The Princess Bride

1987  PG  FANTASY  1h 38min

CAST— Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, Robin Wright, Peter Falk, Fred Savage, Billy Crystal

MUSIC— Mark Knopfler  DIRECTOR— Rob Reiner  BASED ON— The Princess Bride (novel), by William Goldman

     A thoroughly entertaining fairy tale that even the guys can appreciate. A young boy sick in bed has a visit from his grandfather, who presents to his grandson a book whose story has enthralled under the weather children in their family for generations. It’s a tale of daring, adventure, and most importantly, love. Long ago a beautiful young woman named Buttercup fell in love with her farmhand Westley, a poor man who decided that if he was to marry the fair maiden he should first make his fortune. Sometime later, reports reached Buttercup that her beloved was killed by a notorious pirate. For five years she grieved. Even when the prince chose her to be his bride she still had love for no one other than Westley. Before she was to marry the prince, an odd trio of kidnappers seized her. The leader of the gang planned to kill her and blame the crimes on a neighboring kingdom, thereby inciting war between the two nations. But he didn’t count on a mysterious stranger following them, subduing them one by one and rescuing the soon-to-be princess. The stranger was then revealed to be her beloved Westley, who’d been masquerading as the very pirate who had supposedly killed him. As the tale progresses the grandfather’s story begins to capture the imagination of his grandson, who’s really into it now. As it turns out, the prince had orchestrated Buttercup’s kidnapping and planned her murder, until Westley came along. Shortly, the two kidnappers whom Westley had earlier subdued were proven honorable. They then teamed up with Westley to storm the prince’s castle, rescue the girl and save the day. Though told as a fantasy there’s actually very little offered that one might call fantastical when compared to films of the same era such as Legend (1985) and Labyrinth (1986). What is here though, is a purely character-driven story; never mind what’s going on and why it’s going on, just enjoy the ride. The characters are both broad and relatable, ones that continue to entertain both longtime fans and newcomers alike. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.

OUR RATING— ***