Image Credit: Mary Louise Kane/AP Images Hearing about the passing of Agathe von Trapp, the eldest daughter of the musical family that inspired The Sound of Music who died Tuesday at age 97, made me remember the evening a few years back when, while watching the film for about the 100th time, I realized I no longer related to Liesl (Charmian Carr), the 16-going-on-17 character based on the real life woman. Instead, I was identifying with Julie Andrews’ Maria (and worrying that I wouldn’t be enough woman for Capt. Von Trapp or to lead his seven children on a mountain escape from the Nazis). It’s one of the few times I remember stopping to think how a film had evolved because of my age. (Another was when I watched When Harry Met Sally... as a 32-year-old instead of as a teenager. Sally: “And I’m gonna be 40.” Harry: “When?” Sally: “Someday.” Harry: “In eight years.”)
Has anyone else noticed a change in the way you view The Sound of Music? Agathe von Trapp — a retired teacher who lived in Baltimore, and dedicated her autobiography, Memories Before and After The Sound of Music, to her father — will be buried in the spring at a cemetery at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vt., the Associated Press reports. If you’ve been there, did you sing “The Sound of Music” as you drove up? (Guilty.) I hope someone’s doing that tonight.
Absolutely! When this movie was first released in 1965, I was in elementary school. I remember how we all identified with the youngest Von Trapp girl, Greta(?). Now, I’m old enough to identify with Mother Superior. I still haven’t changed my opinion about Maria hooking up with a widower with humpteen children, though. Girl coulda done a LOT better!
WHAT!? You are crazy. Captain was beautiful, prideful and had a wonderful family she also fell in love with.
Anyone would trade places with Maria, first of all me!
I noticed a change when I saw it (probably for the tenth time) at age 12 and began to realize that Captain von Trapp was kind of hot
The movie has made me a happier person. I love the message it gives to its viewers and the music is beautiful.
My story begins in 1964.I was five when my brother who was nine was cast as Kurt in a high school production of The Sound Of Music.I would go with Mom to take him to rehearsals and we would sit in the auditorium and wait.I had memorized the entire show by opening night.My brother died three years ago.The Sound Of Music will always remind me of that special time
Growing up, I loved it for the music, and the story went right over my head. Of course now it is all the more serious, as I understand the context of the story. All I understood about the Nazis and the Third Reich was that they were bad and the Von Trapps were good. Ah, for the innocence of childhood….
well, i also loved the music so much (and Julie Andrews i loved even better!). But recently, I learned that “not all” Austrians hated the Nazis…
Well even that is pointed out in the movie, which of course as a child goes over your head. Not just the young Rolf, but those Austrians who staged the music festival, and the gentleman Colonel Von Trapp savaged over who is a ‘model Austrian’.
I absolutely went from identifying with the oldest daughter to identifying with Maria (and even the Baroness, just a little, trying to “catch” a man). It has happened with other movies lately – I identify with the moms!
I’m not sure I ever really related to a particular character. But I do think, like Valerie, I just have a better understanding of what was going on in the story. This is just so very timely because my daughter’s High School will be performing The Sound of Music for it’s Spring musical. We just recently watched the movie version together for that reason.
The last few times I’ve watched, I found myself identifying most with Baroness Schraeder. (I wish I dressed that well.)
Love this movie.
Just watched TSOM the other night with my daughters. It never gets old. (And I love Coach Taylor too!)
I watched the Sound of Music for the first time this year, after seeing the cast traveling from talkshow to talkshow doing interviews. I expected to like it as much as every other processed Rogers and Hammerstein product – being a teenage girl with no patience, not very much. But from the moment the picture zoomed in on Julie twirling in the mountains singing her heart out, I was taken to a place that only Toy Story had taken me the first time I had seen it. A magical, heavenly place where Julie Andrews swoops in and makes everything right and wins the heart of the stony, impossibly handsome captain. And most of all, a place where everyone can sing like angels even if they’ve never sung before!
As for the question at hand, there was a piece of myself in everybody. Everybody, dazzling and pristine as they were, was relateable and identifiable each in their own way. You could see into their hearts and motives, and put yourselves in their shoes. I found the character of Rolf, small as the role may be, remarkably well-written and fleshed out. And he’s just one example of the movie’s shameless spirit.
It really is an exceptional movie 9and an exceptional musical besides). Every time I see it, I want to visit Austria! LOL!
My husband saw it for the first time when we were stuck in a hostel in Salzburg during a rainstorm. They show the movie every morning. I thought he’d make fun of it, but he totally got into it, and we had a good time pointing out film locations as we walked around town.
To me, the movie got better and better through the years. Julie Andrews looks radiant, beautiful, and has such energy that it is inevitable to fall in love with her. Just like when I first saw the movie. What has really changed to me was my appreciation of the music and lyrics, the most beautiful and majestic on Broadway and movies. The lyrics of the title song are like a poem which reminds you that the first music heard on earth was composed by God and played by His magnificent instrument, nature. To me, it is so amazing, glorious, just like Julie says, and shows how important it is in our lives.
As I got older I noticed that I didn’t find the love song between Maria and Captain Von Trapp boring anymore. When I was a kid, that was when I ran off to use the bathroom.
I was just saying the same thing to my mom the other night when we were watching it on ABC! The Sound of Music is my favorite movie, has been since I was a kid. When I was little, I would be bored by the second half, but now I love it and appreciate it so much more.
+1. YES! It’s totally about the love story for me now. Not just the puppet shows.
Me too! I used to think it was dumb — the fact that they shot the scene using a wax paper filter didn’t help. But NOW, SIGH! The moment when the Captain tells Maria that you can’t marry someone when you’re in love with someone else just makes my heart stop. Anyone who has ever longed for someone who is not available has dreamed of a moment like that.
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The fact that I started finding young Christopher Plummer QUITE attractive didn’t hurt, either. That’s why I hate seeing interviews with current Christopher Plummer, he seems like such a dirty old man.
He IS a dirty old man, but he was also a dirty YOUNG man! I read his memoir (In Spite of Myself) as was alternately shocked, and delighted, to read about his adventures and conquests. But I do love him as the Captain. Yum.
Not so much the Sound of Music but a lot of the shows I enjoyed in my youth I view now with different eyes. I bought a DVD collection of a favorite 70′s TV show and had the most fun re-living my youth … and making fun of it.
I think the biggest change for me was when I relized Capt. Von Trapp was kind of hot! I had an obsession with this movie when I was young and missed alot of the the “grown up” subtly that I didnt see until I was older. I love seeing my little God Daughter (shes 3) obsessing now like I used to!
I bought this for my children so they could see true artistry. They really don’t make them like this anymore.
haha that’s a line I hear a lot: ‘They don’t make them like this anymore.’ But it’s just so true…..