Two scenes that kill me every single time.

The two scenes that kill me every single time. Dear God. I’m already getting a little misty eyed just thinking about this movie.

Back in 1971, a made-for-TV movie called “Brian’s Song” hit the tubes for the first time. The true story walked us through Chicago Bears teammates Brian Piccolo (played by James Caan) and Gale Sayers (played by Billy Dee Williams), their friendship, and the struggle both endured during Brian’s bout with terminal cancer. Whew.

My sister Teresa watched the first airing by herself and, like 99.9% of everyone else that saw it, ended up in tears. My Dad and brother Doug, who happened to come down to the family room where Teresa had just finished watching “Brian’s Song”, playfully ribbed her for being “a cry baby” for sobbing at whatever she had just watched. Teresa, knowing that those two would have bawled as well, stormed out of the room telling them that they wouldn’t be able to last either. Naturally, both Dad and Doug accepted the challenge the next time it was shown and watched it alongside my sister. As the tale unfurled, Teresa took a sinister pride in handing both of these “ohh, I won’t cry” men Kleenex after Kleenex during her vindication.

I’ve seen “Brian’s Song” at least fifty times and I’ve never once been able to make it through without shedding tears, if not a gut-wrenching sob session. It’s that touching. One of the universal themes in life that has always reduced me to tears is when two people that should be together — be it star-crossed lovers or the best of friends — are torn apart of kept apart for reasons beyond their control. This is one of those stories. Cancer is the enemy here, taking Brian Piccolo away from his family, his dream of playing in the NFL, and most touchingly, his friendship with Gale Sayers.

Sayers, a superb running back from KU, is a very quiet, serious, and seemingly humorless man as compared to the outgoing, playful Piccolo. The two compete for the same position on the team with Sayers winning the coveted starting spot. Their coach, George Halas, decides to do something that no one had done at that time in the history of professional sports — he asked the two men to room together. What’s the big deal, you ask? Sayers is black, Piccolo is white, and this story takes place in 1964…very heated years in the American civil rights struggle for African-Americans.

As the story progresses, Sayers is brought out of his shell by the fun-loving Piccolo as their friendship develops. Sayers wins the Rookie of the Year award and yet is terrified to get up and give the acceptance speech. Piccolo writes him one and rehearses it with Sayers, only to watch Gale merely squeak out a “thank you” at the podium after a lengthy pause. This will not be the last time that Sayers is called upon to make a speech…and his subsequent speeches are what kill me.

In 1968, Sayers suffers a severe injury to his knee which takes him out of the Bears’ rotation and puts Piccolo in his place. Brian plays extremely well in Gale’s place but, being the competitor that he is, does not want people to say that he made that spot simply because Sayers had been injured — he wanted to earn it. So, Pic pushes Sayers through a lengthy and painful rehabilitation program to get him back to 100%. This only strengthens their friendship and bond.

By the following season, Sayers is back to 100% and resumes his position as runningback. Piccolo is moved to the starting fullback position, which allows both men to play side by side for the first time. Shortly thereafter, though, Brian begins to slow down and his play suffers. He is checked out by doctors and it is discovered that the cause of his deterioration is a cancerous tumor. The coaching staff calls Gale into their offices to explain to him what is wrong with Brian and then heads out to inform the rest of the team.

“No,” Gale stops them, “let me tell them.”

What follows is one of the most tear jerking moments I’ve ever seen in a movie. Gale, who has always been very timid and shy when it comes to speaking, is forced to deal with the realization that his best friend may soon die while informing the entire Bears team. Any male watching the movie at this point is going to cry, without fail. Don’t believe me, girls? Rent the movie and get your husband/boyfriend/whatever to watch it with you. They’ll shed tears, guaranteed. If they don’t? Check their pulse to make sure they are alive. If they do have a pulse, get rid of them because they are not human.

The scene in the movie that has always, ALWAYS brought me to my knees is when Gale Sayers is given another award and must give an acceptance speech. This time, he doesn’t have Brian to write his words. This time, Gale speaks from the heart. The “I love Brian Piccolo” line absolutely destroys me each and every time and ranks in my personal all-time gut-wrenching lines ever heard. I’m sobbing now just thinking about that speech. I love how this quiet, peaceful man finally finds his voice and uses it to pay homage to his dying friend, Brian, in front of the whole damn world.

Within a year, Brian Piccolo passes away…but his story, and his incredible friendship with Gale Sayers, lives on in this powerful movie. If you do not cry at this movie, you simply do not have a heart.