Breaking It Down: The Sound of Music
Last week The Sound of Music came on TV. I've seen the movie a couple of times, but hadn't seen it in a long time. So I decided to DVR it and watch it. Since nobody reads this blog anymore because of lack of posts, I'll make a confession. I like watching (some) musicals. This is coming from the black sheep of a family full of musicians. My mom would be so proud.
My favorite of all time is Fiddler on the Roof, but I like Oliver! and after viewing The Sound of Music it's a solid choice as well.
So here is my breakdown of The Sound of Music:
A Little Anecdote
Before I get started I've got to give you a background. When we watched the movie last week, Aubree sat and watched all four hours (we did fast-forward the commercials). She absolutely loved it. Her favorite parts are when people kiss and her favorite song is "Cuckoo". She has watched the show FOUR times this week. Because of that I watched the show three of those times. She has told me she wants me to call her Gretl. I tell her I will if she calls me Captain.
So this morning I'm reading in my chair when out of the corner of my eye I see Aubree and Sydney re-enacting the scene when the kids introduce themselves to Maria for the first time. Aubree takes a step forward and says, "I'm Leisl" and then takes a step back. Sydney takes a step forward and says, "I'm Boots" and then takes a step back. Poor Syd. She can't tell the difference between Dora the Explorer and The Sound of Music.
First Viewing
The first time I saw the show was in Soda Springs, Idaho in the movie theater. The movie originally came out in 1965, but for some reason they were showing it in Soda Springs in the late seventies. I was probably 8 or 9 at the time.
I can remember the scene when Maria leaves after the party at the von Trapp's. She walked out the door to go back to the abbey and the screen fades to black. I thought it was over. I was ready to go home. Alas there was still an hour and a half left. It was more than I was willing to handle.
I also remember freaking out at the end of the show when Rolfe yells "Leuitenant!" just when it seemed like they were going to escape without trouble. But those wonderful "sinning" nuns save the day. In fact when we were watching this scene I saw Aubree tensing up on the couch. Right after Rolfe gives them up, I hear Aubree say "hurry" as the Captain runs down to the car. I'm telling you she likes this movie.
Awards
Believe it or not, The Sound of Music was nominated for 1o Academy Awards. It won Best Picture of the Year as well as Best Director. Julie Andrews was nominated for Best Actress but didn't win. Peggy Wood (Mother Abbess) was nominated for Best Supporting Actress but didn't win either. How do you get nominated when you have about 10 minutes of screen time? It's all political.
Christopher Plummer (Captain von Trapp) wasn't nominated for anything. More on this later.
Fraulein Maria (Julie Andrews)
Admittedly Julie Andrews did a great job as Maria. Even if her haircut had some boyish qualities to it. The first 20 minutes of the movie are flat out boring. Who cares how much of a problem Maria is?
After the third viewing this week, I started asking myself questions. Why does she want to be a nun? Does she have any family? Did she get paid to be the governess? Maybe I should read the book.
But the part of the movie that bugs me most is her and the Captain getting married. I didn't buy it as a 9 year old and I still don't buy it. It just didn't seem to fit. The Captain is a high ranking Naval hero. She's a governess that is studying to be a nun. The Baroness and the Captain I could see, but Maria just didn't seem to be in the same league.
I know she's charming and she taught the kids to sing and all, but did you get a good look at the Baroness? And she was rich. I still can't get over it.
Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer)
In my mind Christopher Plummer made this movie. Not Julie Andrews. He did a great job of playing this totally believable military man who didn't know how to treat his kids. Plummer, unfortunately, was overlooked at awards season. But the more I watched it, the more I realized that I liked his character best.
After researching imdb.com it came to light that Plummer didn't really want to be in the movie. He never took to heart his role as von Trapp. Maybe that was evident in his personal behavior when award season rolled around, but I think he should be very proud of his work. I mean who else could knock "Edelweiss" out of the park like he did. Twice.
One last thing. The Captain was a military man. How did he become so wealthy? He had acres of land and a huge mansion with a gazebo in the back. I know some career military types and they aren't raking in the jack that von Trapp had. Was he on the take? Did Austria really take care of their military? And if their military is so great, why did they rollover for the Nazis? Just curious.
The Baroness Schraeder
Strictly brought in to be the villain. And she did a great job of it. Right down to the cigarette's she would smoke with the long metal filter. Classic villainry. In fact when she mentions "boarding school" for the kids after she marries the Captain your blood starts to boil. Admittedly it was fun to watch her character evolve from "Maria sure is a lovely servant" to "Oh, crap. She's going to steal my man."
You have to give her credit for realizing that she needed to get out. Captain von Trapp had to tell her on the balcony that he didn't think it was going to work, but she already knew. She just needed to hear it from him. Then she was observant enough to tell the Captain that "Somewhere out there is a lady who I think will never be a nun." Nice.
Leisl
Sixteen. Yeah, right. A little research reveals that the actress that played her was 22. Shocker. I will admit that one of my favorite scenes is when she joins her Dad when he's singing "Edelweiss" the first time. Cheesy? I know. But I liked it anyway.
Rolfe (Leisl's Lover)
The guy who played Rolfe looked like a young Kiefer Sutherland. But trust me on this, Jack Bauer would NEVER, EVER join the Nazis.
Friedrich
The dude was 6' 3" tall. There is no way he was 14. Once again research shows us that Friedrich later became Peter Parker in the Spiderman TV show in the late seventies. Amazing. (Get it. Amazing Spiderman.....nevermind)
Louisa
Probably the most disappointing of the von Trapp kids. It turns out the actress who played Louisa posed for a men's magazine later in her career. Something about "changing her image". Fraulein Maria would be rolling over in her grave (if she was dead).
Brigitta and Marta
We know absolutely nothing about them. Apparently Brigitta loves to read and Marta's main job was changing the scenery for the puppet show. If anyone else has any other insight I would love to hear it.
Kurt
Kurt gets lost in the shuffle as well. Probably best known for saying "Goooooooodbye" in the most effeminate way possible. I was relieved to hear that they had to use a dubbed in singer to hit the high note for that song since the actor who played Kurt couldn't sing that high.
Gretl
Gretl is a cutie. Her chubby cheeks need no dialogue. The only insight here is that on the final scene where the von Trapp's are climbing over the mountain they had to use a stunt double because Gretl had "got too big" over the course of the movie. I'm not sure what they mean by that other than maybe she just grew up, but sure enough after further review you never see her face in the final scene where Captain von Trapp has Gretl on his back hiking over the mountain.
Uncle Max
A great character that is true to himself. In the final scene where he says goodbye to the von Trapps he laments the fact that he could have made money on them as their manager. He didn't seem to care that they were risking their lives to escape the Nazis. What a guy.
Favorite Scenes and Songs
Easily my favorite scene is the puppet show with the song The Lonely Goatherd. Great song at a great time in the movie. The momentum starts to shift from the Baroness to Maria. I've been working on learning the lyrics so I can sing along. All I've gotten down so far is "Yodelay-hee-hoo".
I also like the scene when Maria and the Captain dance outside to the Austrian folk song. Admitting this will obviously destroy my reputation, but it's a nice little moment. Strike two against the Baroness. Just as a tangent, the Baroness is over matched. At one time she sarcastically says that she "should have brought my harmonica". Did she have any talent? Was she the epitome of a trophy wife?
Not-So-Favorite Scenes and Songs
I can't stand the Sixteen Going on Seventeen song. I can't stand the scene either. I would fast forward it if Aubree would let me. She loves this part especially when they kiss at the end. She loves kissing scenes in movies. I'm in big trouble when she gets older. I've been working on Sydney though. Every time she sees a kiss she'll say "yucky" to her Dad's delight.
The other song is Something Good which is sung when Maria and Captain share their love for each other. The song is dumb and there is no chemistry between the two. None.
Questions and Concerns
I do struggle a little that Maria can take a bunch of kids who have never sung and in the course of a month turns them into MoTab. And the kids magically have perfect pitch all along the way. Somehow Leisl learns how the play the guitar as she strums along as they sing The Sound of Music for the Baroness. Then all the sudden we learn that Captain von Trapp is not really a Naval officer, but has been moonlighting as singer. Really, if the Captain was that great of a singer wouldn't he want his kids to sing? The movie half-heartedly explains it away by saying that all music ceased in the house when Mrs. Captain passed away.
By the way, what's her back story? And if Leisl was 16 and Gretl was 5 then that means that Leisl was probably around 11 or so when her mother passed away. Yet she never mentions her. Don't you think that would have come up somewhere along the way? Did Leisl get singing lessons from her mother? Or guitar lessons? I guess I've watched this show too much in the past week. I need to go back to work.
One last item. Throughout the movie only two people call Captain von Trapp by his given name. Max and the Baroness. Max mentions it a couple of times, but the Baroness used it repeatedly. In fact I'm convinced that this was the straw that broke the camel's back.
You see Captain von Trapp's first name is Georg. Not George, but Georg. And it was pronounced "gay-org". I could see how the Captain was kind of getting tired of the Baroness by the end of the show.
Well there you have the breakdown. I honestly did like the movie. Aubree was begging to watch it again today, so I'm sure I'll be seeing it in the near future. If you haven't seen it in a while give it a try. It is a sound movie. (Get it. Sound....nevermind).
My favorite of all time is Fiddler on the Roof, but I like Oliver! and after viewing The Sound of Music it's a solid choice as well.
So here is my breakdown of The Sound of Music:
A Little Anecdote
Before I get started I've got to give you a background. When we watched the movie last week, Aubree sat and watched all four hours (we did fast-forward the commercials). She absolutely loved it. Her favorite parts are when people kiss and her favorite song is "Cuckoo". She has watched the show FOUR times this week. Because of that I watched the show three of those times. She has told me she wants me to call her Gretl. I tell her I will if she calls me Captain.
So this morning I'm reading in my chair when out of the corner of my eye I see Aubree and Sydney re-enacting the scene when the kids introduce themselves to Maria for the first time. Aubree takes a step forward and says, "I'm Leisl" and then takes a step back. Sydney takes a step forward and says, "I'm Boots" and then takes a step back. Poor Syd. She can't tell the difference between Dora the Explorer and The Sound of Music.
First Viewing
The first time I saw the show was in Soda Springs, Idaho in the movie theater. The movie originally came out in 1965, but for some reason they were showing it in Soda Springs in the late seventies. I was probably 8 or 9 at the time.
I can remember the scene when Maria leaves after the party at the von Trapp's. She walked out the door to go back to the abbey and the screen fades to black. I thought it was over. I was ready to go home. Alas there was still an hour and a half left. It was more than I was willing to handle.
I also remember freaking out at the end of the show when Rolfe yells "Leuitenant!" just when it seemed like they were going to escape without trouble. But those wonderful "sinning" nuns save the day. In fact when we were watching this scene I saw Aubree tensing up on the couch. Right after Rolfe gives them up, I hear Aubree say "hurry" as the Captain runs down to the car. I'm telling you she likes this movie.
Awards
Believe it or not, The Sound of Music was nominated for 1o Academy Awards. It won Best Picture of the Year as well as Best Director. Julie Andrews was nominated for Best Actress but didn't win. Peggy Wood (Mother Abbess) was nominated for Best Supporting Actress but didn't win either. How do you get nominated when you have about 10 minutes of screen time? It's all political.
Christopher Plummer (Captain von Trapp) wasn't nominated for anything. More on this later.
Fraulein Maria (Julie Andrews)
Admittedly Julie Andrews did a great job as Maria. Even if her haircut had some boyish qualities to it. The first 20 minutes of the movie are flat out boring. Who cares how much of a problem Maria is?
After the third viewing this week, I started asking myself questions. Why does she want to be a nun? Does she have any family? Did she get paid to be the governess? Maybe I should read the book.
But the part of the movie that bugs me most is her and the Captain getting married. I didn't buy it as a 9 year old and I still don't buy it. It just didn't seem to fit. The Captain is a high ranking Naval hero. She's a governess that is studying to be a nun. The Baroness and the Captain I could see, but Maria just didn't seem to be in the same league.
I know she's charming and she taught the kids to sing and all, but did you get a good look at the Baroness? And she was rich. I still can't get over it.
Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer)
In my mind Christopher Plummer made this movie. Not Julie Andrews. He did a great job of playing this totally believable military man who didn't know how to treat his kids. Plummer, unfortunately, was overlooked at awards season. But the more I watched it, the more I realized that I liked his character best.
After researching imdb.com it came to light that Plummer didn't really want to be in the movie. He never took to heart his role as von Trapp. Maybe that was evident in his personal behavior when award season rolled around, but I think he should be very proud of his work. I mean who else could knock "Edelweiss" out of the park like he did. Twice.
One last thing. The Captain was a military man. How did he become so wealthy? He had acres of land and a huge mansion with a gazebo in the back. I know some career military types and they aren't raking in the jack that von Trapp had. Was he on the take? Did Austria really take care of their military? And if their military is so great, why did they rollover for the Nazis? Just curious.
The Baroness Schraeder
Strictly brought in to be the villain. And she did a great job of it. Right down to the cigarette's she would smoke with the long metal filter. Classic villainry. In fact when she mentions "boarding school" for the kids after she marries the Captain your blood starts to boil. Admittedly it was fun to watch her character evolve from "Maria sure is a lovely servant" to "Oh, crap. She's going to steal my man."
You have to give her credit for realizing that she needed to get out. Captain von Trapp had to tell her on the balcony that he didn't think it was going to work, but she already knew. She just needed to hear it from him. Then she was observant enough to tell the Captain that "Somewhere out there is a lady who I think will never be a nun." Nice.
Leisl
Sixteen. Yeah, right. A little research reveals that the actress that played her was 22. Shocker. I will admit that one of my favorite scenes is when she joins her Dad when he's singing "Edelweiss" the first time. Cheesy? I know. But I liked it anyway.
Rolfe (Leisl's Lover)
The guy who played Rolfe looked like a young Kiefer Sutherland. But trust me on this, Jack Bauer would NEVER, EVER join the Nazis.
Friedrich
The dude was 6' 3" tall. There is no way he was 14. Once again research shows us that Friedrich later became Peter Parker in the Spiderman TV show in the late seventies. Amazing. (Get it. Amazing Spiderman.....nevermind)
Louisa
Probably the most disappointing of the von Trapp kids. It turns out the actress who played Louisa posed for a men's magazine later in her career. Something about "changing her image". Fraulein Maria would be rolling over in her grave (if she was dead).
Brigitta and Marta
We know absolutely nothing about them. Apparently Brigitta loves to read and Marta's main job was changing the scenery for the puppet show. If anyone else has any other insight I would love to hear it.
Kurt
Kurt gets lost in the shuffle as well. Probably best known for saying "Goooooooodbye" in the most effeminate way possible. I was relieved to hear that they had to use a dubbed in singer to hit the high note for that song since the actor who played Kurt couldn't sing that high.
Gretl
Gretl is a cutie. Her chubby cheeks need no dialogue. The only insight here is that on the final scene where the von Trapp's are climbing over the mountain they had to use a stunt double because Gretl had "got too big" over the course of the movie. I'm not sure what they mean by that other than maybe she just grew up, but sure enough after further review you never see her face in the final scene where Captain von Trapp has Gretl on his back hiking over the mountain.
Uncle Max
A great character that is true to himself. In the final scene where he says goodbye to the von Trapps he laments the fact that he could have made money on them as their manager. He didn't seem to care that they were risking their lives to escape the Nazis. What a guy.
Favorite Scenes and Songs
Easily my favorite scene is the puppet show with the song The Lonely Goatherd. Great song at a great time in the movie. The momentum starts to shift from the Baroness to Maria. I've been working on learning the lyrics so I can sing along. All I've gotten down so far is "Yodelay-hee-hoo".
I also like the scene when Maria and the Captain dance outside to the Austrian folk song. Admitting this will obviously destroy my reputation, but it's a nice little moment. Strike two against the Baroness. Just as a tangent, the Baroness is over matched. At one time she sarcastically says that she "should have brought my harmonica". Did she have any talent? Was she the epitome of a trophy wife?
Not-So-Favorite Scenes and Songs
I can't stand the Sixteen Going on Seventeen song. I can't stand the scene either. I would fast forward it if Aubree would let me. She loves this part especially when they kiss at the end. She loves kissing scenes in movies. I'm in big trouble when she gets older. I've been working on Sydney though. Every time she sees a kiss she'll say "yucky" to her Dad's delight.
The other song is Something Good which is sung when Maria and Captain share their love for each other. The song is dumb and there is no chemistry between the two. None.
Questions and Concerns
I do struggle a little that Maria can take a bunch of kids who have never sung and in the course of a month turns them into MoTab. And the kids magically have perfect pitch all along the way. Somehow Leisl learns how the play the guitar as she strums along as they sing The Sound of Music for the Baroness. Then all the sudden we learn that Captain von Trapp is not really a Naval officer, but has been moonlighting as singer. Really, if the Captain was that great of a singer wouldn't he want his kids to sing? The movie half-heartedly explains it away by saying that all music ceased in the house when Mrs. Captain passed away.
By the way, what's her back story? And if Leisl was 16 and Gretl was 5 then that means that Leisl was probably around 11 or so when her mother passed away. Yet she never mentions her. Don't you think that would have come up somewhere along the way? Did Leisl get singing lessons from her mother? Or guitar lessons? I guess I've watched this show too much in the past week. I need to go back to work.
One last item. Throughout the movie only two people call Captain von Trapp by his given name. Max and the Baroness. Max mentions it a couple of times, but the Baroness used it repeatedly. In fact I'm convinced that this was the straw that broke the camel's back.
You see Captain von Trapp's first name is Georg. Not George, but Georg. And it was pronounced "gay-org". I could see how the Captain was kind of getting tired of the Baroness by the end of the show.
Well there you have the breakdown. I honestly did like the movie. Aubree was begging to watch it again today, so I'm sure I'll be seeing it in the near future. If you haven't seen it in a while give it a try. It is a sound movie. (Get it. Sound....nevermind).
posted by Scott's Blog at Sunday, January 04, 2009
7 Comments:
Wow! You really did watch this a lot lately. I loved the part when Syd stepped forward and said her name was "Boots." Too funny!
Scotty, I must admit that I am laughing at you! I remember the Christmas you made us all watch Oliver about 6 times and I didn't make it through once without falling asleep. However, I can still sing the song about the furniture.
That's funny Ann...."Consider yourself at home....consider yourself, part of the furniture..."
I remember it too.
Scott also failed to mention that he begs the girls to dance with him during the dance with Maria and the Captain. He has the little clap thing down and all.
I think you might be thinking a little too hard about the movie though Scotty. I do think there was a little chemistry between the two of them.
Oh, Scotty, that was awesome. I can't wait to see Aubree do her Leisl thing. And yes, I will be asking to see that nice little dance, Scott.
Becky, while your giving away all the family secrets you might as well let people know that I cry when puppies die in movies and I like to wear women's deodorant because it smells better than Old Spice. Sheesh.
Ann, the name of the song is "Consider Yourself" and it isn't even the best song in Oliver!. That's reserved for "Boy For Sale" followed by "Who Will Buy".
I must apologize for the great detail about the movie. It's so fresh in my mind, but maybe not so fresh in the minds of the readers. If you were to watch The Sound of Music in the near future this post will make a lot more sense.
Oh Scott- you have stumbled upon one of the greatest movies of all time. I didn't appreciate it when I was little, but having just watched it twice (While barfing on the couch with this pregnancy)I love it even more. Yes, Maria's hair is a bit boyish, but her voice is simply heavenly. And my FAVORITE song was the love song between "Gay-org" and Maria- TOTAL chemistry going on there, you're just too much of a man to get it :) But I agree with you on Fiddler on the Roof- my favorite movie too- get the soundtrack and clean the house to it- it gets done in half the time! Haha
Sarah- You're not the only one to come the defense of the "chemistry" between Maria and the Captain. We were watching parts of the movie AGAIN on Sunday and I fast forwarded past the love song in the gazebo between the two of them. Aubree was fired up.
So last night my mother-in-law came over to watch the girls and as soon as she walked in the door Aubree whispered to her, "We can watch a movie (meaning The Sound of Music) and we can watch the kissing and fast forward past Daddy's favorite parts." I'll admit I'm outnumbered on this one.
After watching some parts again I probably given Julie Andrews more credit. Even though the Captain is my favorite character, she is really good in the movie. It has been suggested that I watch Mary Poppins to get a true appreciation on Julie Andrew's charm and beauty.
Good to see you checking out the blog while puking your guts. That's loyalty.
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