These films make you cry, says airline’s new tearjerker warning

Psychological researchers who want to study what makes people sad might do well to hop a Virgin Atlantic flight. The bold airline in the Richard Branson kingdom is launching an “emotional health warning” for films carried in-flight that it says might make passengers cry, according to a news release.

The warning flashes before the movie selected on the in-flight entertainment system. It warns passengers “of a sensitive disposition to cry, weep, sob, wail, howl, bawl, bleat or mewl. Please alert cabin crew if you need a tissue or shoulder to cry on.” The first two films to carry the warning are “Water for Elephants” and “Just Go With It!”

Virgin Atlantic also polled its Facebook friends on 10 top recent tearjerkers. Here are the results:

1. “Toy Story 3”

2. “The Blind Side”

3. “Eat, Pray, Love”

4. “My Sister’s Keeper”

5. “Seven Pounds”

6. “Brokeback Mountain”

7. “The Notebook”

8. “Gran Torino”

9. “Invictus”

10. “Billy Elliott”

Now back to those scientific researchers. Smithsonian magazine recently proclaimed the 1979 film “The Champ” -- particularly the final scene (attention, spoiler alert!) where boxer Jon Voight dies in front of young Ricky Schroder. (“Champ, wake up!” the boy says, sobbing) -- as the saddest movie in the world.

Why was this film singled out? The story says psych labs worldwide use this film to make people sad when they are conducting experiments. No word yet on whether Virgin Atlantic will start showing “The Champ.”