30 Days of Sharing - Two
I know this is late, but I started writing it long before midnight, so I say it counts ;)
Day 02 → Your favourite movie
This one is much easier to answer than yesterday's. I could create a list just a long of tons of movies that I've loved over the years, but, if I'm honest with myself, there is one film that I do love more than any other. I don't suppose that it will surprise any of you to learn that this movie is The Sound of Music.
I can scarcely remember a time when I didn't know (and therefore LOVE) this movie. I do have a vague recollection of my grandmother singing these songs to me (especially Do-Re-Mi), and me not recognizing them, but that is only a very distant memory, probably from when I was about three. I remember when I was really young, all that we had was this bad copy of The Sound of Music that someone had recorded off the TV. Later, I got a proper video copy, and only last Christmas I received the 40th anniversary DVD, with tons of extra interviews and documentaries and things. I must have watched those (as well as the movie itself) four times before we headed back to school in January. And that's not counting the time I watched it on CTV earlier that week, since they air it every Christmas.
I could spend ages explaining all the things that I love about The Sound of Music. There's the music, of course - that goes without saying. I've known all of the songs by heart for as long as I can remember ... and the dialogue too, for that matter. I can hear this music so well in my head that I can just about pick out the note that it starts on out of thin air, although I'm the last person who would ever claim to have perfect pitch.
I love the entire cast: Christopher Plummer, all the nuns, all seven of the children. I used to change my mind a lot as to which of the kids was my favourite. For the longest time it was a tie between Liesl and Gretl. Then I loved Brigitta, Friedrich, Kurt. For a while now, though, it's been Louisa. Somehow Marta is the only one that I've just never become attached to.
And there's Julie Andrews, although it was a long time before I put two and two together and realized that Maria von Trapp was Mary Poppins. She is my very favourite celebrity (or tied with Katharine Hepburn). I remember one year when re-auditioning for children's choir, we were asked who we thought had the best voice in the world, and the people around me were mentioning Celine Dion and whatever other pop singers were popular at the time (while the adults rolled their eyes), but it didn't even occur to me not to write her name down. I liked to think I had come up with a better answer. :) In the years since then, I've tried to track down just about all of her movies (mostly from the library and on YouTube), but there are still a few that I've never seen. I think most of you know how much I love Victor/Victoria and The Princess Diaries, but you've got to check out Duet for One (on YouTube) - though I'll warn you, it's incredibly difficult to watch.
Another thing that drew me in as a child, though I'm not sure I knew it at the time, was the geography. Both my Mom's parents being from Germany, I have always felt a connection to that part of the world, and especially to the mountains. (Any time I slept over at their house as a child, I always asked if we could rent this one version of Heidi that I didn't have - that was another favourite). And then there was the lake in front of their villa, which always reminded me of the lake where our cottage was. While Germany and England have long been the two places in the world that I would most like to travel, Austria is in my top 5, in large part because I want to see the places that The Sound of Music was filmed.
I also love the history behind it (although I'm fully aware that, as always, Hollywood changed quite a bit). As a child, this part never mattered to me (if I knew it at all), but I spent quite some time last Christmas going frame by frame through the scene where the real Maria makes an appearance (I did eventually find her). I even watched the German version of the film, which has a LOT of similarities. I really wanted to see the modern-day Trapp Family Singers when they were at the NAC a few years ago (the grandchildren, I believe, of the original children). Someday I would love to go to Vermont and see Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe. Just about the one thing that I haven't done is to read Maria's book about her story, but that's only because the library doesn't have it - I've just ordered a book which is (I believe) by her daughter, though.
Back in high school, my Mom took me to see The Sound of Music Sing-along, when we were in Toronto for a few days. Since then, I've seen it twice in Ottawa, and plan to go again when it's here in February (I think?). I know it seems silly to some, to pay money to go to a movie I can watch just as easily at home, but there's something really special about seeing a movie with so many other people, all of whom know it and love it just as much as I do. The costumes are fun, although I've never dressed up, and the props can be a little silly, but what I really go for is the commentary. Watching this movie at home with family and friends, we seem to mention the same things every time, which can be fun too, because we already know when something funny is coming, but it's always fun to hear things you've never noticed before as well. Last time, for instance, we kept a running tally of the number of times Maria puts her hand on her head in dismay! I can't watch this movie now without hearing "Because you're hot!", when Maria and the Captain first meet.
The 40th anniversary DVD includes a feature about this enormous Sing-along that was organized to coincide with that anniversary. It took place in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl, and was attended by something like 15,000 people (including all of the children!). Apparently this is now held every year - who's up for going with me about five years from now? :o)
And the others:
Day 03 → Your favourite television program
Day 04 → Your favourite book
Day 05 → Your favourite quote
Day 06 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 → A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 → A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 → A photo you took
Day 10 → A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 → A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 → A fictional book
Day 14 → A non-fictional book
Day 15 → A fanfic
Day 16 → A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 → An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 → A talent of yours
Day 20 → A hobby of yours
Day 21 → A recipe
Day 22 → A website
Day 23 → A YouTube video
Day 24 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 → Your day, in great detail
Day 26 → Your week, in great detail
Day 27 → This month, in great detail
Day 28 → This year, in great detail
Day 29 → Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 02 → Your favourite movie
This one is much easier to answer than yesterday's. I could create a list just a long of tons of movies that I've loved over the years, but, if I'm honest with myself, there is one film that I do love more than any other. I don't suppose that it will surprise any of you to learn that this movie is The Sound of Music.
I can scarcely remember a time when I didn't know (and therefore LOVE) this movie. I do have a vague recollection of my grandmother singing these songs to me (especially Do-Re-Mi), and me not recognizing them, but that is only a very distant memory, probably from when I was about three. I remember when I was really young, all that we had was this bad copy of The Sound of Music that someone had recorded off the TV. Later, I got a proper video copy, and only last Christmas I received the 40th anniversary DVD, with tons of extra interviews and documentaries and things. I must have watched those (as well as the movie itself) four times before we headed back to school in January. And that's not counting the time I watched it on CTV earlier that week, since they air it every Christmas.
I could spend ages explaining all the things that I love about The Sound of Music. There's the music, of course - that goes without saying. I've known all of the songs by heart for as long as I can remember ... and the dialogue too, for that matter. I can hear this music so well in my head that I can just about pick out the note that it starts on out of thin air, although I'm the last person who would ever claim to have perfect pitch.
I love the entire cast: Christopher Plummer, all the nuns, all seven of the children. I used to change my mind a lot as to which of the kids was my favourite. For the longest time it was a tie between Liesl and Gretl. Then I loved Brigitta, Friedrich, Kurt. For a while now, though, it's been Louisa. Somehow Marta is the only one that I've just never become attached to.
And there's Julie Andrews, although it was a long time before I put two and two together and realized that Maria von Trapp was Mary Poppins. She is my very favourite celebrity (or tied with Katharine Hepburn). I remember one year when re-auditioning for children's choir, we were asked who we thought had the best voice in the world, and the people around me were mentioning Celine Dion and whatever other pop singers were popular at the time (while the adults rolled their eyes), but it didn't even occur to me not to write her name down. I liked to think I had come up with a better answer. :) In the years since then, I've tried to track down just about all of her movies (mostly from the library and on YouTube), but there are still a few that I've never seen. I think most of you know how much I love Victor/Victoria and The Princess Diaries, but you've got to check out Duet for One (on YouTube) - though I'll warn you, it's incredibly difficult to watch.
Another thing that drew me in as a child, though I'm not sure I knew it at the time, was the geography. Both my Mom's parents being from Germany, I have always felt a connection to that part of the world, and especially to the mountains. (Any time I slept over at their house as a child, I always asked if we could rent this one version of Heidi that I didn't have - that was another favourite). And then there was the lake in front of their villa, which always reminded me of the lake where our cottage was. While Germany and England have long been the two places in the world that I would most like to travel, Austria is in my top 5, in large part because I want to see the places that The Sound of Music was filmed.
I also love the history behind it (although I'm fully aware that, as always, Hollywood changed quite a bit). As a child, this part never mattered to me (if I knew it at all), but I spent quite some time last Christmas going frame by frame through the scene where the real Maria makes an appearance (I did eventually find her). I even watched the German version of the film, which has a LOT of similarities. I really wanted to see the modern-day Trapp Family Singers when they were at the NAC a few years ago (the grandchildren, I believe, of the original children). Someday I would love to go to Vermont and see Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe. Just about the one thing that I haven't done is to read Maria's book about her story, but that's only because the library doesn't have it - I've just ordered a book which is (I believe) by her daughter, though.
Back in high school, my Mom took me to see The Sound of Music Sing-along, when we were in Toronto for a few days. Since then, I've seen it twice in Ottawa, and plan to go again when it's here in February (I think?). I know it seems silly to some, to pay money to go to a movie I can watch just as easily at home, but there's something really special about seeing a movie with so many other people, all of whom know it and love it just as much as I do. The costumes are fun, although I've never dressed up, and the props can be a little silly, but what I really go for is the commentary. Watching this movie at home with family and friends, we seem to mention the same things every time, which can be fun too, because we already know when something funny is coming, but it's always fun to hear things you've never noticed before as well. Last time, for instance, we kept a running tally of the number of times Maria puts her hand on her head in dismay! I can't watch this movie now without hearing "Because you're hot!", when Maria and the Captain first meet.
The 40th anniversary DVD includes a feature about this enormous Sing-along that was organized to coincide with that anniversary. It took place in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl, and was attended by something like 15,000 people (including all of the children!). Apparently this is now held every year - who's up for going with me about five years from now? :o)
And the others:
Day 03 → Your favourite television program
Day 04 → Your favourite book
Day 05 → Your favourite quote
Day 06 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 → A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 → A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 → A photo you took
Day 10 → A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 → A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 → A fictional book
Day 14 → A non-fictional book
Day 15 → A fanfic
Day 16 → A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 → An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 → A talent of yours
Day 20 → A hobby of yours
Day 21 → A recipe
Day 22 → A website
Day 23 → A YouTube video
Day 24 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 → Your day, in great detail
Day 26 → Your week, in great detail
Day 27 → This month, in great detail
Day 28 → This year, in great detail
Day 29 → Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 → Whatever tickles your fancy