The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is a 1987 American romantic comedy fantasy adventure film directed and co-produced by Rob Reiner, starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, and Christopher Guest. The film is based on the novel of the same name written by William Goldman in 1973. Goldman went on to adapt the novel for the screen, which allowed him to keep the film close to his original work.

Plot
A high-spirited adventure that pits true love against inconceivable odds, The Princess Bride has charmed legions of fans with its irreverent gags, eccentric ensemble, and dazzling swordplay. A kid (Fred Savage), home sick from school, grudgingly allows his grandfather (Peter Falk) to read him a dusty storybook—which is how we meet the innocent Buttercup (Robin Wright, in her breakout role), about to marry the nefarious Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) though her heart belongs to Westley (Cary Elwes). However, the wedding plans are interrupted by a mysterious pirate, a vengeful Spaniard, and a good-natured giant, in a tale full of swashbuckling, romance, and outrageously hilarious spoofery.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) The movie takes the typical fairy tale formula and adds a new twist, with it being carefully constructed to fill so many film genres. It also mocks the cliches found in these stories.
 * 2) Great direction from Rob Reiner.
 * 3) Beautiful cinematography.
 * 4) Excellent acting from the all-star cast. Especially from Cary Elwes, Robin Wright and Mandy Patinkin.
 * 5) The action scenes, while low budget, are still well done and exciting.
 * 6) The characters are likable and memorable.
 * 7) It preserves the narrative style of the book, with the story being told by a grandfather reading the story to his grandson.
 * 8) The romance subplot is strong, and it manages to not be too sappy.
 * 9) Funny dialogue and many quotable lines.
 * 10) The fight scene between Inigo and Count Rugen is a great and dramatic scene.
 * 11) The soundtrack was pretty decent to listen to.
 * 12) Iconic quotes, such as:
 * 13) * “When I was your age, television was called books”
 * 14) * “Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?” “Yes” “MORONS”
 * 15) * “Think it’ll work? It would take a miracle.”
 * 16) * “Rodents of unusual size? I don’t think they exist.”
 * 17) * “Inconceivable!”
 * 18) ** “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
 * 19) * “Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”
 * 20) * “Mawwiage”
 * 21) * “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya! You killed my father! Prepare to die!”
 * 22) * “...never get involved in a land war in Asia - but only slightly less well known is this: Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line!”
 * 23) * “I love watching you work, but I’ve got my country’s 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder, and Guilder to frame for it. I’m swamped.”
 * 24) * “Please consider me as an alternative to suicide”
 * 25) * “I’ll explain, and I’ll use small words so that you’ll be sure to understand, you warthog-faced buffoon”
 * 26) * “He’s only mostly dead”
 * 27) * “Have fun storming the castle!”
 * 28) * “Death cannot stop true love, All it can do is delay it for a while.”
 * 29) * “You seem like a decent fellow… I hate to kill you” “You seem like a decent fellow… I hate to die”
 * 30) * “No more rhymes now, I mean it”
 * 31) * “Anybody want a peanut?”
 * 32) * “There’s not a lot of money in revenge”
 * 33) * “Dread Pirate Westley?”
 * 34) * "There's something I ought to tell you." "Tell me." "I'm not left-handed either!"
 * 35) * “As you wish”

Bad Qualities

 * 1) The film's sets aren't all that good.
 * 2) The soundtrack, although decent, has its share of cheesy music.
 * 3) Sometimes, stunt double usage can be a bit obvious.

Trivia

 * According to author/screenwriter William Goldman, he wrote the story of The Princess Bride for his two daughters. Goldman asked them what they wanted the story to be about; one said a princess and the other said a bride. Goldman combined both wishes into the beloved title.
 * Most of the film was shot on location in the county of Derbyshire and in Shepperton Studios – both located in England. According to director Rob Reiner, the film includes only one shot – one with actor Peter Falk – that was filmed in the United States.
 * After many had tried and failed to adapt “The Princess Bride” into a movie, director Rob Reiner was able to get the financing for the film from producer Norman Lear. Reiner had worked for Lear previously as an actor in All in the Family, and Lear had funded Reiner’s theatrical directorial debut, This is Spinal Tap.
 * Robin Wright had to take a leave of absence from the daytime soap opera Santa Barbara to be able to star in The Princess Bride.
 * Director Rob Reiner gave Billy Crystal – who played Miracle Max in the film – free rein to ad-lib while filming. Reiner and Cary Elwes could not keep their composure during some scenes, and both had to leave the room to keep from ruining takes. Mandy Patinkin was able to hold it in but says he might have cracked a rib from doing so.
 * For the filming of their sword fight, actors Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes trained with stunt coordinator Peter Diamond and sword master Bob Anderson – both of whom worked on the original Star Wars Trilogy.
 * When André the Giant auditioned for the part of Fezzik, director Rob Reiner was unable to understand him. Since André had the perfect physique for the part, Reiner recorded all of his lines for the film onto a tape recorder for him to study and practice phonetically.
 * Cary Elwes was actually knocked out by Christopher Guest during the filming. When Elwes’ character Westley is struck by Guest’s Count Rugen, Elwes was rendered unconscious from the blow. The knockout blow was the take used in the film.
 * The film is included as part of the Criterion Collection, a line of films with artistic, intellectual, or historic significance. It was released by them on 30th October 2018, and is listed as spine #948.
 * It had an home movie recreation that was faithful to the original film itself includes many celebrities and the special tribute to Carl Reiner for his final appearance. Watch it for yourself.
 * The song “Storybook Love” was nominated for an Academy Award.
 * It was mentioned in the Heather musical when Martha, the protagonist's (Veronica) childhood best friend, go on the movie night to watch this film.

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