Movie Review: The Sound of Music

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Familiar songs in a great love story

Cons: My two favorite songs from the stage version are missing.

The Bottom Line:

Classic musical

Great story; familiar songs

Whole family will like

"Climb Every Mountain" to See One of "My Favorite Things."

Unlike most guys I know, I love a good musical. Who cares that people don't really break out into song in real life. If the story is good, the songs enjoyable, and the dance routines inventive, I definitely don't care. And The Sound of Music is one of the best. It's a wonderful movie version of one of the best musical ever written.

Maria (Julie Andrews) is an apprentice nun. She truly wants to devote her life to God, but struggles with the rules. When the Mother Abbess sends her to take care of Captain von Trapp's (Christopher Plummer) children, she gets more then she bargained for. The children are in desperate need of love, since their father has withdrawn after the death of his wife. She and the children quickly bond despite the icy exterior the Captain provides. The Captain himself is planning to remarry soon, but there's a complication. Maria and the Captain are falling in love. Will Maria become a nun? Will the Captain remarry?

But this isn't a simple love story. The movie is set in Austria during the rise of the Nazis. The Captain is determined to take a stand against the approaching evil. What will it mean for his family?

"The Sound of Music" is one of those feel good films. I smile the entire way through it. In my mind, it's Rogers and Hammerstein's best musical. All the songs are easily singable and memorable. Who doesn't know "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Edelweiss," or even the title song?

The choreography is fun. I especially like the inventive use of marionettes during "The Lonely Goatherd." But the absolutely standout is "Do-Re-Mi." While Maria teaches the kids to sing, she leads them on a journey all around Salzburg. It's an absolute blast to watch.

And the rest of the story holds up well. The love story isn't exactly shocking, but that's okay. It's fun. The movie does lose a little steam near the end, but it picks up for a suspenseful climax. And the historical background adds to the movie. This isn't just another love story.

To top it off, the cast is great. Julie Andrews is the star, and she is charming and lively as Maria. Christopher Plummer does an equally good job as the Captain. Over the course of the movie, we get to see his hard demeanor thaw. The only problem with him is that he doesn't sing very well, but it's a minor flaw. There are seven kids in the film, and while they don't all get equal screen time, they are all equally talented and handle the acting, singing, and dancing with out missing a beat.

I do have one major bone to pick with the movie, and I didn't even know it for years. In college, I was an extra in the play and discovered two songs that didn't make it from the stage to film. "How Can Love Survive?" and "No Way to Stop It" are two songs sung in the play by the Baroness, the Captain's finace. Both of these songs are fun and really help flesh out her character. As a result, she becomes something of a one dimensional character instead of the real character from the play.

Really, that's a small quibble, however. If you haven't seen this classic piece of American cinema, don't hesitate to watch The Sound of Music. You'll soon be joining the rest of us as we sing, "The hills are alive...."