The most effective cinematic happy endings often come at the tail end of a moving watch. While romantic comedies and family films may leave viewers yearning for a simpler world, the more dramatic offerings remind audiences that even the most trying moments in life can lead to joy and security.

From It's a Wonderful Life to Manchester by the Sea, an ending can alter the tone of the entire story. Whether it be a story of historical tragedy or a simple journey of heartbreak, the endings that remain in the mind years after they're done keep the complexity of life alive.

10 Titanic Offers Escapism To Make You Swoon and Sob

Remaining one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, it's safe to say that general audiences know the basic story of the Titanic and James Cameron's fictional lovebirds. The 1997 movie ingeniously splits its runtime down the middle. The first half gives audiences the swooning romance between a working-class scamp and a rebellious old money heiress. But the second half plays to Cameron's historical strengths: action and intense death-laden drama.

While the majority of the second half details the deaths of hundreds of people, the wealthy and working-class alike, its connection to the central romance makes it even more heartbreaking. The repeated separation and reunion of Jack and Rose tugs at the heartstrings, culminating in one of the movie's most iconic moments: Jack's frozen, watery demise. But, returning to its frame story, an old Rose tells rapt listeners that despite the death of her first love, she went on to live a full and adventuresome life. A stunning visual effect of the sunken ship returning to life brings the movie to a hopeful tear-jerker of a conclusion.

9 Marriage Story Pulls No Punches in Its Presentation of Divorce

Upon release, Marriage Story was highly praised for its open-hearted portrayal of a marriage in turmoil. Powerhouse performances by Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver anchor the movie to the deteriorating couple, their romantic history mutating before them. Writer/director Noah Baumbach includes hyper-specific details of the long-term relationship, crafting lengthy arguments that delve deep into the insecurities of both Charlie and his wife Nicole.

Marriage Story is loaded with uncomfortable scenes, from personal arguments to divorce court proceedings and loaded conversations with parents. But its finale offers a morsel of hope for Charlie and Nicole. After their divorce is finalized, a refreshingly calm scene shows Nicole offering Charlie another night with their son, something that wasn't agreed upon in the divorce. The small gesture of tying Charlie's shoe confirms that though their past is ugly, they can continue to care for each in small ways to ensure their son's safety and happiness.

8 The Apartment Reaches the Depths of Insecurity Before Its Immaculate Conclusion

Legendary filmmaker Billy Wilder is a master of balancing the heartbreaking with the heartwarming. The Apartment is the pinnacle of this balance, following a milquetoast bureaucrat played by Jack Lemmon who allows his bosses to use his apartment for extramarital affairs. Lemmon's character, C.C. Baxter is quietly in love with an elevator operator named Fran who, unbeknownst to him, is his boss's mistress.

Though The Apartment is filled with Wilder's signature wit and charm, it also deals very directly with themes of depression, loneliness, and even suicide. Reaching an emotional low toward the end of the movie, Fran attempts to take her own life and after recovering, tries to rekindle her affair with Baxter's boss, who does not plan to leave his wife. In a moving scene set on New Year's Eve, Fran makes the bold decision to leave the successful businessman to start her life with Baxter, running all the way to the titular apartment for a game of cards.

7 It’s a Wonderful Life Shows Its Protagonist His Own Precious Value

Another one of the most iconic movies in Hollywood history, It's a Wonderful Life also reaches some dark thematic places. George Bailey is the consummate dreamer, planning on seeing the world after he graduates from high school. But a series of tragedies keep him tied to the people of Bedford Falls, the site of his family business and the roots of his childhood.

The death of George's father, a bank run, and a loss of $8,000 leave him feeling lost, as if he had not truly lived a life worth living. Things seem to only become worse until an angel shows him what life in Bedford Falls would be like without George. This awakens George to the reality of his precious life, and the people that have made it special. But only through the darkest of times did he find that life's obstacles were indeed the beauty of life itself.

6 Carol Brings the Beauty and Pain of First Love To Vivid Life

Todd Haynes's now perennial Christmas classic follows aspiring photographer Therese Belivet as she falls in love with the eponymous married woman played by Cate Blanchett. With a structure inspired by Brief Encounter, Carol is bookended by the couple's supposed final dinner together. Flashbacks show their courtship, and their separation induced by a ruthless divorce proceeding. Though the romance itself is tender and richly textured, the repeated attempts to keep the couple apart tug at the heartstrings.

Its finale offers a kernel of hope though. Returning to the bookended dinner, Haynes shows the couple separating with intentions to stay apart. But after Therese tries to move on, she seeks out Carol once more, this time at with a new intention. In a moving final shot, Carol spots Therese and gives a slight smile, suggesting that things are only beginning for the pairing.

5 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Brings a Bloody Epic to a Loving Close

It's not hyperbolic to say that Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the definitive cinematic epic of the 21st century. His sweeping conclusion has the formidable challenge of concluding dozens of plotlines and miraculously does it with grace. The Return of the King is a movie about finding family and love in unlikely, often hazardous places. It details the destruction of evil, but must first show that evil in its many forms. Many are lost in the perilous journey to restore balance to Middle Earth.

By enduring the journey of the ring, Frodo and Sam find a deep level of companionship that cannot be overstated. Even upon their return to the Shire, they cannot gain back the lives they once led. They have been forever changed by the extraordinary journey they undertook. It's a heartbreaking conclusion, but also a heartening one. Despite their sure-to-be lifelong trauma, they will always have the memory of their new families.

4 Beginners Questions the Simplicity of Memory and Childhood

Beginners earned Christopher Plummer his first and only Academy Award, and it's not hard to see why. Plummer shines in a supporting role as Hal, a cancer-stricken septuagenarian widower who comes out as gay to his adult son Oliver, played by Ewan McGregor. Fragmented by Oliver's memories of his parents and the dissolution of a past romance, the movie deals directly with the cost of limiting one's own identity. As Hal attempts to start his new, proud life, Oliver tries to find peace and communication with a love of his own.

There are many sweet moments throughout Beginners, but there is no denying that its somber tone defines the movie. Any story that deals this much with regret will break a viewer's heart, as nearly everyone has something they'd like to do differently from their past. The ending of Beginners is an uplifting one, showing Oliver reuniting with his lover, Anna, both of them ready to begin their lives together. Even though Hal dies, the ending shows that life must go on, and with faith, it will go on well.

3 The Best Years of Our Lives Brings Hope to a War-Torn Friend Group

Released almost immediately after the end of World War II, The Best Years of Our Lives was a much-needed balm for a country fragmented by tragedy. Following a group of veterans as they acclimate to peacetime society back home, William Wyler's story shows that some wounds carry on an emotional weight years after they've healed. Each veteran offers a different side of postwar trauma, from Al's recurring PTSD symptoms to the loss of Homer's hands, necessitating his use of prosthetic hooks.

The adjustment period is naturally difficult, but the movie's ending is an emotional sendoff to the characters. The servicemen and their families gather at the wedding of Homer and his sweetheart, Wilma. It's a moment of unqualified love and joy, unspoiled by the fact that Homer no longer has his hands. He puts the ring on Wilma's finger with ease, assuring that while his life is different, he can remain active and move forward. As the ceremony concludes, serviceman Fred reunites with his love, Peggy, and they too agree to take on life in their new state.

2 Manchester by the Sea Offers a Fuller Life After Tragedy

Manchester by the Sea is a story about the relentlessness of grief. Following the death of his brother, Massachusetts native Lee Chandler struggles to adapt to the guardianship of his nephew, Patrick. As Lee and Patrick's relationship develops, writer/director Kenneth Lonergan offers looks back at Lee's traumatic past, defined by the tragic loss of his three children in a Manchester house fire.

The movie is also about being forced to reconsider the parts of life one would rather forget. Remaining in the town of Manchester until the burial of his brother, Lee must be reminded of his past and accept responsibility daily. But the ending, following the burial of Lee's brother, shows that he is ready to accept Patrick into his life and his home, making sure to get a Boston apartment with a room for his nephew.

1 Moonlight Is the Pinnacle of Emotional Connection on Screen

Segmented into three separate moments in its protagonist's life, Moonlight traces the development of Chiron, a young Miami native navigating a tense relationship with his mother, struggling to fit into school life, and growing to accept his love for another boy. Barry Jenkins's Oscar-winning movie deals with heavy topics like the crack cocaine epidemic, systemic racism, and homophobia.

The remarkable final segment shows Chiron, now an adult, living on his own. A tense call with his mother reveals her regret for not being more present as a mother. A visit to Miami brings Chiron to his childhood love's diner, where the two reconnect. Kevin's chef's special, a dish of arroz con pollo, acts as a signal of desire and care. The two talk further about their past and their feelings for each other, culminating in a final scene where Chiron rests his head on Kevin's shoulder. After nearly two hours of repression and pain, the finale is a tremendously moving balm.