The Sound of Music (1965)
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84% of critics liked it
(51 reviews) -
86% of users liked it
(533,554 ratings)
One of the most popular movie musicals of all time, The Sound of Music is based on the true story of the Trapp Family Singers. Julie Andrews stars as Maria, a young nun in an Austrian convent who regularly misses her morning prayers because she enjoys going to the hills to sing the title song.… More One of the most popular movie musicals of all time, The Sound of Music is based on the true story of the Trapp Family Singers. Julie Andrews stars as Maria, a young nun in an Austrian convent who regularly misses her morning prayers because she enjoys going to the hills to sing the title song. Deciding that Maria needs to learn something about the real world before she can take her vows, the Mother Superior (Peggy Wood) sends her off to be governess for the children of the widowed Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). Arriving at the Trapp home, Maria discovers that her new boss is cold and aloof, and his seven children virtual automatons-at least, whenever the Captain is around. Otherwise, the kids are holy terrors, as evidenced by the fact that Maria is the latest in a long line of governesses. But Maria soon ingratiates herself with the children, especially oldest daughter Liesl (Charmian Carr), who is in love with teenaged messenger boy Rolf. As Maria herself begins to fall in love with the Captain, she rushes back to the Abbey so as not to complicate his impending marriage to a glamorous baroness (Eleanor Parker). But the children insist that Maria return, the Baroness steps out of the picture, and Maria and the Captain confirm their love in the song "Something Good." Unhappily, they return home from their honeymoon shortly after the Nazis march into Austria. Already, swastikas have been hung on the Von Trapp ancestral home, and Liesl's boyfriend Rolf has been indoctrinated in the "glories" of the Third Reich. The biggest blow occurs when Von Trapp is called back to active duty in the service of the Fuhrer. The Captain wants nothing to do with Nazism, and he begins making plans to take himself and his family out of Austria. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Robert Wise
- Genres
- Drama, Kids & Family, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics
- In Theaters
- Mar 2, 1965 Wide
- Studio
- 20th Century-Fox
Critic Reviews
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, TIME Magazine
In dialogue, song and story, Music still contains too much sugar, too little spice.
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Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Every audience sniffle and tear has been taken into account.
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Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Call me a drongo, but this really is quite watchable (yes, I've seen it more than once).
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Bosley Crowther, New York Times
The septet of blond and beaming youngsters who have to act like so many Shirley Temples and Freddie Bartholomews when they were young do as well as could be expected with their assortedly artificial roles, but the adults are fairly horrendous.
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Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
The movie has almost everything: music, romance, kids, spectacular scenery, religion, sentiment, comedy high and low, and, at the end, intrigue and adventure.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Julie Andrews
as Maria von Trapp
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Christopher Plummer
as Captain Von Trapp
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Eleanor Parker
as The Baroness
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Richard Haydn
as Max Detweiler
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Peggy Wood
as Mother Abbess
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Charmian Carr
as Liesl
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Heather Menzies
as Louisa
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Nicholas Hammond
as Friedrich
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Duane Chase
as Kurt
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Angela Cartwright
as Brigitta
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Debbie Turner
as Marta
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Kym Karath
as Gretl
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Anna Lee
as Sister Margaretta
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Portia Nelson
as Sister Berthe
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Ben Wright
as Herr Zeller
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Daniel Truhitte
as Rolfe
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Norma Varden
as Frau Schmidt
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Marni Nixon
as Sister Sophia
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Evadne Baker
as Sister Bernice
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Doris Lloyd
as Baroness Ebberfeld
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Gilchrist Stuart
as Franz
- Dan Truhitte


