As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden

               While there are diehard The Princess Bride fans in the world, I cannot claim to be one of them.  I like the movie, but I cannot quote every line nor do I have each scene memorized.  Now, if we’re talking about Clue, that’s an entirely different story.  That one I can quote very well from as well as run some of the scenes through my head.  However, that does not mean The Princess Bride is not memorable to me.  It is.  In fact, I would find it hard to believe that anyone would not see this film as memorable.  There are so many great parts that I would think at least one thing would stick into each person’s head.  For some it will be the sword fighting while others will remember the game of wits scene with the poison.  Others may recall the fire swamp with the Rodents of Unusual Size.  No matter what someone remembers most, I am pretty sure Cary Elwes covers it in his book, As You Wish.  If he doesn’t, I would be very surprised.      

                As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, covers Mr. Elwes’ experience with the film from the time he was introduced to the part of Westley to the surprising success of the film only after it went to VHS.  In between are stories of Mr. Elwes’ experiences, thoughts, and feelings while making the film.  Each story, no matter what was happening, is told with a great fondness and a warm humor.  There was such a great chemistry between everyone and it made the filming an enjoyable experience for those involved.  While some of that had to do with the actors themselves, it was clear a lot of it was because of the director, Rob Reiner.   

                According to the book, Rob Reiner is the reason The Princess Bride was made into a film in the first place.  For years people had tried to adapt the novel, but it never quite worked out.  Then Mr. Reiner came on the scene and did what no one else had managed to do.  He took a story people loved and made it into a film people cherish, all with a specific vision and a kind heart.  From everything I read about Mr. Reiner in As You Wish, I think he would be a fabulous director to work for and deserves far more recognition than he receives.

                Another person that was consistently mentioned affectionately was André the Giant.  He played the giant, Fezzik.  Throughout the entire book Mr. Elwes talked about how kind and caring a man André was.  He kept everyone comfortable on the set, no matter what they were doing.  When someone was distressed over something, André always knew the right thing to say.  Mr. Elwes stated many times how sad it is that André the Giant is no longer with us.  I have to agree.                          

                Another subject that was often mentioned was all the fencing training Mr. Elwes and Mandy Patinkin (Inigo Montoya) had to do for their infamous swordfight.  Both actors came into the film with little swordplay experience but were determined to do the scene without stunt doubles.  This meant they had to train and practice non-stop in order to put the scene together.  In fact, most of the stunts throughout the film were done by the actors themselves.  Yes, stunt doubles were used in some scenes, but much of the work the actors did, and they gained some interesting tales to tell along the way.                 

                There are so many great stories in this book that I am finding it hard to decide which ones to mention.  I could talk about how hilarious Billy Crystal was with his part as Miracle Max.  Then there are the stories about how everyone fell in love with Robin Wright (Buttercup).  Wallace Shawn (Vizzini) was certainly interesting as he kept thinking he was about to be fired.  Mr. Elwes also had those concerns from time to time, especially after he was injured in a most peculiar way.  I could bring up so many things I read about in the book, but I think I will leave everything where it is.  That way you can discover the stories on your own and choose which ones you like best.

                While the book is primarily about Mr. Elwes’ experience, there are a lot of sidebar stories from others involved in the film.  Reading their stories as well helped give an even broader picture of how The Princess Bride was made.  Some of these other stories are very positive and funny while others show that at times there was some angst.  No matter what type is being told, it is clear that the storyteller holds their memories of The Princess Bride fondly and they are happy to have been a part of something that has been loved, and continues to be loved, for a long time.