A little boy’s tearful reaction to a classic children’s movie has melted hearts across the internet.
Allison Gress, 28, lives in Texas with her husband, Anthony, 29, and their two young children, including 2-year-old Braiden. Gress told Newsweek he “really enjoys watching movies.”
“I wanted to show him a movie I loved as a kid,” she said, and ended up choosing the equal-parts heartwarming and heartbreaking Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey.
The 1993 live-action adventure tells the story of three pets: dogs Chance and Shadow, and cat Sassy, who are separated from their family and make their way home through the wilderness, determined to get back to their child owners.
Toddler Braiden has two dogs of his own, Gress said, adding that she is “trying to teach him how to be gentle and loving with his pets, and thought showing him a movie about animals and how they have emotions and hurt as well, might help him to understand better.
“I had no idea he would react in the way he did,” Gress added.
One of the most memorable scenes in the Disney film is the moment all three animals reunite with their owners, and the terrible moment it appears that Shadow the old golden retriever may not have made it—and it was at this scene that Gress began recording her son, who had broken down in tears.
TikTok @allison_gress
In a video shared to her TikTok account @allison_gress on March 17, Braiden’s eyes are shining with tears as he puts his hands up to his mouth, letting out a sob.
“It’s OK; they’re back home,” Gress says to him, panning to the screen to show the joyful reunion between one dog and his human.
The tears keep coming—but as the cat appears to run into her owner’s arms, Braiden’s face lights up with a smile and he points to the TV—only to begin bawling again with the sheer emotion of it all.
Gress told Newsweek: “He cried a few times throughout the movie, but I kept reminding him that I wouldn’t make him watch a movie without happy ending.”
By the end, Braiden is caught between laughing and crying—and his ‘roller coaster of emotions’ reaction was all too relatable to the adults in the comments who remembered watching the film in their own childhood.
TikTok @allison_gress
“Shadow coming over the hill still breaks my heart at 36 years old,” one user posted, as another added: “This is how I react to the end of Homeward Bound as well.”
A third said they were “all crying with you little dude,” and as one comment read: “Homeward Bound traumatizing a whole new generation.”
One praised Braiden as an “empath,” as another wrote: “The best part is that he was REALLY paying attention!”
Empathy is a skill that children learn, rather than one passed down by genetics, according to a medically reviewed article in Psych Central. A toddler may begin showing empathy by 2 years old, such as giving a toy to a crying parent, as they know it is something that comforts them when they cry.
“I never expected the video to blow up the way that it did,” Gress told Newsweek. “Something in me decided to record his reaction to the end of the movie, mostly just to share with his dad while he was at work.”
The mom said Braiden “watched the entire movie intently” and told her afterward that he “really enjoyed” it—and she herself was overjoyed to see so many people online “connecting with him.”
“All the compliments make me feel wonderful as his mom,” Gress said, describing Braiden as a “sweet soul” who “always knows just how to comfort us when we’re upset.”
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