What might you do in order to get your audience to cry

Show a character experience something that the audience has always wanted (true love, innocence, closeness with a parent), and then take that thing away.

Examples:

Have a baby be born and then kill one or both the parents

I have a softness for animals so they get me a lot.

Music or lack of plays a big

empathy is a big part.

Realism too, tears don't usually come out like a faucet.

Usually people go through shock first and or try and hold back tears/contain their emotion.

Higher cracking voices, stammering with words etc.