Tear Jerker / The Sound of Music

• Baroness Elsa Schrader in the stage musical telling Max that the Captain doesn't know that he's going to propose to her, and they sing a sarcastic song about how typically "lovers have to struggle" and there's no challenge when two lovers are rich. Come a few scenes later, the Captain starts to develop feelings for penniless and lower-class Maria.
• The children are so depressed after Maria leaves. Even worse is that the adults around them are all insensitive about how they feel and want to just move on. When they visit the abbey to try and speak to her, Sister Magaretta is apologetic but still sends them away, despite their protests.
• Baroness Elsa Schrader breaking off her engagement to Captain Von Trapp in the musical, because he won't agree with her to bend to the Nazi ways. Although the Captain's Love Epiphany about Maria follows, it's a gut punch since she does have feelings for him and politics rather than Maria breaks them up.
  • In the film version, while she says that she has come to realize that he isn't the man for her, citing his independence, she sounds on the verge of tears and it's subtly implied that she's making up excuses to remove herself from the equation and allow him to be with the woman he loves.
• Rolfe's Face–Heel Turn, poor Liesl just couldn't understand why he was acting so coldly towards her, even when she tries to flirt he coldly tells her "I'm now occupied with more important matters. And your father better be too if he knows what's good for him!"
• Georg solemnly telling Maria "We've got to get out of Austria. And this house. Tonight." as they take one Long Last Look (actually a very brief one) at the home full of so many wonderful memories for them, knowing they have to flee.
• Captain von Trapp singing Edelweiss for the last time; he can't finish the song as he is saying goodbye to his beloved country. With a little bit of insight, the Captain is facing a world where he and his country have become irrelevant. He is a decorated captain of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, but post-1918 Austria is a landlocked country. That means his career in the navy is over. The impending Anchluss with the hated Nazi Germany is making things worse, because Austria would cease to be a country. No wonder he is so jaded before meeting Maria.
  The Baroness: You're far away. Where are you?
  Captain von Trapp: In a world that's disappearing, I'm afraid.
• The Captain's major Defrosting Ice Queen moment when he overhears his children singing "The Sound of Music" and joins in, and then goes to apologize to Maria.
• The first time the children sing after Maria leaves, Friedrich and Gretl refuse to sing at first, and Brigitta can barely make it through the first verse.
• During the festival reprise of "So Long, Farewell", after singing their lines, Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, and Brigitta look back at Maria and Georg as they leave. You can see the fear on their faces, since they're not sure if they can successfully escape.
• When the family hides from the Nazis, Gretl asks Maria if singing about their favorite things would help them feel better. Maria answers by saying that this is the only time the song will not help, before telling Gretl to be very quiet and hold tight to her.
  Gretl: Mother?
  Maria: Yes?
  Gretl: Would it help if we sang about our favorite things?
  Maria: No, darling. This is one time it would not help. You must be very quiet. Hold tight to me.

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