Cary and Robin, As You Wish

A small boy (Fred Savage) is laid up in bed due to illness.  His Grandfather (Peter Falk) comes to visit with his favorite book, The Princess Bride (1987). The boy is dubious, but as the story of Westley (Cary Elwes) and Buttercup (Robin Wright) unfolds, the youngster finds himself captivated by the tale.

TCM  Big Screen Classics for October featured the 30th Anniversary showing of this lovely story, along with an opportunity to hear director Rob Reiner talk a bit about his experiences on the film. The Princess Bride has a very interesting history - the book was written by William Goldman (author of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid). After the book's release, Robert Redford, Norman Jewison, and Francois Truffaut all expressed interest in filming it (Vanity Fair article). Rob Reiner had also loved the book - it was his favorite (it had been given to him by his father, Carl Reiner), and he eventually approached Goldman about taking it on. Some convincing had to be done - Reiner related that The Princess Bride was Goldman's favorite of his works, and he didn't want it to be ruined. Needless to say, it wasn't!

The cast is altogether delightful, but our favorite characters were Valerie (Carol Kane) and Miracle Max (Billy Crystal). Mr. Reiner talked about his experiences with Mr. Crystal, who ad-libbed some of his dialogue (including the "mutton, lettuce, and tomato sandwich"), resulting in Mr. Reiner having to leave the set for a time - his laughing kept interrupting the action.  The scenes are superb - from word one to the conclusion ("Have fun stormin' the castle").

This was Robin Wright's breakout film role - though the film "introduced" her, she had been on screen before. She had appeared on one TV show, a TV film, and a small part in Hollywood Vice Squad (1986). At the time she filmed The Princess Bride, she was a regular in the soap opera Santa Barbara (AFI Catalog).  Ms. Wright is very good, though I have a problem with one scene. When Westley is attacked by the Rodent of Unusual Size, Buttercup just stands there watching, and doesn't react until it finally goes after her. Princess, pick up a stick and hit the darn thing. If it kills Westley, it's going for you next!

I confess to not being a Mandy Patinkin fan, by and large, but as Inigo Montoya, he is perfect. He learned to fence with both hands for the film (as did Carey Elwes), and he plays Inigo straight. Had there been the slightest bit of satire in his demeanor, the part would have fallen flat. Because Inigo believes in his quest, we do to, and we root for him to find the man who killed his father.

Christopher Guest is wonderfully despicable as Count Rugan, and makes a perfect partner to Chris Sarandon's Prince Humperdink. Both play their roles with relish, and while they are a bit overstated, it really works in the film.

Before I close, I need to talk briefly about the frame story between the Grandfather and Grandson. The relationship between the two makes the film very special. The Grandson doesn't want to see his Grandfather because he will pinch the boy's cheek (of course he does), and the boy isn't really interested in the story at first, because it is not about sports, and because there is kissing. Yet, we feel the love between the two, and watch the boy become engroseed in this story which was also read to his father years before. Peter Falk just exudes love for his Grandson, and Fred Savage is the perfect pre-teen boy. Mr Falk's line, "when I was your age, television was called books" is marvelous! I looked forward to their "interruptions" in the main story.

While The Princess Bride was not a box-office bonanza, it did relatively well in initial release. Since then, it has become widely popular. It was named #88 on  AFI 100 Years, 100 Passions, and in 2016 it was added to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. It even has its own fan website; visit for trivia games and film clips.

We'll leave you with these scenes of Westley's signature line.