The Sound of Music (1965)

[AgathaC]

I know it’s not “cool.” It’s not edgy. It’s cheesy. It’s ripe for parody. But I don’t give a damn. After at least 50 viewings, you could plop me down in front of it and I would watch start to finish and be perfectly happy.

I spent a significant portion of my childhood worshipping at the altar of Julie Andrews, so it’s no surprise this is a favorite. As a child, I loved the songs and the puppets and funny parts. As an adult, I can appreciate the scenery, the orchestrations and the performances. And the romance. Six-year-old Agatha definitely didn’t “get” the Laendler scene.

In college, my choir did a tour of Central Europe, including Salzburg. We kept it together so as not to seem like total nerds, but you get a groups of choir kids in Salzburg and, yeah, we were quietly geeking out.

Anyway, I realized it’s turning 60 next year and thought surely there are others who have warm memories of this one.

[Spartan Girl]

Julie Andrews is the GOAT. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

My feelings toward The Sound of Music are the same I have about 1942's Random Harvest:

Let the haters sneer. I love this movie and think it's wonderful.

One is free to mock this movie until they're blue in the lips, but The Sound of Music was made with absolute love. The setting, the sets, the iconic shots, the visual storytelling, the acting, the songs, everything comes together gorgeously. Robert Wise has some mediocrities on his resume, but when he was good, he was incredible. 

Julie Andrews is enchanting, of course, but I confess I mostly watch for Christopher Plummer (RIP). He was so ding-dang dashing and handsome, and who could forget this scene?

 

[AgathaC]

Aww, @Wiendish Fitch, I love Random Harvest, too!

As a teen, I finally learned to “appreciate” Christopher Plummer. Oh my.

You’re right — everything just fits. One thing I appreciate is how everyone involved worked to take the “treacle” out of it. A documentary I saw addressed that directly — for the creative team and actors that was one of their priorities and I think they succeeded. Having seen the stage version, yeah, it could have been bad.

One thing that is interesting is how in some ways, they downplay the political element. It’s still a major part of the story, of course, but, as I recall, in the stage show, the main reason the Captain and the Baroness break up is their political differences. (He’s extremely anti-Nazi and she’s more just do what you have to to get along.) I prefer the movie, which plays up the Captain’s feelings for Maria as the motivator and not a political disagreement.

And I love that the children became a real family and are still close decades later.

When I watched it earlier today, I was reminded of a tiny moment I love. They’re singing “Do-Re-Mi” at the festival, Nazis all around. In a closeup on Julie Andrews, she sets her jaw in a way where you can just see her thinking “Bring it on, MFs.” Love it.

[Spartan Girl]

34 minutes ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Julie Andrews is enchanting, of course, but I confess I mostly watch for Christopher Plummer (RIP). He was so ding-dang dashing and handsome, and who could forget this scene?

 

I’m ashamed I didn’t bring that up first! 

[andromeda331]

I don't like musicals so I didn't watch the Sound of Music until I was an adult. I was very surprised that I loved it. The family, the fun, the nuns, the romance, and of course Julie Andrews. 

[Browncoat]

I love this movie so much.  My mother loved it, too -- we played an instrumental version of the title song at her memorial service.  My grandmother also loved it -- her favorite scene was near the end, when the nuns hold out the engine parts to the Reverend Mother.

[tearknee]

Of the whole cast just Andrews and five of the kids plus Rolfe are left (Dan was younger than Charmian in RL).

Heather Menzies and Pamelyn Ferdin decided to insult Anissa Jones in a 2016 thread on FB that they contributed to. I never liked Menzies, anyway. Although Karath remains my least favorite.

[overtherainbow]

It's my comfort movie too. I used to watch it and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang multiples times every year. Never could get into Mary Poppins for some reason, though. 

I was obsessed with Christopher Plummer as the Baron. The My Favorite Things scene remains my favorite. 

[Macbeth1966]

I love this musical so much.  I staged a play with my best friend when I was 6 years old.  Staging the play meant we took turns singing the different songs.  It was great.  I have very fond memories of the musical and I will always love Julie Andrews.  

[Shannon L.]

It was on once a year for the longest time and I never missed it.  I just love the songs.

I grew up in Vermont about an hour away from where the family settled.  It's beautiful area. They opened the Trapp Family Lodge there and, of course, the gift shop had music boxes that played Edelweiss, even though the song was actually made for the movie--it's not an old Austrian song.  

[Fool to cry]

 

 

[Browncoat]

7 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

grew up in Vermont about an hour away from where the family settled.  It's beautiful area. They opened the Trapp Family Lodge there

I stayed at the Trapp Family Lodge a few years ago.  One of the nights I was there, they showed the movie with a prologue from the real Maria.  It was quite lovely.

[MissAlmond]

On 12/1/2024 at 3:25 AM, tearknee said:

Heather Menzies and Pamelyn Ferdin decided to insult Anissa Jones in a 2016 thread on FB that they contributed to

Why on earth was Heather Menzies and Pamelyn Ferdin still salty about the long-gone from this world Anissa Jones in 2016?

[tearknee]

4 minutes ago, MissAlmond said:

Why on earth was Heather Menzies and Pamelyn Ferdin still salty about the long-gone from this world Anissa Jones in 2016?

Someone asked Pamelyn about her thoughts on AJ (as they were only a year apart) and it went from there.

[MissAlmond]

34 minutes ago, tearknee said:

Someone asked Pamelyn about her thoughts on AJ (as they were only a year apart) and it went from there.

Strange. Considering Jones died at age 18, any interaction Heather and Pamelyn most likely had with AJ was during their child acting days. Then again, I read Pamelyn Ferdin openly accused parents whose daughter was killed by a coyote actually murdered her. So maybe I shouldn't be surprised. 

[tearknee]

59 minutes ago, MissAlmond said:

Strange. Considering Jones died at age 18, any interaction Heather and Pamelyn most likely had with AJ was during their child acting days. Then again, I read Pamelyn Ferdin openly accused parents whose daughter was killed by a coyote actually murdered her. So maybe I shouldn't be surprised. 

Both Heather and Pamelyn were.... lights are on but nobody's home as you write.

[hypnotoad]

I actually had never seen this movie until a few years ago i caught it on the big screen during a flashback cinema showing. I enjoyed it and was shocked at how many of the songs I knew!

 

 

Edited December 3 by hypnotoad

[Irlandesa]

I thought this movie was so boring as a kid for some reason and I usually loved musicals.

Then I went to Salzburg, Austria when I was in college and we decided to take a Sound of Music tour which visited some of the external filming locations for the movie.  The night before the tour, we decided to watch the movie to refresh our memories so we'd remember some of the locations.  I ended up appreciating this movie so much more as an adult that it became a favorite of mine.  The love story was so good.  Plummer was so handsome and he and Julie had such terrific chemistry. 

I still get a little bored with the Nazi/Liesel parts of it but love everything else.

[andromeda331]

5 hours ago, hypnotoad said:

I actually had never seen this movie until a few years ago i caught it on the big screen during a flashback cinema showing. I enjoyed it and was shocked at how many of the songs I knew!

 

 

That was funny. 

[Dr.OO7]

Every year I look forward to the Sunday before Christmas,  when ABC airs it. (12/15 this year). It's amazing how watching a movie that has nothing to do with Christmas has become my favorite holiday tradition. 

[AgathaC]

16 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I thought this movie was so boring as a kid for some reason and I usually loved musicals.

Then I went to Salzburg, Austria when I was in college and we decided to take a Sound of Music tour which visited some of the external filming locations for the movie.  The night before the tour, we decided to watch the movie to refresh our memories so we'd remember some of the locations.  I ended up appreciating this movie so much more as an adult that it became a favorite of mine.  The love story was so good.  Plummer was so handsome and he and Julie had such terrific chemistry. 

I still get a little bored with the Nazi/Liesel parts of it but love everything else.

I never really cared much for the Liesl story and occasionally even skip Sixteen Going on Seventeen. Even as a hormonal teenager, I just got annoyed with her and her Hitler Youth poster boy.

[tearknee]

Being 21 and in love does that to her, though.

[Sarah 103]

12 hours ago, Dr.OO7 said:

Every year I look forward to the Sunday before Christmas,  when ABC airs it. (12/15 this year). It's amazing how watching a movie that has nothing to do with Christmas has become my favorite holiday tradition. 

Different pop versions of "My Favorite Things" get airtime during Christmas season, so there must be something I'm missing. I don't see it as a Christmas song, but clearly the radio stations do. My explanation for ABC airing it is that it's a classic family movie with multigenerational appeal. 

 

[Dr.OO7]

7 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

My explanation for ABC airing it is that it's a classic family movie with multigenerational appeal

It's the same reason they air The Wizard Of Oz.

[dewelar]

9 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

Different pop versions of "My Favorite Things" get airtime during Christmas season, so there must be something I'm missing. I don't see it as a Christmas song, but clearly the radio stations do.

This annoys me every year. Just because it happens to mention packages and mittens, I guess. Seriously, any song that even mentions Christmas (e.g., "River") or, hell, anything to do with winter ("Let It Snow", "Winter Wonderland", "Baby, It's Cold Outside", etc.) is automatically a Christmas song.

[Raja]

14 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

Different pop versions of "My Favorite Things" get airtime during Christmas season, so there must be something I'm missing. I don't see it as a Christmas song, but clearly the radio stations do. My explanation for ABC airing it is that it's a classic family movie with multigenerational appeal. 

 

There are some lyrics which pointing to the European northern hemisphere's wintertime thus the seasonal scenes maybe specifically "Doorbells and sleigh bells".

[EtheltoTillie]

I love The Sound of Music -- and Random Harvest. 

[Fool to cry]

I like Random Harvest too.

Screenwriter Ernest Lehmann's most brilliant change in adapting the stage musical was changing "My Favorite Things" being sung by Reverend Mother and Maria early in the story to Maria singing it to the kids during the thunderstorm instead of "The Lonely Goatherd".

Edited December 4 by Fool to cry

[AgathaC]

1 hour ago, Fool to cry said:

I like Random Harvest too.

Screenwriter Ernest Lehmann's most brilliant change in adapting the stage musical was changing "My Favorite Things" being sung by Reverend Mother and Maria early in the story to Maria singing it to the kids during the thunderstorm instead of "The Lonely Goatherd".

Yes, that was a great move — makes way more sense, I think.

[Fool to cry]

 

 

[Ohiopirate02]

On 12/9/2024 at 12:21 PM, Fool to cry said:

 

 

That's a tad bit saltier than my favorite bit of TSoM parody--

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-regret-to-inform-you-that-my-wedding-to-captain-von-trapp-has-been-canceled

 

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Have the experts ever come  to the conclusion whether TSOM is a Christmas movie? There was some talk on a Hallmark Christmas movie about this and the topic came up whether Die Hard is also considered a Christmas movie??

Edited December 13 by One4Sorrow2TooBad

[Raja]

18 minutes ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

Have the experts every coming to the conclusion whether TSOM is a Christmas movie? There was some talk on a Hallmark Christmas movie about this and the topic came up whether Die Hard is also considered a Christmas movie??

Experts? Marketing and networks that own the broadcast rights save it for the Christmas season. My Favorite Things in many music genres turns up on Christmas music playlist, during the rest of the year perhaps only John Coltrane's jazz classic is played.

Now Die Hard and Lethal Weapon having the Christmas season as a backdrop still saw those movies play year round when syndication was still big.

[Bookworm 1979]

When I was a kid, they used to show The Sound of Music every Easter (I'm in Canada if that makes a difference).

[Raja]

18 minutes ago, Bookworm 1979 said:

When I was a kid, they used to show The Sound of Music every Easter (I'm in Canada if that makes a difference).

We get The 10 Commandments during the western Christian Holy Week. Some years ABC had it over two nights 

[Bookworm 1979]

43 minutes ago, Raja said:

We get The 10 Commandments during the western Christian Holy Week. Some years ABC had it over two nights 

We used to get that one, too.

[KWalkerInc]

7 hours ago, Bookworm 1979 said:

When I was a kid, they used to show The Sound of Music every Easter (I'm in Canada if that makes a difference).

I remember that the first time I saw The Sound of Music was during Spring Break in 1985 (a Friday?) when a play date with a friend had to be cancelled because I was sick in bed.  (At least I got to see a good movie.)  I think it might have been on NBC back then, though I'm not sure.

ETA:  NBC aired the movie from 1979 to 1999, according to Wikipedia (and edited it heavily to fit a shorter timeslot).

Edited December 13 by KWalkerInc
Added note about NBC.

[Dimity]

I've always liked this movie but for some reason or another hadn't seen it in years.  It's on right now and I'm watching it and absolutely loving it.  As a child and teen I focused way  more on the children and Liesl but watching now I am enjoying Max and the Baroness. 

She's an interesting character.  Easy to dismiss her as the bad guy, and as a child I certainly did!, but watching now she is a much more sympathetic character.  Although, of course, I'm still glad Maria "won" 😀.

Edited December 16 by Dimity

[Sarah 103]

The Sound of Music is not a Christmas movie. The Sound of Music is a family movie; it appeals to multiple generations, so I understand why people might watch it at Christmas time, but it is not a Christmas movie. Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

[tearknee]

1 hour ago, Sarah 103 said:

The Sound of Music is not a Christmas movie. The Sound of Music is a family movie; it appeals to multiple generations, so I understand why people might watch it at Christmas time, but it is not a Christmas movie. Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

Liesl = McLane and Gruber = Rolf?

[Brn2bwild]

23 hours ago, Dimity said:

I've always liked this movie but for some reason or another hadn't seen it in years.  It's on right now and I'm watching it and absolutely loving it.  As a child and teen I focused way  more on the children and Liesl but watching now I am enjoying Max and the Baroness. 

She's an interesting character.  Easy to dismiss her as the bad guy, and as a child I certainly did!, but watching now she is a much more sympathetic character.  Although, of course, I'm still glad Maria "won" 😀.

This is a probably very unpopular opinion, but I feel like the Christopher Plummer version of Captain Von Trapp was better suited for the Baroness than Maria.  He seemed to like the witty reparte, and even during his "nicer" period after he married Maria, he still seemed to have a nasty undertone.  The only way they seemed truly matched was that she supported his political beliefs, whereas it's doubtful the Baroness did.  (Well that, and the actors had big chemistry.)

[Calvada]

I have a overwhelming fondness for this movie due to the fact that it was the first I ever saw at a movie theater.  I was 6 years old.  The tickets were a very unexpected gift from my great aunt for me and several of my siblings.  We brought our own popcorn, popped at home especially for the occasion, something that would result in being tossed from the place now.  (Aunt Mary brought her BIG purse to stow the bag of popcorn.)  I remember being enchanted by all of it - seeing a movie on a big screen, how amazing the tiered seats were (and wishing we had that at home, so my siblings didn't block the TV), all the singing, the humor that even a 6 year old could appreciate ("Reverend Mother, I have sinned"), the gorgeous Christopher Plummer, and the incandescent Julie Andrews.  It was a great introduction to movie-going.