, it’s not the peak moment. The entire play is filled with uplifting lyrics that make you dance, cry, and take your own shot at success. Even if you don’t make it, it’s worth a try.

Because It Improved the Story: Days in the Sun number in "Beauty and the Beast" Okay, so Disney remakes: major hit-or-miss am I right? And in my personal opinion, this is a big hit. Mostly because of the songs and scenes they added. And this is my favorite song of the whole movie because it expands on the Prince’s backstory. The song starts with a flashback of the Prince as a child singing to his mother on her deathbed. It then shifts over to Lumiere waltzing with Plumette the feather duster (another thing I love is how they make some of the characters black. The 1700s were a lot more diverse than people give them credit for). It then becomes a group song as all the servants reminisce on how much they miss being human and how they desperately hope to break the curse. Even Belle joins in for a mini solo. Fun Fact: In the original version of the number, it opens with the Prince’s mother singing to him when he’s sick. Both versions are great, but I like the cannon version just a bit more. The moms are not just dead in this movie. They are MISSED, they are REMEMBERED, their children bond by talking about them. That is truly beautiful.

Because of the Fan-Service: Lady Gaga- Bad Romance Music Video - For me, Fan-service means sexy stuff. And one of the sexiest things I’ve seen this music video; especially towards the end when she and her backup singers are dancing around in red lingerie. Paparazzi was also good, but the appeal was lessoned by the graphic depictions of murder. Something that adds to the mystique of the video: I once stumbled on an occult conspiracy website that points out little “signs” that symbolize Lady Gaga being initiated into the Illuminati. I don’t know if that makes her more or less sexy. But it makes her more fun to watch!

Row Five

Because It Was the Only Good Part: The Proud Mary Performance in "Miss Congeniality 2" I’ll spare you the big rant about why I don’t like the sequel and just talk about why I DO like this number. Sarah and her partner Sam are tracking down a kidnapper and at one point, they go undercover at a drag show. They dress like Tina Turner and sing Proud Mary in front of an audience, badly at first but better as Sam grows in confidence and as more performers join them onstage. It’s a fun little number in an otherwise lackluster movie sequel.

Because of the Lyrics: Nowhere Man in "Yellow Submarine" - Another hard one to pin down since I’ve already included some song numbers; do I decided to go with something a little more obscure. In this movie, the Beatles go on a magical journey in the title submarine to rescue Pepperland from the music-hating Blue Meanies. Partway through, the sub breaks down, and they end up literally in the middle of nowhere. There they meet a funny baboon-like creature who speaks in rhyme and introduces himself as “Jeremy Hillary Boove PhD”. He’s constantly manifesting tools and keeping himself busy with a series of hobbies. After he fixes their motor, they sing Nowhere Man; an actual Beatles song that temporally fills the void with color and flowers. At the end of the song, all that stuff vanishes and the Boove starts crying. So, Ringo (the unofficial main Beatle) invites him to come with them. Aww.

What I like about Yellow Submarine is that it showcases less popular Beatles songs with super relatable lyrics. This song especially. One verse goes: “Doesn’t have a point of view/ Knows not where he’s going too/ Isn’t he a bit like you, and me?”

Because Interations Were Gold: Sam and Frodo's talk at the end of "LORD of the Rings; The Two Towers" - When most people think of the Two Towers movie, they think of Sam’s big speech at the climax. That’s a great scene, but the scene I find most endearing is later on when Frodo and Sam continue their journey with Gollem. Sam contemplates whether people will write stories about them and happily gushes over his boss (and best friend) becoming a legendary hero. Frodo then points out that Sam would be a legend too, saying that without him he (Frodo) wouldn’t have gotten this far. Sam thinks he’s joking but Frodo tells him he’s serious, subtly thanking him for coming along and supporting him all this way. Such a beautiful bromance!

Because it represented my demographic well: The Beginning of "The Accountant" - Most (not all) depictions of Autistic people in the media portray us as high-maintenance, math-obsessed robots with no social skills and terrible senses of humor. Yes, I know that some people on the lower side of the spectrum are like that; but not all of us are. So, in the beginning of The Accountant, when young Christopher is assembling a puzzle (upside down) and starts to freak out when he can’t find the last piece, I was ready to get up and leave the room. Then, right in the middle of his melt down, a nonverbal girl picks up the last piece from the carpet and silently holds it out to him, instantly calming him down. This scene blew me away. It showed me right there that this wasn’t going to be another “special needs” movie. Later, we see that grown-up Christopher has become a kind-hearted badass, but it was this scene, right in the prologue that cemented my love for it. Yes world, we are just as capable of kindness and empathy as any neurotypical person. The way we see the world is NOT a burden. WE are not a burden. We do NOT need a cure. Excuse me a minute…

Because I Could Not Find Any Flaws: Made of Love number in "Jailbreak" - Favorite episode, favorite song, favorite character (who is also my favorite gemstone) and my favorite couple! There is NOTHING I would change about this episode. We just learned that Garnet is a fusion of two smaller gems, who are obvious lovers, and while Steven goes to get the others, she fights against Jasper; singing while she throws down. And notice the subtext; this episode came out the same year that gay marriage was legalized so this isn’t just a hero singing about how she’s going to beat the villain; this is the LGBTQ community singing about how they’re going to beat the homophobes! It’s a fight song and a love song rolled into one!

Because IT DID: Maleficent captures Philip in "Sleeping Beauty" - That’s right; I’m a bondage fan. Have been my whole life. It’s not even a guilty pleasure, I like them even more than love songs. Especially in animation, especially guys, especially if there’s a gag involved. If there’s a tie-up scene in a movie, it’s my favorite part of the movie. If there’s a tie-up scene in an episode of a show, it’s my favorite episode. Yes, I know non-consensual bondage is inherently BAD. But since the tied-up character usually gets untied five minutes later, it all good in the long run. I also enjoy break-down scenes, beat-down scenes, near-death scenes, and the occasional body horror scene.

Disney has a lot of great tie-up scenes in its’ movies; Aladdin, Peter Pan, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but is the most iconic. He’s defiantly glaring at her while she’s sizing him up like a piece of meat; giggling over how she gets to ruin Two kingdoms. And I’m just staring at the screen going “Hhhhggggggggggggggggg!”

To Be Honest: If Maleficent had kept the kidnapping scene (gag and all) I might have been interested in seeing it. MIGHT.

Note: I will not be filling out the Moments That Made Me Sad meme. I think the world has enough sad moments already.

Description
Hello Starshine! Here's a meme that was super fun to fill out. Thirty scenes I've always loved since the moment I first saw them.
The template belongs to Sukoshi13

Row One
Because He Succeeded: Jaimie sees Jack in "Rise of the Guardians" -This was the best scene of the movie. Jack uses his ice magic to rekindle Jaimie’s belief in the Easter Bunny, inadvertently making it snow in his room. And Jaimie remembers an expression his mom used and believes in Jack as well. He becomes the first human to see and hear Jack, who is overjoyed to finally have a believer. The best part is that he wasn’t even trying to get a believer. He’s spent three hundred years basically as ghost, trying everything to get noticed. He might have even tried something like this before. Now, that he’s doing something for someone else (a rival no less) he gets what he’s wanted for so long. It’s just like in Disney’s "Hercules": You become a hero; a guardian, by putting others first.

Because He Shined as a Character: RJ takes the wagon of food in "Over The Hedge - In between the exaggerated humor and the zany Hammy moments, this movie has a lot of heartfelt scenes; the best one being this scene. RJ the racoon conned a group of foragers into gathering up human food so he can repay a debt to Vincent the bear; incurring the wrath of a neat-freak business woman and an overzealous exterminator. He feels rotten about doing this and to add insult to injury, Vincent praises him for abandoning them, saying it’s the mark of a true survivor. RJ watches the exterminators’ truck drive under the cliff they’re standing on, and you can see him thinking of a plan. Then, he takes the wagon of food, pushes it over the edge, and rides it down to the road where it stops the truck and knocks the exterminator out. He does this knowing that Vincent will come after him (which he does) and that the family will be mad (which they are, which the ironic exception of Vern) It shows how much he cares about them and how they filled the lonely space in his life.

Because Close Ones Reunited: The hospital scene in "Patriot's Day" - (I couldn't find an actual screenshot of that part, so I posted one of the movie posters) When I first heard of a movie based on the Boston Bombing, I was skeptical. But my mom pointed out that if the people of Boston were okay with it, then so was she. I’ve only seen it a few times, but I remember the subplots centered around people who were caught in the blast and separated; such as a father watching the race with his son, and a couple who entered the race together. Later, after the first bomber is killed and during Mark Wahlberg’s big speech, we see these people reuniting in the hospital. It’s a heartwarming moment and it reminds you that even though the bombing didn’t kill a lot of people, it hurt a lot of people. And the best way of going through that hurt is together.

Because Everyone was happy: The ending of "Gravity Falls: Take Back the Falls" - Bill is destroyed, Stan and Ford are friends again, and our main duo have embraced growing up. Not to mention, Soos is the new owner of the Mystery Shack. Everything is winding down from Weirdmageden and all the residents (human and monster alike) are embracing the inherent strangeness of their home and celebrating the twins who saved their lives. Even minor characters like Toby and former villains like Gideon are doing good. Happy endings all around! And not once does any of it feel forced or shoe-horned. These people have EARNED the great stuff in their lives, and it's high-time they started enjoying them.

Because it was Beautiful: The Opening to "Revolutionary Girl Utena" - I wasn’t officially allowed to watch anime until I was thirteen; but that didn’t stop me from sneaking a few peeks at the Funimation channel. I especially loved watching the Utena opening. I never got tired of it! Even at the tender age of eleven, I understood that this was about two women who fall in love. The show itself is pretty surreal, but that’s just part of the fun. I especially like the midway point in the song where they’re laying on the ground and their clothes transform as they sit up. SO COOL!

Because of the Admirable Subtext: The Climax of "Ed, Edd, & Eddy's Big Picture Show" - For those of you who aren't familiar with this show, it centers around three boys with the same name and very different personalities trying to scam the local kids out of candy money while avoiding the love-crazy Kanker sisters. Throughout the show, there have been mentions of Eddy's much-older brother, whom he adores and the other kids are scared of. In the movie, after a scam gone horribly wrong, assorted escapades lead the Eds, the Kankers, and all but one of the kids in front of Big Brothers' whale-shaped amusement park trailer home. (He's never given an actual name btw, Eddy just calls him Bro) Eddy knocks on the door, and his brother is revealed - voice and face - in all his grown-up hipster glory. He then proceeds to "play" with Eddy by holding him in the air by his lip, literally twisting his leg around like a wind-up toy, and throwing him against his trailer like a basketball. And when Edd (the most likable character) tries to tell him off, Bro pounds him into the ground like a nail using Eddy as a hammer. Uncool. The word 'abuse' is never used. It doesn't have to be. This is a big show-not-tell moment; the darkest moment in the series. And while the violence portrayed is pretty tame compared to stuff previously shown on the show, the mere fact that it's an adult meting out violence on a kid WHOM HE'S RELATED TO is the real gut punch. So much so that the other kids go from being angry at the Eds, to standing up for them.

Row Two

Because It Was Hilarious: Smollet and Mina''s argument in "Muppet Treasure Island" - There were lots of options for this one, because a lot of scenes and sketches make me laugh. So, I decided to go with a nostalgic piece. Just thinking of Muppet Treasure Island makes me smile. Especially this scene where Captain Smollet (played by Kermit) finds his long-lost fiancé Benjamina (played by Piggy) living as a queen on the title island. However, instead of a beautiful reunion, it's a catastrophe as Mina, just after laying eyes on him, smacks him into a gong. Then later she tears him a new one for leaving her at the alter on their wedding day, revealing that her attempted rebound with Captain Flint was what got her marooned on the island in the first place. What makes it extra funny is that a scene like this could easily be played for drama in a live-action movie or even a regular animated movie. But since these are puppets, and they over-act at everything, it’s just played for laughs. Which is exactly what they get.

Because It was Adorable: Capable comforts Nux in "Mad Max: Fury Road" - Okay so, Nux. For the first half of the movie, he’s technically on the bad guy’s side. But he himself is not shown as a bad person. In fact, he has some of the best lines of the whole thing. Then at the start of the second half, one of the escaped wives, Capable finds him crying on the back of the rig, overwrought by his constant ‘failures’ to Joe. She could easily push him over or call the others, but instead, she lays down next to him and comforts him as he talks about how he wanted to do something special with his half-life. It’s here we see how sick and vulnerable he really is. He drew smiley faces on his tumors and named them! And then Capable reaches out to touch him and you can just tell the is the closest he’s ever been to a girl! It’s such a tender scene and a fantastic moment for shippers!

Because he got what he Deserved: The judgement scene in "Deathshead Revisited" - This is my all-time favorite, favorite, FAVORITE Twilight Zone episode. A former Nazi captain travels from Argentina to the concentration camp he used to be in charge of to reminisce on his ‘glory days’. There he runs into a former victim who calls bullshit on his excuse of “Just following orders”, tells him he’s a monster and a sadist, and puts him on trial before a jury of ghosts. Then, when the captain tries to laugh it off as some dream, he suddenly remembers that he killed this particular prisoner before fleeing from the Americans. He is then rendered insane as he is made to experience all the pain he inflicted on people. It’s stuff like this that makes me glad I’m religious because even if a bad person isn’t punished in this life, they will be punished by the afterlife. Remember, God forgives all your sins; but that doesn’t mean they won’t make you sorry for them.

Because of how It Concluded a Plotline: Edison reveals his crush to Julia: I love movies like Valintines’ Day, Love Actually, and New Year’s Eve. Movies with elaborate storylines and ensemble casts who are all interconnected. This particular story line is about a grade-school boy who wants to give flowers to his secret crush. When he doesn’t get them at school, he gets the florist (who is friends with his teacher) to drive him to the restaurant with a special bouquet. There his crush turns out to BE his teacher. She takes his confession in stride and gently redirects him to a cute classmate (whose family happens to own the restaurant.) It is so wholesome and endearing and even sets off other plot conclusions.

Because The Writers Made A Bold Choice: Hiccup gets a pegleg in "How to Train your Dragon" - I don’t know if this happens in the books, and I don’t care. It is such an incredible statement to give an animated character (the Hero no less) a noticeable, permanent disability in the climax of the film. Not two minutes earlier, we saw his dad break down in tears over his son being alive and rescued by the very creature he thought was his enemy. And now, Hiccup and Toothless both have matching injuries on their left sides, symbolizing their brotherly bond. AND SAVOR THE IRONY! Hiccup, the runt who had no interest in getting battle scars, now has the biggest coolest scar of all!

Because I Could Relate: Abe's whole storyline in the season three finale of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" - Okay so Abe; he lost his job at Harvard, he had to move out of his nice apartment, and his wife is turning into Hello Dolly. Then, partway through season three, he writes a review for a friends’ play. And when a stranger accosts him on the street over the review, he comes home ecstatic, not because of the fight itself, but because someone RESPONDED to his piece. As a wannabee writer I can totally relate. Any critique, even a negative one, is welcome by somebody trying to make their mark. I hear about people getting death threats over posts and tweets, and I feel jealous of them! (Frankly anyone who threatens you over a supposed offense, deserves to be offended.) I sometimes post controversial stuff on Instagram, just to see how people will react! No random attacks yet but, fingers crossed!

Row Three

Because Their Dreams were Fulfilled: Nothing's Gonna Stop Us number from "Cat's Don't Dance" - I’ve got a soft spot for this one, since it’s something that literally my whole family loves to watch. In a world where humans coexist with anthropomorphic animals, Danny the cat travels to 1930s Hollywood to fulfill his dreams of stardom; only to learn that animal actors are marginalized into bit parts and minor roles. (a reference to the treatment of actors of color) He decides to rally his fellow beasts and put on a big show to get the human’s attention. When their first attempt is thwarted by spoiled child star Darla Dimple, (at least I think she’s a child) they later upstage the showing of her latest movie and wow the people with an elaborate song & dance number. This time, Darla’s attempts to mess with them only serve to make them more impressive. And they get roaring applause.

It's a hard fact that not everyone gets exactly want they want out of life. So, when they do, it’s a big cause for celebration.

Because Hard Work Paid Off: The Students Appear in "Changing Of The Guard" - This was a tricky one for me because even in the world of fiction, hard work doesn’t always pay off. So, I went with an example that’s a little unorthodox. When I first got into The Twilight Zone, I just expected it to be a horror show. But it’s much more than that; it's existential. Especially the episodes that aired around Christmas time. In Changing of the Guard, an English Professor, so old that he's outlived some of his students, is told that he’s being retired right before Winter Break. He then has a major crisis, going on about how he’s accomplished nothing with his life and wanders around the school courtyard planning to blow his brains out. Then, he sees the lights turn on in his classroom, and when he goes there, the ghosts of his former students appear and tell him about how he inspired them and encouraged them to give their lives for something greater. It’s incredibly touching and life-affirming and in my opinion wayyy better than It’s a Wonderful Life.

Because It Was A Great Viewing Experience: Come A Little Bit Closer scene in "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2" - Kinda morbid but still fun to watch. Yondu, Rocket and Groot wreak havoc on the mutineers who took over the ship and killed the rest of the crew. And they do it to the tune of one of Peter’s songs. It’s a catchy song too; all about a guy who dances with a banditos girlfriend and gets away. While the lyrics don’t exactly match up to the events onscreen, they provide beautiful background noise to the strait-up execution of Yondu’s former crewmates. And while I feel a little sorry for them for being killed in such a casual way; I still remember that they shot their friends into space, beat up Yondu, bullied Groot, and were about to attack the rest of the Guardians (who were dealing with their own problems). So, I just sit back, watch the flying red arrow, and enjoy the MARVELouls symphony of Death!

Because He Did a Good Deed: Piglet lets Owl have his house in "THE MANY ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH - Originally, I was going to show the scene in Cars where Lighting turns around to help the King. But then I remembered A Blustery Day and decided to go with something a bit more nostalgic. So, Owl’s treehouse gets knocked over in a windstorm, and Eeyore the donkey goes to find him a new home. Later, after the rainy day flood adventures, Eeyore interrupts Pooh’s Hero party to tell them he’s found a place: Piglets’ house. Due to the character’s bad spelling skills, Eeyore mistakenly believes that the sign says OWL instead of WILL. Piglet has every right to refuse Owl taking his home (which has been in his family for generations) but he instead tells everyone that Owl can have the place. And when he tearfully contemplates where he will live, Pooh happily invites him to move into his home. I’m surprised they never wrote that into any of the shows. It would’ve been so cool watching these two as roommates!

Oh well…

Because My Ship Sailed: Bones tells Booth she's pregnant in "The Change In the Game" - My ship and everyone on the shows’ ship. For the past six years, these two have been going back and forth over their mutual feelings for each other; neither one wanting to make the first move because it might jeopardize their friendship (and the show’s ratings). But, in the episode right before this they engage in ‘comfort sex’ after the untimely death of a beloved intern. The event is not brought up again until the very end of this episode (the season finale) where Bones tells Booth she is pregnant with his child (in a previous season, she asked him to be her sperm donor, ironic am I right?) and his reaction is just to break into a massive smile. No words are needed. In following seasons, they are an official couple and eventually get married and have a second child together. And while the later seasons have some annoying things like recurring villains and government conspiracies, their relationship never feels stale or stunted, at least not to me.

Because It Exceeded My Expectations: Friends on the Other Side number in "The Princess and the Frog" - When I first heard of this movie, I thought it would be like Chicken Little or Enchanted and just satirize the fairy tale. I still went with my siblings to see it in theaters, and I am so happy I did. It isn’t just based on The Frog Prince; it expands on it; acting as something of a spiritual sequel to the original story. Most surprising is that my favorite number is the villain’s song (I usually prefer love songs myself) Visiting royal Prince Naveen and his valet Lawrence come across Dr. Faciliar (aka the Shadow Man) who lures them into his voodoo emporium and uses all the power of Hollywood Voodoo (such as talking masks, dolls and his own shadow) to manipulate them into making deals with him. The title ‘friends’ are never named, but they’re implied to be spirits to whom he owes a massive debt. The song is so beautiful and scary that when it’s over, I wish it could be longer.

Row Four

Because it Had the Right Amount of Cheese: The Rumor Weed becomes a flower in "VeggieTales; LarryBoy and the Rumor Weed" - Aside from zany Bible retellings, VeggieTales does a good job of satirizing Batman. They even change Archibald’s name to Alfred (Which caused me so much confusion as a kid) Anyway, this was the first VT movie I ever watched and it’s still one of my all-time favorites. When a misunderstanding cause Junior Asparagus and Laura to think Alfred is a robot, they let it slip to a sentient weed who feeds off rumors and she spreads it to others, adding to it every time, getting bigger and stronger until she bursts out of the ground and wraps herself around a building. But then Dad Asparagus comes along and does some fact-checking that gets everybody to realize their mistake. And they all acknowledge that Mr. Alfred is in fact, “a nice man”. That in turn, causes flowers to bloom on the weeds’ body, culminating in her entire head blooming. It’s cooler than it sounds, trust me. As a kid, this really drove home how damaging gossip can be. Even now, I’m disgusted by things like gossip columns, tabloid articles and stereotypical gay men chatting at water coolers. Point One for Kid’s cartoons. Plus: I'm not entirely sure, but I think the plot of this video was inspired by the Biblical story of Susanna.

Because I Waited So Long For It: Zuko confronts the Fire Lord in "Day of Black Sun; Part 2" - The one thing I hate more than domestic abuse is when the victims constantly stand by their abuser. For the first two seasons of ATLA, that’s what Zuko does for his father. Then during the Black Sun Arc, he finally grows some sense and stands up to him. Not just standing, he holds him at sword-point and tells him off for being a terrible father, a terrible leader, and for rallying their nation into a pointless genocidal war. He then pledges his new allegiance to his Uncle Iroh and Aang. And when Ozai retaliates by shooting lightening at him, he uses his new bending technique to shoot it right back. He’s literally taking his treatment and throwing it back in his abusers’ face! That’s empowerment!

Because All Hope was Restored: The True Colors number in "TROLLS" - Pretty sure 50% of Trolls fans went to see it because of this scene in the trailers. It certainly influenced me. It’s rock-bottom for Princess Poppy; her love-interest betrayed her, her entire clan has been captured by Bergens, (who were totally named after the ventriloquist) and they’re minutes away from being eaten alive. They're all so heartbroken, that their bodies lose their color and turn grey. Then Branch, the village grouch who’s been grey since childhood, starts singing True Colors to Poppy, revealing (with the lyrics) that he himself is in love with her. This restores not just her color, but his and everyone else’s.

When I first heard of this movie, I thought it would be like Inside Out with a moral about non-conformity and how you can’t be happy all the time. But nope; totally different moral. This is all about smiling in the face of adversity, and how some people have a tougher time cheering up than others. It’s kind of like a fantasy version of Pollyanna.

Because It Boosted My Confidence: My Shot number in "Hamilton" - Another hard one to pick because there are so many scenes and lines that inspire me to DO MORE. So, I went with a more recent one. What can I say about Hamilton that hasn’t already been said? I wasn’t even interested when it first came out. But now, songs like My Shot and Wait For It fill me with inspiration and hope. The funny thing is, while the third song is the the longest and most popular song in the show, it’s not the peak moment. The entire play is filled with uplifting lyrics that make you dance, cry, and take your own shot at success. Even if you don’t make it, it’s worth a try.

Because It Improved the Story: Days in the Sun number in "Beauty and the Beast" Okay, so Disney remakes: major hit-or-miss am I right? And in my personal opinion, this is a big hit. Mostly because of the songs and scenes they added. And this is my favorite song of the whole movie because it expands on the Prince’s backstory. The song starts with a flashback of the Prince as a child singing to his mother on her deathbed. It then shifts over to Lumiere waltzing with Plumette the feather duster (another thing I love is how they make some of the characters black. The 1700s were a lot more diverse than people give them credit for). It then becomes a group song as all the servants reminisce on how much they miss being human and how they desperately hope to break the curse. Even Belle joins in for a mini solo. Fun Fact: In the original version of the number, it opens with the Prince’s mother singing to him when he’s sick. Both versions are great, but I like the cannon version just a bit more. The moms are not just dead in this movie. They are MISSED, they are REMEMBERED, their children bond by talking about them. That is truly beautiful.

Because of the Fan-Service: Lady Gaga- Bad Romance Music Video - For me, Fan-service means sexy stuff. And one of the sexiest things I’ve seen this music video; especially towards the end when she and her backup singers are dancing around in red lingerie. Paparazzi was also good, but the appeal was lessoned by the graphic depictions of murder. Something that adds to the mystique of the video: I once stumbled on an occult conspiracy website that points out little “signs” that symbolize Lady Gaga being initiated into the Illuminati. I don’t know if that makes her more or less sexy. But it makes her more fun to watch!

Row Five

Because It Was the Only Good Part: The Proud Mary Performance in "Miss Congeniality 2" I’ll spare you the big rant about why I don’t like the sequel and just talk about why I DO like this number. Sarah and her partner Sam are tracking down a kidnapper and at one point, they go undercover at a drag show. They dress like Tina Turner and sing Proud Mary in front of an audience, badly at first but better as Sam grows in confidence and as more performers join them onstage. It’s a fun little number in an otherwise lackluster movie sequel.

Because of the Lyrics: Nowhere Man in "Yellow Submarine" - Another hard one to pin down since I’ve already included some song numbers; do I decided to go with something a little more obscure. In this movie, the Beatles go on a magical journey in the title submarine to rescue Pepperland from the music-hating Blue Meanies. Partway through, the sub breaks down, and they end up literally in the middle of nowhere. There they meet a funny baboon-like creature who speaks in rhyme and introduces himself as “Jeremy Hillary Boove PhD”. He’s constantly manifesting tools and keeping himself busy with a series of hobbies. After he fixes their motor, they sing Nowhere Man; an actual Beatles song that temporally fills the void with color and flowers. At the end of the song, all that stuff vanishes and the Boove starts crying. So, Ringo (the unofficial main Beatle) invites him to come with them. Aww.

What I like about Yellow Submarine is that it showcases less popular Beatles songs with super relatable lyrics. This song especially. One verse goes: “Doesn’t have a point of view/ Knows not where he’s going too/ Isn’t he a bit like you, and me?”

Because Interations Were Gold: Sam and Frodo's talk at the end of "LORD of the Rings; The Two Towers" - When most people think of the Two Towers movie, they think of Sam’s big speech at the climax. That’s a great scene, but the scene I find most endearing is later on when Frodo and Sam continue their journey with Gollem. Sam contemplates whether people will write stories about them and happily gushes over his boss (and best friend) becoming a legendary hero. Frodo then points out that Sam would be a legend too, saying that without him he (Frodo) wouldn’t have gotten this far. Sam thinks he’s joking but Frodo tells him he’s serious, subtly thanking him for coming along and supporting him all this way. Such a beautiful bromance!

Because it represented my demographic well: The Beginning of "The Accountant" - Most (not all) depictions of Autistic people in the media portray us as high-maintenance, math-obsessed robots with no social skills and terrible senses of humor. Yes, I know that some people on the lower side of the spectrum are like that; but not all of us are. So, in the beginning of The Accountant, when young Christopher is assembling a puzzle (upside down) and starts to freak out when he can’t find the last piece, I was ready to get up and leave the room. Then, right in the middle of his melt down, a nonverbal girl picks up the last piece from the carpet and silently holds it out to him, instantly calming him down. This scene blew me away. It showed me right there that this wasn’t going to be another “special needs” movie. Later, we see that grown-up Christopher has become a kind-hearted badass, but it was this scene, right in the prologue that cemented my love for it. Yes world, we are just as capable of kindness and empathy as any neurotypical person. The way we see the world is NOT a burden. WE are not a burden. We do NOT need a cure. Excuse me a minute…

Because I Could Not Find Any Flaws: Made of Love number in "Jailbreak" - Favorite episode, favorite song, favorite character (who is also my favorite gemstone) and my favorite couple! There is NOTHING I would change about this episode. We just learned that Garnet is a fusion of two smaller gems, who are obvious lovers, and while Steven goes to get the others, she fights against Jasper; singing while she throws down. And notice the subtext; this episode came out the same year that gay marriage was legalized so this isn’t just a hero singing about how she’s going to beat the villain; this is the LGBTQ community singing about how they’re going to beat the homophobes! It’s a fight song and a love song rolled into one!

Because IT DID: Maleficent captures Philip in "Sleeping Beauty" - That’s right; I’m a bondage fan. Have been my whole life. It’s not even a guilty pleasure, I like them even more than love songs. Especially in animation, especially guys, especially if there’s a gag involved. If there’s a tie-up scene in a movie, it’s my favorite part of the movie. If there’s a tie-up scene in an episode of a show, it’s my favorite episode. Yes, I know non-consensual bondage is inherently BAD. But since the tied-up character usually gets untied five minutes later, it all good in the long run. I also enjoy break-down scenes, beat-down scenes, near-death scenes, and the occasional body horror scene.

Disney has a lot of great tie-up scenes in its’ movies; Aladdin, Peter Pan, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but is the most iconic. He’s defiantly glaring at her while she’s sizing him up like a piece of meat; giggling over how she gets to ruin Two kingdoms. And I’m just staring at the screen going “Hhhhggggggggggggggggg!”

To Be Honest: If Maleficent had kept the kidnapping scene (gag and all) I might have been interested in seeing it. MIGHT.

Note: I will not be filling out the Moments That Made Me Sad meme. I think the world has enough sad moments already.