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Not sure I can compete with Brian's Song or Gone With The Wind but one relationship that comes to mind is the quintessential buddy cop duo of Riggs and Murtaugh from the Lethal Weapon franchise. We get to watch them progress across four movies but it's the blending of their families that makes all the difference.

In the first film Riggs is a borderline suicidal broken man. Murtaugh wants nothing to do with him but comes to love him. In the second film Murtaugh and his family has essentially adopted him as one of their own. One of the most touching scenes is when Mrs. Murtaugh listens to Riggs describing his wife's death. In later films, Riggs (and his new wife) becomes a confidant to Murtaugh's children.

It's a character arc for an entire family that centers on their commitment to each other, and multiple times they risk their careers to protect THEIR family against all variety of threats.

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I was thinking and thinking on this...yes, Sam and Frodo are the obvious answer...BUT there are so many amazing friendships in film. The one that moves me the most is the unlikely friendship between Rhett Butler and Melanie Wilkes. She's the only one he treats with pure love and respect because of his utter admiration for her character and goodness, and she's also the only one who draws that pure, unselfish goodness out of him -- he saves her wedding ring, he saves her husband, and he saves her from Atlanta when it is burning. When Rhett breaks down, she's the only one who can save him from the abyss of insanity and depression. It is just...sigh...(looking for words)...I love the way they love each other.

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That picture reminded me of a Made for TV Movie (I believe they count under the rules.) Brian's Song, the true friendship of Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers which makes men cry.

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“…’cause I’m with you til the end of the line” Bucky Barnes and Captain America 🇺🇸

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I Love You, Man.

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Shannon wins this round. Hard to beat Rhett and Melanie. Congratulations, Shannon.

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The obvious answer is Sam & Frodo in LOTR. But I’d like to think of more.

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Natasha and Clint. Endgame.

The cliff scene shreds my heart every time I watch it.

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

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