“As you wish.” Probably three of the most iconic words in pop culture history, uttered by one of the most recognizable characters in movie history. Seriously, you’d have to be living under a rock not to know those words!
“At that very moment, the door to the ornate room opened and in walked the giant himself… Andre. It was like a scene from an old Western where the guy enters the saloon and everyone stops what they’re doing, including the piano player.”
Cary Elwes’ memoir of his time on the set of The Princess Bride is a terrific little gem, littered with anecdotes and perspectives from other cast members, as well as Rob Reiner and William Goldman.
Why is this on our bookshelf?
Do I even need to answer this? C’mon…. it’s a peek behind the scenes of one of the best movies ever!
Don’t believe me? The Princess Bride made it onto the 100 Greatest Film Love Stories (American Film Institute), is on Bravo’s list of 100 Funniest Movies, and Goldman’s script is ranked by Writer’s Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays ever produced.
Where else can you read about Andre The Giant’s legendary drinking habits, or even more legendary flatulence? Or read about William Goldman ruining filming during the Fire Swamp scene by shouting “OH, MY GOD! HER DRESS IS ON FIRE! SHE’S ON FIRE!” when Buttercup’s dress catches? Only in this book!
Rating (4 stars)
I”m not generally a fan of autobiographies/memoirs, so the “me, me, me” tone was a bit much in the beginning. However the incredible tales Elwes recounts quickly distracted me from that little dislike.
Even if you’re a casual fan, this is worth picking up. It was almost impossible to put down once I got started.
Read this book:
If you love The Princess Bride, you’ll enjoy the little bits of insanity and hilarity from the set.
Don't Read this book:
…if I’m pressed to find a reason, it might take some of the magic away from the movie knowing exactly how things were done.
Once you're done, do this:
Watch The Princess Bride. Geez. Simple as that!
