Well, we're boned.

July 27, 2010 1:31 PM

I'm looking for a particular story/plot device used in Toy Story 3. Minor Toy Story 3 spoiler inside, with references to a few other non-recent films.

The Toy Story 3 scene where all the toys join hands and prepare for their inevitable destruction really got to me. However, I couldn't help but wonder if there were better or more powerful examples elsewhere in fiction.

I'm looking for instances of this specific situation - characters realize they are boned and see no way out so they just stick together in death/failure/etc. The eventual ending may be happy, sad, or ambiguous.

I'm not looking for:
-a "let's just go out there and do our best" type of situation (Varsity Blues is one example, I realize there are much better)
-a "well, we're outnumbered but we've got a mission here and we're going to do it with minimal resources" (Saving Private Ryan is a good example of this)

I'm interested in examples from movies, TV, literature, etc. Also realize that I'd rather not be spoiled, so I'd appreciate it if you don't tell me how it turns out.

posted by snapped to Media & Arts (34 answers total)

The spaceship crew in Deep Impact, the crappy 1998 disaster film.
posted by Behemoth at 1:37 PM on July 27, 2010

In Titanic, I believe there were characters who behaved this way -- the musicians playing on the deck, among others.
posted by cider at 1:41 PM on July 27, 2010

Best answer: The one that sprang immediately to mind is the end of the final episode of Blackadder Goes Forth, when the characters go 'over the top.'
posted by Put the kettle on at 1:41 PM on July 27, 2010 [4 favorites]

Best answer: I remember, as a kid, a scene from the TV miniseries Holocaust, where several Jews are lined up in front of a Nazi machine gun and just as they are about to be gunned down someone says "Everybody take hands!" and everyone holds hands just before being murdered. That scene really stuck with me and was probably the first time I thought about the possibility of facing my own death and going out as bravely as possible. I thought of it during that scene in TS3.

There's the scene in Deep Impact [SPOILER] where they realize the only way to destroy the comet is by a suicide mission ("at least we'll all get high schools named after us") and they all radio their goodbyes to Earth before they go.

As for non-fiction, the best example would probably be United flight 93, and since the movie was somewhat fictionalized that might be a valid answer to your question.
posted by bondcliff at 1:41 PM on July 27, 2010

The one that sprang immediately to mind is the end of the final episode of Blackadder Goes Forth, when the characters go 'over the top.'

Ditto the pre-crazy Mel Gibson movie Galipoli, where they all leave any valuable jewelry behind before they go over the top.
posted by bondcliff at 1:43 PM on July 27, 2010

Sunshine is the best example I can think of. It's a suspenseful sci-fi movie that kind of turns into a horror flick in the third act. It's also very good. :-)
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 1:43 PM on July 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

Best answer: The best version of this is the end of Blackadder Goes Forth.
Not sure it's what you're looking for...but it always makes me tear up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IglUmgYGxLM
posted by inturnaround at 1:44 PM on July 27, 2010

Also: Children of Men has a few moments of characters accepting their impending death, but also features it as a broader theme, where all of humanity is doomed... and knows it.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 1:49 PM on July 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

Best answer: The episode of the Simpsons where the entire town of Springfield holds hands and sings Que Sera Sera in the face of an impending meteor strike?
posted by bookwo3107 at 1:49 PM on July 27, 2010

Thelma & Louise.
posted by dust of the stars at 1:50 PM on July 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

You might try Butch Cassady and the Sundance Kid. Upon first glance, it might appear to fall under point 2 of "what you don't want", but it feels like shooting guns might be Butch and Sundance's way of holding hands.
posted by verdeyen at 1:51 PM on July 27, 2010 [2 favorites]

There was a scene like this in Red Dawn too where captured Americans held hands and sang the Star Spangled Banner as the bad guys opened fire with machine guns on them.
posted by fenriq at 1:53 PM on July 27, 2010 [2 favorites]

The season finale of the most recent season of Grey's Anatomy had an example of this (and maybe more than one example, depending on how liberal you want to be with your conditions). Although I don't normally watch that show, I thought the two part season finale was phenomenal. I don't want to spoil it, but if you're interested in specific details for the scene I'm talking about, let me know.
posted by andoatnp at 1:54 PM on July 27, 2010

Holocaust (the miniseries)
posted by ethnomethodologist at 1:56 PM on July 27, 2010

Thelma and Louise, ending of.
The older vampires in Near Dark do this as well, IIRC.
posted by Sticherbeast at 1:57 PM on July 27, 2010

There's a scene in Aliens where two the space marines opt to blow themselves up (along with several of the xenomorphs) when they realize that escape is impossible.
posted by jquinby at 2:13 PM on July 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

Aragorn and Theoden riding out from Helm's Deep to fight thousands of Uruk-Hai.
posted by Joe Beese at 2:22 PM on July 27, 2010

300 has a scene like this.
posted by oddman at 2:26 PM on July 27, 2010

cider is right. Titanic has an aged man and woman, who seem to be married, lying together on their bed in their stateroom and, I believe, holding hands, as the water rises into the ship. That particular scene gets me every time I see this movie. And I will admit I loved Titanic.
posted by bearwife at 2:49 PM on July 27, 2010 [1 favorite]

The best for me is the scene in The Onion Field when the two cops who've been kidnapped realise they are going to be shot. Both have their hands up and one reaches ever so slightly to touch fingers with the other (spoiler - one survives) Here is the clip. Honestly, I think it's wonderful
posted by A189Nut at 2:58 PM on July 27, 2010

This happens in the second book in the Hunger Games series.
posted by jschu at 3:03 PM on July 27, 2010

There are more examples at the always-fascinating TVTropes archive.
posted by jquinby at 3:06 PM on July 27, 2010

Aiee! Apparently the death tropes at TVTropes have unmarked spoilers, so tread lightly if you go poking around.
posted by jquinby at 3:12 PM on July 27, 2010

I'm not sure it is facing death with dignity? I read the scene is TS3 as more death in community with others. Unlike Capt Kirk, not dying alone.
posted by A189Nut at 3:12 PM on July 27, 2010

Hmm. Maybe you're right. Nothing there seems to fit a "we all go out together" sort of thing.
posted by jquinby at 3:24 PM on July 27, 2010

It's pretty much the whole point of "The Stand" by Stephen King, specifically when four characters take on a mission to go west to confront Flagg.
posted by saffry at 3:27 PM on July 27, 2010

Oh, and Vasquez and Gorman in Aliens. Short but intense scene here.
posted by saffry at 3:37 PM on July 27, 2010

There are two other scenes in Deep Impact - Elijah Wood's in-laws hand off the baby then hug as destruction swoops down on them; same with Tea Leoni (I think - the blonde reporter) and her father. Pretty much the only violent, not taken-stoically-with-loved-ones death is the astronomer with the car wreck. It's a tad annoying - some of these people struck me as way too content to die.
posted by SMPA at 3:53 PM on July 27, 2010

The Toy Story 3 scene reminded me of something at the time, but I couldn't put my finger on it - this question has brought it into focus: the volcanic ending of Journey to the Center of the Earth.
posted by Rash at 4:27 PM on July 27, 2010

I believe there were two people who jumped from the burning World Trade Center holding hands on 9/11. I'm assuming it was a true story, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
posted by mnb64 at 4:54 PM on July 27, 2010

Response by poster: The other one I thought of recently was the final scene for Sun & Jin on LOST. That scene was pretty emotional and awesome.

I think most of you are getting my drift, but I was leaning more toward the affectionate end of the spectrum and not necessarily the guns blazing end. United 93, according to popular belief, sounds like it was an ass-kicking way to go, as opposed to the WTC jumpers holding hands.

That being said, I will check most of these out, especially the Blackadder suggestion. Being from the states I am completely unfamiliar with the series, but now I've got to see it.
posted by snapped at 7:26 PM on July 27, 2010

In the Exodus part2 episode of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series, there is a scene where the ship is hopelessly outnumbered and damage and the commander says something like "then it's over". This was quickly followed by saying something like "it's been an honor". I remember it as a pretty touching moment.
posted by buttercup at 4:23 AM on July 28, 2010

Bruce Willis saying bye to his daughter, Liv Tyler, at the end of Armageddon. Gets me everytime!
posted by like_neon at 4:45 AM on July 28, 2010

At the end of Life is Beautiful. The father knows its over for him, but he also knows his son is watching from his hiding place.
posted by Nyarlathotep at 9:34 AM on July 28, 2010