Great Iconic sing-a-long musical

Rating: 9/10 (29 November 2014)

In pre-WWII Salzburg, Austria, the Mother Abbess doesn't know what to do with the flighty Maria (Julie Andrews). How do you solve a problem like Maria? Maria fearfully accepts being the governess to Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer)'s seven children. The kids don't like her at first. She is the 12th in a long line of governesses. She eventually wins them over. The Captain is a widower who runs a cold strict household. The Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Eleanor Parker) accompanies him back from Vienna with singing producer Max Detweiler (Richard Haydn). However he starts to fall for the lovely governess and she for him. The jealous Baroness pushes her out of the way and the Captain asks the Baroness to marry him.
Everybody is entitled to their opinion but I can't imagine anybody not appreciating the simple joy of this musical. The main objections seem to be the movie's departure from the real story. I don't know how much Nazism these critics want but it is a musical after all. Nobody is watching this for its authenticity. The songs are simply innocent fun. They are endlessly singable and Julie Andrews is the perfect Broadway ingénue with great screen presence. Christopher Plummer provides the compelling leading man. This is probably one of the best romantic musicals.