I Was Not Ready Emotionally for Les Misérables

What I Thought Would Happen

• Maybe getting misty-eyed at good singing and storytelling. That's as much of a physical reaction emotional media can get from me.
• A newfound admiration for a musical I wasn't familiar with

What I Was Adequately Prepared For

• Les Thénardiers being awful
• The cheesiness of the romance between Cosette and Marius
• Fantine's fate
• Poor Éponine and everything about her
• Eddie Redmayne's freckles

What I Knew Would Happen, but Didn't Prepare For

• Fantine crying
• The kindness of the monseigneur
• Gavroche's death
• Good cinematography
• Intense battle scenes
• The ending sequence with Valjean's death
• Hugh Jackman singing

Things That Completely Caught Me Off-Guard

• Russell Crowe singing
• Eddie Redmayne singing
• The aftermath of the intense battle scenes
• Gavroche looking like an older version of a kid I babysit

What Actually Happened:

• Two full bouts of ugly sobbing
• A newfound fanaticism for a musical I wasn't familiar with