The Impossible, 2012

Who: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor
What: A British family is on holiday in Thailand when the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami hits the coastline. Mum Maria (Watts) and their eldest son are carried off one way by the tidal wave, while dad Henry (McGregor) and their two youngest sons are swept another. They try and survive without knowing if the others are dead or alive.
Weepy rating: Being based on the true story of one family caught in the tragedy makes this all the more gut-wrenching. The real life death toll is thought to be in excess of 230,000 people in 14 different countries.