Crying is a signal of distress which brings people to you. It's what some scientists call an emotional exclamation mark. One explanation for why we cry in situations that are not just sadness, they're not just distress and not pain. When you look back at that moment when you burst into tears considering your future, did it feel like a catharsis of some kind? Angela Lansbury: I can't even exactly pinpoint except for that I did feel overcome.