Movies can tell emotional stories that hit us pretty hard even though they're fictional. It turns out that even big strong guys like The Rock can be affected, even by movies they're actually in. We're not sure quite how often The Rock cries at movies, but apparently, he's never cried at one in quite the same way that he did at this week's Moana.
I have never cried consistently ... through a movie more than I have with this movie. Just to be clear, they're all manly tears though.
In speaking to Good Morning America it turns out that part of the reason that The Rock may have become so emotional over Moana may be because it was actually a somewhat personal story. Dwayne Johnson has a 15-year-old daughter himself and he clearly sees some similarities between her and the lead character in Disney's new animated musical. In addition, The Rock reveals that some of Maui's look was taken from his own father, the professional wrestler "High Chief" Peter Maivia.
It's understandable that The Rock would get a little emotional if he saw so much of his own life reflected on the screen. When we see ourselves reflected in pop culture in speaks to us on a deeper level. Disney has been telling some of the most well-known stories in all of cinema for decades, but this is the first time that the Polynesian culture has taken center stage. We're sure that a lot of people will make a personal connection to Moana in a way they simply haven't been able to with movies before.
I won't be condemning anybody who let's a few tears go during Moana. It is an absolutely emotional story and if it doesn't touch you at least a little bit it's possibly you might be short a soul. The tears don't have to be sad either. There are some moments of pure fun and joy that might be the thing that hits you someplace deep. No judgments. We're all friends here.
Watch the Rock talk about Moana. He even gets a bit emotional just talking about being emotional.
The Rock plays demigod Maui in Moana which opens up in theaters Wednesday just in time for the big Thanksgiving weekend. We're not going to tell you your business, but you may want to check it out. You can check out our review here to learn all the reasons why.
