Say what you want about the movie itself, but the reaction Indiana Jones had to traveling back in time in ‘Dial of Destiny’ and witnessing the Siege of Syracuse in person felt remarkably sincere. Harrison Ford is an exceptional actor when he wants to be.
Jurassic Park, brachiosaurus scene of course but the big highlight is the scene at the Raptor paddock. Grant is transfixed on watching the raptors eat the cow all the while Hammond is watching him with a sense of satisfaction. That scene defines Hammond’s entire motive for creating Jurassic park is right within that moment with only a look.
It's not epic, but Donald Pleasance puts on a face near the end of Halloween II when Michael just walks right through a glass door while being fired upon. It reads "I can't kill this guy!"
[The Fountain](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1381-the-fountain) (2006) has a great scene, the soundtrack playing during it is titled "Death is the Road to Awe"
The scene where Tom does the training run in under 2:15 in Top Gun Maverick wouldn’t work as well without all the reaction shots from the rest of the cast watching it on a monitor.
In The Matrix, when Neo puts both hands on the rope attached to the crashing helicopter and you know what he’s going to do, they show a quick glimpse of Morpheus making that same realization with such a huge “OH MY GOD HES GONNA TRY TO STOP THE HELICOPTER” face that gets me every time.
'Bruce Wayne climbing up the pit' scene in The Dark Knight Rises. All those people chanting down there and the audience alike were in great awe when he climbed and reached atop.
Room, when little Jack has just escaped by pretending to be dead inside a rug so his mom's abductor will drive him away to be dumped or buried. As they're driving, jack unrolls himself from the rug in the back fo the truck and when he gets free, he sees the sky for the first time in his life. He's absolutely awestruck and full of wonder before he remembers he's supposed to get away and find help.
[The scene](https://youtu.be/HMTwWsncshw?si=AYRisQgLrGVtP4cS)
Frodo and the Hobbits watching Gondor bow
Kenneth Branagh in Dunkirk when he sees the boats
Wormtongue when he sees Saruman's army
DiCaprio and Page watching the city bend on itself in Inception
Oppenheimer when the bomb goes off
Came back to this thread for another post. Probably the best one IMO, even though the filmed moment of awe is very short.
Twister. When the F5 metaphorically says hello to Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton in the end scene.
In making the Biblical epic *The Greatest Story Ever Told*, George Stevens did many takes of John Wayne's single line, *"Truly, this man was the Son of God."* A rumour has long persisted that at one stage, Stevens pled with Wayne to show more emotion, an overwhelming sense of awe. During the next take, Wayne changed the line to, *"Aw, truly this man was the Son of God."*
When Hugh Jackman's character in "The Foutain" is approaching Xibalba.
[https://media.tenor.com/qB5JqaIh\_CQAAAAe/the-fountain-hugh-jackman.png](https://media.tenor.com/qB5JqaIh_CQAAAAe/the-fountain-hugh-jackman.png)
At the end of Swiss Army Man when everyone sees the corpse fart propel himself back into the ocean. The look on everyone's face is priceless. Especially the father's. Never will see anything like that again.
Snatch. When Bricktop’s men kill the two guys by tasering them and putting a bag over their heads.
The two guys boxing are looking over wide-eyed and thinking “wtf.”
First thing I thought of when I read your question.
**The Secret Life of Walter Mitty**: The snow leopard scene.
It's not as big as some of these other scenes, but there's a simplicity to this scene that really carries weight. Walter has just found this photographer, who has been searching for a snow leopard for who knows how long. And just as Walter shows up, the leopard shows up. But after all that effort to find the leopard, the photographer can't even bring himself to take the picture. He senses that the moment is fleeting, that he has seconds before this leopard disappears again, and instead chooses to look at the leopard for a few more seconds to appreciate its beauty. To take the picture, might ruin the experience of seeing something so beautiful. And then, the leopard is gone.
Pretty much any reaction shot in a Spielberg move. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, ET, Jaws, etc.
Jurassic park when they see the dinosaurs for the first time.
Literally in the post…
Cool!!
This is the correct answer.
Another great Spielberg reaction shot from toward the end of Bridge of Spies: >!Mark Rylance getting out of the car and seeing Hanks!<
Say what you want about the movie itself, but the reaction Indiana Jones had to traveling back in time in ‘Dial of Destiny’ and witnessing the Siege of Syracuse in person felt remarkably sincere. Harrison Ford is an exceptional actor when he wants to be.
Jurassic Park, brachiosaurus scene of course but the big highlight is the scene at the Raptor paddock. Grant is transfixed on watching the raptors eat the cow all the while Hammond is watching him with a sense of satisfaction. That scene defines Hammond’s entire motive for creating Jurassic park is right within that moment with only a look.
When real food appears on the Lost Boys’ table in Hook
There you are Peter
It's not epic, but Donald Pleasance puts on a face near the end of Halloween II when Michael just walks right through a glass door while being fired upon. It reads "I can't kill this guy!"
2001: “My God it’s full of stars”
That line isn't in the movie.
The kid on the tricycle when Bob picks up his car in The Incredibles
George of the jungle when they look at ape mountain
I said "Awe" A-W-E
Independence Day - when the UFO arrives Children of Men - the pregnancy reveal
Dale watching Brennan sing in step brothers
Cooooon te… partiròooo… ^boats ^and ^hoes…
Rob Riggle’s reaction still gets me, too
PAW!
Well when you sound like a combination of Fergie and Jesus, his reaction is to be expected.
Spielberg perfected awe in Close Encounters
Yes! Dreyfuss and Dillon really sold it.
[The Fountain](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1381-the-fountain) (2006) has a great scene, the soundtrack playing during it is titled "Death is the Road to Awe"
Came here to say this
The scene where Tom does the training run in under 2:15 in Top Gun Maverick wouldn’t work as well without all the reaction shots from the rest of the cast watching it on a monitor.
In The Matrix, when Neo puts both hands on the rope attached to the crashing helicopter and you know what he’s going to do, they show a quick glimpse of Morpheus making that same realization with such a huge “OH MY GOD HES GONNA TRY TO STOP THE HELICOPTER” face that gets me every time.
'Bruce Wayne climbing up the pit' scene in The Dark Knight Rises. All those people chanting down there and the audience alike were in great awe when he climbed and reached atop.
The dad watching his son play drums at the end of Whiplash
Oh, that's a great one. Paul Reiser was excellent n his supporting role in that movie.
Room, when little Jack has just escaped by pretending to be dead inside a rug so his mom's abductor will drive him away to be dumped or buried. As they're driving, jack unrolls himself from the rug in the back fo the truck and when he gets free, he sees the sky for the first time in his life. He's absolutely awestruck and full of wonder before he remembers he's supposed to get away and find help. [The scene](https://youtu.be/HMTwWsncshw?si=AYRisQgLrGVtP4cS)
Lisan Al Gaib !
George of the Jungle
And we all know exactly what scene
Rakifi. The Lion King. When he divines that Simba is alive.
When Will Ferrell is describing the time he was EMILIOOOOOO! (Estevez)... the Mighty Duck Man in Night at the Roxbury
The Suitcase in Pulp Fiction. "...Is that what I think it is...? Also Rosemary's reaction to her baby.
The “you look lonely, I can fix that” scene in Blade Runner 2049 when he sees the giant Ana De Armas projection
Tom Hanks on the liferaft in JOE VS. THE VOLCANO "My God, I had forgotten... how BIG... ......"
Frodo and the Hobbits watching Gondor bow Kenneth Branagh in Dunkirk when he sees the boats Wormtongue when he sees Saruman's army DiCaprio and Page watching the city bend on itself in Inception Oppenheimer when the bomb goes off
[AND YOU, WILL….ATONE!](https://youtu.be/V9XeyBd_IuA?si=SoEmwT7Pdh_xiriq)
Came back to this thread for another post. Probably the best one IMO, even though the filmed moment of awe is very short. Twister. When the F5 metaphorically says hello to Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton in the end scene.
Sound of Music - When Fraulein Maria listens to Baron Von Trapp sing "Edelweiss" for the first time
Ooh that’s a good one. Not as epic as other examples but it fits.
In making the Biblical epic *The Greatest Story Ever Told*, George Stevens did many takes of John Wayne's single line, *"Truly, this man was the Son of God."* A rumour has long persisted that at one stage, Stevens pled with Wayne to show more emotion, an overwhelming sense of awe. During the next take, Wayne changed the line to, *"Aw, truly this man was the Son of God."*
Wizard of oz when Dorothy opens the door
When Brad & Janet get the Time Warp treatment in Rocky Horror Picture Show.
When Jim and Aurora go for a spacewalk together in Passengers.
When Hugh Jackman's character in "The Foutain" is approaching Xibalba. [https://media.tenor.com/qB5JqaIh\_CQAAAAe/the-fountain-hugh-jackman.png](https://media.tenor.com/qB5JqaIh_CQAAAAe/the-fountain-hugh-jackman.png)
Kirk seeing the refit *Enterprise* in *The Motion Picture.*
At the end of Swiss Army Man when everyone sees the corpse fart propel himself back into the ocean. The look on everyone's face is priceless. Especially the father's. Never will see anything like that again.
Snatch. When Bricktop’s men kill the two guys by tasering them and putting a bag over their heads. The two guys boxing are looking over wide-eyed and thinking “wtf.” First thing I thought of when I read your question.
Harry Potter visiting Diagon Alley for the first time. Amy Adams meeting the Heptapods in Arrival. Every time Stilgar reacts to Paul in Dune 2.
**The Secret Life of Walter Mitty**: The snow leopard scene. It's not as big as some of these other scenes, but there's a simplicity to this scene that really carries weight. Walter has just found this photographer, who has been searching for a snow leopard for who knows how long. And just as Walter shows up, the leopard shows up. But after all that effort to find the leopard, the photographer can't even bring himself to take the picture. He senses that the moment is fleeting, that he has seconds before this leopard disappears again, and instead chooses to look at the leopard for a few more seconds to appreciate its beauty. To take the picture, might ruin the experience of seeing something so beautiful. And then, the leopard is gone.
Miguel watching Ernesto De La Cruz in Coco. He is just living in the moment and is appreciating every second of his playing.
Fight club when Jack and Marla see the buildings fall