I feel a little uncomfortable about confessing this, but Christopher Plummer in The Sound of Music was my first celebrity crush.
I know, I know. Believe me, my sisters have said plenty about the subject. (In my defense, I was under 12 years old, so my crush can’t be held against me.) But when I discovered that The Sound of Music is #27 on AFI’s list of 100 Greatest Love Stories, I’m relieved to know that Captain Von Trapp is supposed to be a romantic hero.
Think about it: he’s powerful, successful and after having seven children, undoubtedly virile. He’s patriotic and will not bow down to evil forces. Yes, he is gruff and excruciatingly disciplined, but that’s because he finds family life difficult after the death of his wife. Order and control are the only ways he can cope until Maria shows up.
But is The Sound of Music one of the greatest love stories? After reading many romances where the widower marries the nanny, this storyline seems stereotypical to me, yet I know it’s based on fact. The romance between Captain Von Trapp and Maria is sweet and charming, and I could watch it again, even after all these years, and still enjoy it.
Do you think The Sound of Music should be on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Greatest Love Stories?
