The survey reveals the extent to which watching a film at the cinema can exert huge power over our emotions.
The power of a good tearjerker shouldn’t be underestimated, with almost one in five of the UK admitting the last time they had a good cry was watching a tearjerker in the cinema. 5% even admit to crying more during a film that the breakup of their last relationship. ET going home was declared the biggest tearjearker movie moment, while Titanic’s ‘King of the World’ scene was named the most romantic.
On the subject of tearjerkers, psychologist Dr David Lewis offers some insight into the findings. He reveals: “An emotion-provoking movie offers an opportunity to display intense feelings in public without restraint or embarrassment. When it comes to tear jerking scenes, such as the moment ET goes home, the emotional benefits are great. The chance to weep openly and without social discomfort can prove profoundly cathartic. Emotional tears contain an array of beneficial substances such as Leu-enkephalin, a natural painkiller. As a result such tears reduce stress and make it easier to deal with other aspects of our lives.”
Watching romcoms appears to be a bonding exercise for many Brits; one in seven (14%) say they feel closer to their partner after watching a romcom, whilst 7% of men think these films give them a better chance in their love lives. A further 16% of men think that going to the cinema to watch a romcom is good for their relationship, compared to just one in ten (11%) of female correspondents.
Comedy helps relieve stress, say almost a third (32%), whilst one fifth (20%) say comedy films have helped them during difficult times in their lives. A further one in five (20%) even say they feel ‘funnier’ after watching a comedy. The benefits of comedy do not just end with relieving pressure, it also turns out that comedy provides us with a body workout and triggers feel good chemicals in our bodies. In the research, Monty Python’s Life of Brian won for funniest movie moment with the scene that asks, “what have the Romans ever done for us?”
Dr David Lewis explains: “The belly laughs produced by a film like Monty Python’s Life of Brian gives our whole body a great aerobic workout. Unrestrained laughter massages the digestive system, increases blood flow to brain and muscles, exercises the lungs and triggers the release of ‘feel good’ chemicals in the brain. One of these, dopamine, has been described as the ‘gas pedal of pleasure’ creating sensations of intense delight.”
Cinemagoers who have and who will watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens over the Christmas period will be taken on a journey of sensations. The Cin-sations Part 2 study reveals that nearly one in four (23%) of the UK say watching an action film is good for them. After viewing an action film in the cinema, one in ten – the equivalent of 5m adults – say that they work faster and better at work, whilst 13% of Brits claim that the cinema provides their adrenalin fix.
On the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Dr David Lewis tells: “To generate powerful emotions a movie must provide characters with whom audiences can emphasise and a story line so engrossing the audience becomes totally caught up in the story. Such immersion generates a mental state known as ‘flow’. Time passes unnoticed and nerve cells in your brain, known as mirror neurons, respond as if you were taking part of the action. For fans, the new Star Wars movie draws them deep into the fast paced story line by combining familiar faces from previous episodes with new excitements and challenges.”