Okay, call me hokey, old-fashioned, or even a musical nerd– BUT, who doesn’t love the movie The Sound of Music? This classic 1965 film celebrating its fiftieth year tackles the complexities of both WWII and relationships with such simple and whimsical beauty.

Winning five Oscars, the movie features not only the last partnership of musical giants Rodgers and Hammerstein, but the talents of Christopher Plummer, Julie Andrews, the glamorous Eleanor Parker, and a cast of relatively unknown child actors.

Set and filmed over a short span of one month in Salzburg, Austria, the movie is based on the famous real life Austrian family called The Von Trapp Family Singers. Maria, a young and confused postulate at the Nonnberg Abbey, is sent by her Mother Superior out into the world to help her decide whether or not to pursue a lifetime as a nun. Her task is to be the governess of a motherless wealthy family of seven children.

As most movie-goers already know, the tomboyish and musically talented Maria soon wins over the children and their father, too. The film’s background, set during the rise of Nazism, brings into the plot a theme of patriotism and tense moments. Deciding to flee the Nazi regime, the family escapes when they are to sing at a famous Austrian concert. The film ends with the family climbing a mountain on their way to freedom in Switzerland and eventually, the United States.

Although the movie may come across as a little too sweet and perky, it is a captivating film that showcases not only the children, but also the starring women. Maria, the Countess, and the Mother Superior are portrayed as more than stereotypical figures– they are good-hearted and strong individuals willing to take a stand in the face of adversity. For example, in one funny scene, we learn that one of the Sisters at the Abbey disconnected the distributor cap in a Nazi vehicle, so that the Von Trapps could make their quick escape. 

The music in the film was the last collaboration between lyricist Oscar Hammerstein and musician Richard Rodgers, a duo who won multiple awards. Unfortunately, Hammerstein died soon after the opening of the theater production, and never did get to see Julie Andrews light up the screen. However, the soundtrack continues to speak to a new generation of families who watch the film.

I remember seeing this movie on the big screen as a kid and wishing I could run around in flowered drapes through the Salzburg city singing Do, Re, Me! After I graduated from college, I, too, took The Sound of Music movie tour through Salzburg singing my lungs out to this gorgeous soundtrack.

Much hullabaloo has been made about the movie’s fiftieth year anniversary. The media has rallied around the movie with Diane Sawyer’s interview with Julie Andrews, Lady GaGa’s tribute during the Oscars, and the movie being shown in theaters across the country. The Sound of Music is a classic gem and a movie that will have you humming songs under your breath for days on end.