Today’s Reel Classic begins with a young boy who is ill and in bed. His mother tells him his grandfather is coming to visit him. The boy (Fred Savage) learns that his grandfather (Peter Falk) has brought a book to read to him, as his father did for him when he was sick, and as he did for the young boy’s father.
“Oh no! Is this a kissing book?” the boy asks when his grandfather tells him about the storyline. He learns that, as the poster notes, it’s about “Heroes. Giants. Villains. True Love. Not just your basic, average, everyday, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, ho-hum fairy tale.”
The grandfather settles in and begins reading the story about Buttercup (Robin Wright), a young woman who lives on a farm in the mythical kingdom of Florin. A young farm hand, Westley (Cary Elwes), has fallen in love with the beautiful Buttercup. He responds to every request she makes of him: “As you wish.” She finds herself falling for him as well. Westley leaves the farm and seeks his fortune, planning to return and marry Buttercup. Buttercup later learns that the ship Westley was on was attacked by the notorious Dread Pirate Roberts, and it is thought that Westley was killed.
Five years later, we learn that the evil Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) has plans to force Buttercup into marrying him, but that is only part of his devious plan. He also plans to kill her, blame it on a neighboring kingdom, and start a war. He has a lot on his plate. Prince Humperdinck has arranged a kidnapping of Buttercup by a Sicilian criminal named Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) and his two assistants, Fezzik (Andre the Giant) and Spanish swordsman Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin). We learn that Montoya has an obsession—he is out to avenge the murder of his father by a six-fingered man. We later learn that man happens to be Count Tyrone Rugen (Christopher Guest), a co-conspirator of Prince Humperdinck.
The kidnappers are pursued by a mysterious masked man dressed in black, suspected by Buttercup to be the infamous Dread Pirate Roberts. He manages to get her from the grasp of the kidnappers, and she comes to learn his true identity. Their escape takes them over the Cliffs of Insanity and through the Fire Swamp (where they encounter giant rats (known as ROUS or rodents of unusual size). Unfortunately, the couple are captured by Prince Humperdinck and his men. Buttercup is taken back to the castle with Humperdinck, and the mysterious man in black is imprisoned and tortured to near death.
Inigo Montoya and Fezzik come to the rescue of our man in black and take him to Miracle Max (Billy Crystal), a “folk healer,” who works his methods to partially revive the nearly dead gentleman. Miracle Max and his wife, Valerie (Carol Kane), wish them well on their planned efforts to rescue Buttercup from Prince Humperdinck. As the story proceeds, we see the “storming of the castle.” Will the Princess Bride be saved from the evil Prince Humperdinck? Will the lovely Buttercup be reunited with her true love, Westley? Will Inigo Montoya exact his revenge upon the murderous six-fingered man? And, will the young boy enjoy the story his grandfather read to him?
The Princess Bride was directed by Rob Reiner, well known from his role as “Meathead” and the victim of Archie Bunker’s wrath in the classic television show All in the Family. He also became a famous director of such films as This is Spinal Tap, Stand by Me, and When Harry Met Sally.
The Princess Bride was adapted from the book of the same name authored by William Goldman, who also wrote the screenplay. Reiner stated that he was first introduced to the book while working on All in the Family. It was given to him by his father, Carl Reiner, who thought he would enjoy it. Carl Reiner and William Goldman were friends.
As mentioned above, this story is many things. It is fantasy, a love story, and a comedy. Some of the funniest scenes in the movie are the scenes with Miracle Max (Billy Crystal). Many of the lines spoken by Crystal were improvised, and the cast had difficulty staying in character as they would break out laughing. Reportedly, Rob Reiner and Cary Elwes had to leave the set as they could not keep from breaking up during Crystal’s scenes. A dummy replaced Elwes on the table during those scenes.
Though several cast members received injuries during the movie’s filming, Mandy Patinkin reportedly said that the only injury he sustained was a bruised rib from trying to hold back his laughter during these scenes.
Another note regarding Mandy Patinkin. He had a famous line from the film: “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” In an interview in 2012 in New York Magazine, he remarked that he is approached by strangers daily who recite that quote to him.
Patinkin and Cary Elwes insisted on conducting their sword fight with no stand-ins. They trained for many months with the assistance of two former Olympic swordsmen who had also worked with stars like Errol Flynn and Burt Lancaster.
Wallace Shawn, who played Vizzini, had his own unforgettable line in the film: “Inconceivable!”
Andre the Giant seems to be a natural for this role, but others were considered, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Others who auditioned for the role of Buttercup included Uma Thurman, Courteney Cox, Whoopi Goldberg, and Meg Ryan.
The Princess Bride received one Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. The song was “Storybook Love,” written and sung by Willy DeVille. The soundtrack and “Storybook Love” were produced by well-known musician Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.
On its initial release, The Princess Bride was considered a modest success at the box office. Rob Reiner was reportedly disappointed that it did not do better, but was assured by Fox executive Barry Diller that it would find a broader audience. That has proven to be the case as it is now perceived as a “cult classic.”
Though the box office success may have been described as moderate, critics loved it. Film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert both gave the film a “two thumbs up” rating. The critic for Time magazine praised it as a fun movie for the whole family, and the magazine included it on their “Best of ’87” films list. The critic for The New York Times praised the cast and loved the “sweetness” of the film. Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus describes the film as “A delightfully postmodern fairy tale. The Princess Bride is a deft, intelligent mix of swashbuckling, romance, and comedy that takes an age-old damsel-in-distress story and makes it fresh.”
In 2016, the film was inducted into the National Film Registry, described as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” It was included in the American Film Institute’s 2000 list of films nominated for “Top 100 Funniest American Movies” and their 2002 list of “Top 100 America’s Greatest Love Stories.” Steven Schneider has included The Princess Bride in “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.”
The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) rates The Princess Bride at 8 out of 10. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a Critics Score of 96% and an Audience Score of 94%. Though the film is available on multiple subscription or “pay for” sites, I could not locate any free streaming sites. However, the Clark County Public Library has a DVD copy on the shelf.
This film is a fun-filled fantasy, comedy, and romance movie that entertains all ages. And, a good means to escape the difficult realities we are dealing with today. Get some popcorn and a drink, kick back, and enjoy this fun film. “As you wish!”
Information for this Reel Classic review was gathered from the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), Rotten Tomatoes, Turner Classic Movies (TCM), and Wikipedia.
If you enjoy classic movies, please join me on the second Tuesday of each month at 6 PM at the Clark County Public Library for “Ron Kibbey’s Comedy Classics.” I present a classic comedy film, usually accompanied by a vintage cartoon. Popcorn and drinks are provided. More information about the next movie is available on the library’s website, Facebook page, and WinCity Voices Facebook page.
