Gotta agree with those who have already mentioned "Grave of the Fireflies" — I've only seen it once, more than a decade ago, and still can't shake it. Another big one for me was the final scene in "The Deer Hunter."

I second (or third) Mary Tyler Moore. While it doesn't have the arcs that are common today, the characters and the show do evolve. It starts off with all the focus on Mary's love and home life in the first couple of seasons before truly mining the comedy gold of WJM. She's a much more interesting character by the end…

SUPER-DUPER ANGEL AND BUFFY SPOILERS