Heartwarming / Casablanca

• When Rick convinces Ilsa to go with Victor at the end. While it's a level of awesome above Moment of Awesome, it's also the most heartwarming moment in Hollywood history.
  Rick: We'll always have Paris.
• When a young woman refugee in Casablanca asks Rick if Captain Renault's word can be trusted (Renault offered to help her and her husband out with the finances but only if she'd had one night stand with him). But she unintentionally goes on and on about her love for her husband, convincing Rick to step in and get his roulette croupier to rig the game for one win and enough money for the couple to buy their way to safety in America.
  • And when Rick's staff (made up of exiles and refugees like himself) find out, the Russian bartender even hugs and kisses him for his humane act.
  • When the young lady herself tries to thank him, all she can do is give him a hug, When Rick manages to dislodge himself from the hug he tells her:
    Rick: Just a lucky guy.
• While not as iconic as Rick's sacrifice mentioned above, Viktor gets a similar one just a few scenes earlier when he tells Rick to get Ilsa out of Casablanca and keep her safe, even at the cost of losing his own opportunity to leave. "Apparently you think of me only as the leader of a cause. Well, I'm also a human being. Yes, I love her that much."
• A torn and tormented Ilsa tells Rick; "I don't know what's right anymore. You have to do the thinking for both of us - for all of us." She is in other words putting her fate and Victor's in Rick's hands confident that he will do what is best for all three of them. She's right.
• Sam's refusal to leave Rick alone the night Ilsa walks into that gin joint, knowing that Rick is all busted up about it and shouldn't be left alone.
  • And when Rick sells the cafe to Ferarri, he makes it clear that Sam gets 25%. Ferarri knows that Sam originally got 10, but agrees to the raise because the piano player is Worth It. Rick also asserts that his usual workers, Carl, Sascha, and Emil stay, to which Ferarri assures that it wouldn't be Rick's without them. For all of his bluster about "Sticking his neck out for no one", Rick takes good care of his staff.
• The final line, with Rick and Louis walking off into the night to join the French Resistance. "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
  • To explain, Rick just showed immense sacrifice and love for Ilsa by having her leave with Laszlo for the sake of everyone. This encouraged Louis so much that, after Rick kills Major Strasser, Louis defended Rick and fooled the guards into thinking someone else did it. Rick was fully prepared to be arrested and die, but Louis saved him. Louis is the one who insist to follow Rick, which Rick fully appreciates.
• Some of these have been mentioned before, but the fact that all three leads are, in the end, willing to risk their personal happiness for the others. Ilsa wants to save Victor, but can't bear to kill Rick for the letters, and lets him choose what is best for her and Victor. Victor is willing to let Ilsa go with Rick, as long as she'll be safe. And Rick, of course, gets them both on the plane because they are needed by the Resistance, giving up on his chance to leave Casablanca as well as his love for Ilsa, even lying to Victor to make him believe that Ilsa has no feelings for himself. Even the sleazy and corrupt Renault is ennobled by seeing their actions, bailing Rick out in the end.

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