Reasons to Love The Princess Bride

This Charming Rob Reiner Romantic Comedy Continues to Delight

Jul 17, 2009

In The Princess Bride, romance represents only part of the fun with action, adventure, and comedy combining to make this film a cult classic.

This 1987 film, written by William Goldman and directed by Rob Reiner, explores different kinds of love (romantic, familial, and materialistic) and different kinds of people (a poor farmboy, a beautiful commoner, a weak prince, a vengeful swordsman, a simple-minded giant, a conniving businessman, and a sadistic count). The eclectic cast, outstanding script, creative direction, and excellent storytelling provide plenty of reasons to love this film, now available in various versions on DVD.

The essential story of The Princess Bride is simple: The lovely young Buttercup (Robin Wright [Penn]) and her handsome servant, Westley (Cary Elwes), are in love, but cannot marry because of his lowly station. He leaves her farm to learn a craft and make a name for himself, so they can marry someday. Seemingly insurmountable obstacles, however, make his return seem unlikely, and Buttercup reluctantly becomes engaged to a vile prince (Chris Sarandon) who has a hidden agenda.

The movie is based on a book by the same name, both written by William Goldman. Unlike the film, the book has no time/length restrictions and introduces additional characters (such as the tutor for Inigo the swordman) and many cases of expanded dialogue. The movie version cuts to the chase with essential characters only and condensed dialogue.

Rob Reiner Directed This Cult Classic

Rob Reiner directs this little-known (at the time) cast with a light touch, allowing the actors to find the clever nuances in the dialogue. He also enjoys the visual disparity between the three hired villains, played by Andre the Giant (Fezzik), average-sized Mandy Patinkin (Inigo), and diminutive Wallace Shawn (Vizzini), frequently comparing and contrasting their physical appearances through amusing camera angles and framing.

Rob Reiner, An Actor Turned Director

An accomplished actor who established his career in the 1970’s television sitcom All in the Family, Reiner began his work as a film director in 1984 with the rockumentary This is Spinal Tap (released July 2009 on Blu-ray). This debut was followed by the romantic comedy The Sure Thing in 1985 and the dark coming-of-age drama Stand by Me in 1986. The 1987 release of The Princess Bride came out right before Reiner’s iconic romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally in 1989, which many consider to be the best date film of all time.

Character Actors Include Christopher Guest, Billy Crystal

Cary Elwes (Saw) was not a well-known actor at the time, having starred in the relatively obscure films Lady Jane (1986) and Another County (1984) previously. Perfectly cast as Westley, he displays the charm, physical agility, comic timing, and good looks to pull off a very challenging role.

Likewise, Robin Wright Penn (who temporarily left her soap opera gig to play the title role) portrayed her character with amazing grace, beauty, and innocence.

These two leads were surrounded by a colorful assortment of character actors with diverse looks, styles, and talents. Christopher Guest (a Reiner friend from This is Spinal Tap) plays a deliciously evil Count Rugen, Mel Smith portrays a cruel albino, and Billy Crystal depicts an ancient miracle man who once worked for the king, among the many comical supporting characters included in the film.

Many of the lines from this movie have become part of popular culture. Inigo’s “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die,” Westley’s “As you wish,” the grandfather’s “When I was your age, television was called books,” and Fezzik’s “Which way’s my way?” among the popular favorites. The film also introduced audiences to new concepts including Rodents of Unusual Size and The Pit of Despair.

A True Love Story

Most romantic comedies these days push the limits of a PG-13 rating, with some venturing into R-rated territory for nudity, graphic sexuality, or crudeness. Through proficient acting, directing, and writing, The Princess Bride manages to convey sweet romance, true love, and unquenched desire without shedding any clothing or uttering any profanity.

The copyright of the article Reasons to Love The Princess Bride in Romantic Comedy Films is owned by Leslie C. Halpern. Permission to republish Reasons to Love The Princess Bride in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.