What’s your favourite
The Princess Bride
moment?
The Princess Bride is one of my all-time favourite movies. I saw it in the theatre when it first came out, which makes me a rarity amongst my fellow fans, since it was only a minor success when it was released. The studio’s marketers famously found it a difficult movie to sell and sum up in a 2-minute trailer and 30 second commercials, but what they did do was apparently aimed directly at me, since this movie-obsessed 12 year-old was DESPERATE to see it.
I ran out of that screening repeating “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to DIE!” over and over again. As soon as it came out on video I insisted my parents rent it. As soon as it became affordable to buy it, I insisted they buy it. As soon as it came out on DVD, I bought it. As soon as a special edition DVD with extra features came out, I bought it again. As soon as I got a Blu-ray player, I bought it again. And I will keep on buying it forever, because it’s a movie I must have in my collection–the sudden urge to see it can strike at any moment.
I can’t call it a universally beloved movie, because I have indeed met people who don’t like it. Cold, distant-eyed people whose hearts are two-sizes too small and who can’t explain what joy feels like, because it’s an alien concept to them. I don’t understand these people. They’re probably the same folks who prefer chocolate covered raisins over chocolate covered peanuts.
But they don’t matter. What matters is that I love this movie and I am not alone. My story is not unique. So much so that the star of the film, Cary Elwes, has taken the time to write a full-length book about it’s creation, featuring contributions from the cast and filmmakers. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales From the Making of The Princess Bride is out this week and I’m already an hour into the audiobook version, which I pre-ordered from Audible.
Knowing I was such a fan, our own Joanna Schroeder forwarded some questions I had for him and he was kind enough to answer back with the succinctness one would expect from a Dread Pirate–Roberts or otherwise.
Of all the characters you’ve played, which is the closest to the kind of man you most admire?
I think I admire Westley’s commitment to true love.
Out of the different real historical characters you’ve played, who’s your favourite?I liked Cabot Forbes from ‘Glory’.
What was your favourite part of working on a book about your best-loved work?
Going down memory lane.
What percentage of the Princess Bride questions you get asked regularly are about Andre?
A lot. I think people know just how sweet he was from looking at the movie. You can see it in his eyes.
To answer my own question, I don’t have a favourite The Princess Bride moment, because there’s too many for me to choose from. Perhaps you’re more selective and have one you can offer up. Or maybe you’re one of those probably-a-robots I mentioned earlier. Either way, it’s good. I’m happy.
–
“I’m not left-handed.” “Neither am I.”
I would say I have some favorite lines from this film, and here they are. 1. “No more rhyming now, I mean it!” “Anyone want a peanut?” “Gaaah!” 2. “Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togetter today” That line makes me laugh every time I hear it 3. And one of the best lines in the movie has to be “As you wish” It is few words, but they mean so much Yeah it took me many years to finally see this film, and once I did it was an instant classic for me. There are so many good things… Read more »
When we were little kids, we watched Princess Bride with a frightening regularity. My sisters and I would repeat the dialogue along with the characters (I’m sure my dad and stepmom really enjoyed that process), and even could act out the fight scenes, in particular the fights with the ROUSes in the swamp. I’m sure we made our youngest sister be the rodent, that’s just how it works. So even though I said in my tweet that the kissing parts were my favorite, that was just as a nod to Fred Savage’s awesome “is this a kissing book?” line in… Read more »
Not yet! I can only listen as fast as Cary reads. It’s funny because the first audiobook I ever listened to was David Niven’s “Bring On the Empty Horses” and Cary sounds just like him and it’s giving me serious deja vu.
For my favorite its a dead-tie between: (1) All things Vizzini: His battle of wits with Westley is EPIC (“But it’s so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy’s? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you.… Read more »
I am with Allan on this one… too many possibilities.
“To “blave””
“Have fun storming the castle”
They are endless.