If I had to make a list of the most influential movies of my childhood, The Princess Bride would be at least top three, if not number one. It had everything – to quote the posters: “Heroes. Giants. Villains. Wizards. True Love. Not just your basic, average, everyday, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, ho-hum fairy tale.” My sister and I loved it so much that we reenacted it with our cousins one hazy Labor Day weekend (we both played Buttercup).
Knowing how much this movie meant to me personally, it was wonderful to read about the recollections Cary Elwes, who played the memorable lead character, collected in his new book As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride. He covers everything from auditioning for the part of Westley and training with Mandy Patinkin for their sword duel to the twentieth anniversary of the film, and includes interviews from many of his costars and the production team.
I may be able to quote this movie back to front, but reading As You Wish gave me a rare treat – the ability to watch this old family favorite with a new eye and a different perspective. I was able to enter into the world of the film through Elwes and even found myself worrying that the movie wouldn’t be a hit, even though I knew that it would eventually become a cult classic. This book is fantastic for anyone who loved The Princess Bride or for anyone who enjoys the memoirs of Hollywood actors.
As always, you can put a hold on this book through the Deerfield Public Library catalog right now. While you wait, you can also check out William Goldman’s original tale of The Princess Bride or put a hold on the amazing film version! For more stories similar to the ones told in As You Wish, you can always check out “You Might Also Like These …” at the bottom of the book’s page in the catalog.
This review was previously published by the Deerfield Review.
