# How does "The Sound of Music" = a holiday movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779 "2009-12-28T05:38:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/21 "2009-12-28T19:38:29Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > I’m registering Santa Claus vs. the Nazis with the Writer’s Guild, so no one else even think about it. Why am I picturing Bruce Willis in a Santa suit? ---
**Author:** ![McGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@McGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McGeek)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/22 "2009-12-28T19:38:38Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I have a problem with the Problem Like Maria. The character of Maria is too good to be true, and doesn’t square with the person the nuns are singing about. We see no evidence that she can outpester any pest, or drive a hornet from its nest. The worst thing she does is be late for church because she’s singing in the hills. > > The wedding scene is spectacular and gorgeous, from a costume / set design perspective…and then they ruin it by reprising that stupid song. I’ve always had this same problem, and would probably have enjoyed the movie more if they’d shown more of what a trouble-maker she was early on. But then I don’t see how Julie Andrews could have ever been convincing in such a role. They could have cut out the Nazi chase through the abbey at the end, as well as the godawful reprise of “16 going on 17” where Maria is suddenly an expert on love matters and giving cheesy advice to Liesl. TRUE STORY about the wedding processional music from TSoM - at my cousin’s 2003 wedding, his bride picked this music for their processional. I saw it in the program beforehand and was very curious to see how it would work - would we all be expected to stand and sing “How do you solve a problem…?” In fact, they used only underlying instrumentals, especially the horn fanfare, in a loop, without ever getting to the “Problem of Maria” melody. Unfortunately, my cousin’s bride turned out to have been interested only in having her dream wedding, not in actually being married, and left him less than 6 months later. btw to answer the original question, the reason it’s an xmas movie is that a) it supposedly appeals to a broad family audience; b) it’s one of those big movies like wizard of oz which used to be expensive to air on tv and so would only get on once a year. Of course they’d save those for the holidays. at least that’s what I’ve always assumed. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/23 "2009-12-28T20:05:55Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > How are these values exclusively Christian, though? Why do people always seem to think “Christian values” means exclusively Christian? I can refer to “my values” without believing that no one else holds them. > [@](#): > > My Muslim, Hindu, Pagan, Jewish, Buddhust, atheist, and Zoroastrian friends would beg to differ. They might have told a story with fewer Catholic nuns in it. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/24 "2009-12-28T20:07:04Z")
> [@Teacake](#): > > We used to call it _The Sound of Mucus_ when we were kids. > [@NDP](#): > > So did Christopher Plummer. That name originally came from Pauline Kael’s extremely funny review of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/25 "2009-12-28T20:10:16Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Why am I picturing Bruce Willis in a Santa suit? My husband considers the “Die Hard” trilogy to be Christmas viewing since they take place at Christmastime. He watches it before any other Christmas classic. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/26 "2009-12-28T20:22:56Z")
Death of Rats: > [@](#): > > Because nothing says “Christmas Spirit” like Nazi collaboration! Say WHAT?? The protagonists of the movie did the exact opposite of collaborate with the Nazis! ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/27 "2009-12-28T20:40:55Z")
Everybody else did… kinda the plot to the movie. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/28 "2009-12-28T20:48:09Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Say WHAT?? The protagonists of the movie did the exact opposite of collaborate with the Nazis! This was before Ruper Murdoch bought out Fox. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/29 "2009-12-28T20:51:24Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > My husband considers the “Die Hard” trilogy to be Christmas viewing since they take place at Christmastime. He watches it before any other Christmas classic. Only the first two take place at Christmastime. Which makes them the first and second best Christmas movies EVER! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/30 "2009-12-28T20:51:54Z")
According to their Facebook status updates an inordinate number of people seem to have watched \*Inglourious Basterds \*this Xmas or Xmas Eve. I guess there’s just something about defying Nazis and Xmas. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/31 "2009-12-28T21:26:05Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Only the first two take place at Christmastime. > > Which makes them the first and second best Christmas movies EVER! Die Hard IV: John McClane and the Von Trapps versus the Nazis and the Baroness. An instant classic! Yippee-ki-yay, motherfuckers! ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/32 "2009-12-28T23:59:50Z")
I’ve managed to go through almost half a century of life only seeing this movie once, but wasn’t there a cheesy Christmas scene in it, the one where they sing Edelweiss? Does that qualify it as a Christmas movie? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/33 "2009-12-29T00:24:51Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > Everybody else did… > kinda the plot to the movie. No they didn’t. The crowd in the the theater joined in when singing Edleweiss and gasped when it was announced Von Trapp was going to fight for the Nazis. The song was a defiant statement of patriotism for the Austrians. ---
**Author:** ![raspberry\_hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@raspberry\_hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raspberry_hunter)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/34 "2009-12-29T01:09:05Z")
> [@Teacake](#): > > And I agree about the rude and uncalled-for reprise: I would have turned back down the aisle and battered those nuns to death with my bouquet if I’d been her! Hee… when my sister was planning her wedding she called me up and said, “I have a FANTASTIC idea for my bridal processional; ‘How do you solve a problem like Maria,’ only with [sister’s name that sounds a little like Maria] in it instead! Is there a way that you could figure out how to record choir-like vocals for that?” …I talked her out of it, pointing out that (among other things) our mom would have a super hissy fit. But I did get together with a couple of her friends and we did a (rather less obnoxious than the original) parody at their rehearsal dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/35 "2009-12-29T02:07:28Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > How are these values exclusively Christian, though? My Muslim, Hindu, Pagan, Jewish, Buddhust, atheist, and Zoroastrian friends would beg to differ. 🙂 I’ll have to look them up. _TSoM_ was one of my mom’s favourite movies; I wasn’t really aware that there were books beforehand, or even a true story. I wasn’t aware of having suggested that they were exclusively Christian values. However Christmas is a Christian festival (well… OK, let’s not get into it!), and it’s a Christian story about a very Catholic family. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/36 "2009-12-29T02:12:41Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > I must say Julie Andrews was a lovely lady and sang well. You know she’s still alive, don’t you? In fact we’re going to see her in concert in May! Very excited, we are. Oh yes. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/37 "2009-12-29T03:59:14Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Die Hard IV: John McClane and the Von Trapps versus the Nazis and the Baroness. An instant classic! Yippee-ki-yay, motherfuckers! Sadly, there already was a Die Hard IV. It lived free and sucked hard. The first two Die Hards are the best Christmas movies but they never seem to show them in December. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/38 "2009-12-29T06:08:49Z")
> [@Teacake](#): > > You know she’s still alive, don’t you? In fact we’re going to see her in concert in May! Very excited, we are. Oh yes. Nice! My friend is a huge fan–where is the concert? ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/39 "2009-12-29T06:58:53Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Say WHAT?? The protagonists of the movie did the exact opposite of collaborate with the Nazis! Yeah, even I had to agree with this one. I mean, maybe because the oldest (the 16 yr. old girl) _kissed_ a brownshirt, but that’s not exactly “collaboration.” Seriously, I still don’t get it. Theories abound, but it looks more like a . . . hell, I don’t know what sort of holiday–V-E Day? Tripler Criminey. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779/40 "2009-12-29T07:02:49Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > Yeah, even I had to agree with this one. I mean, maybe because the oldest (the 16 yr. old girl) _kissed_ a brownshirt, but that’s not exactly “collaboration.”[…] You realize “collaboration” is a euphemism. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-sound-of-music-a-holiday-movie/522779.md?page=3)