The Princess Bride (1987)

A classic fairy tale, with swordplay, giants, an evil prince, a beautiful princess, and yes, some kissing (as read by a kindly grandfather).

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writers:

William Goldman (book), William Goldman (screenplay)

Stars:

Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon

Top 250 #193 | Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cary Elwes	...	Westley
Mandy Patinkin	...	Inigo Montoya
Chris Sarandon	...	Prince Humperdinck
Christopher Guest	...	Count Tyrone Rugen
Wallace Shawn	...	Vizzini
André the Giant	...	Fezzik (as Andre the Giant)
Fred Savage	...	The Grandson
Robin Wright	...	The Princess Bride
Peter Falk	...	The Grandfather / Narrator
Peter Cook	...	The Impressive Clergyman
Mel Smith	...	The Albino
Carol Kane	...	Valerie
Billy Crystal	...	Miracle Max
Anne Dyson	...	The Queen
Margery Mason	...	The Ancient Booer

Storyline

A kindly grandfather sits down with his ill grandson and reads him a story. The story is one that has been passed down from father to son for generations. As the grandfather reads the story, the action comes alive. The story is a classic tale of love and adventure as the beautiful Buttercup, engaged to the odious Prince Humperdinck, is kidnapped and held against her will in order to start a war, It is up to Westley (her childhood beau, now returned as the Dread Pirate Roberts) to save her. On the way he meets a thief and his hired helpers, an accomplished swordsman and a huge, super strong giant, both of whom become Westley's companions in his quest.

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Plot Keywords:

prince | grandfather | swamp | pirate | princess | 

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Taglines:

It's as real as the feelings you feel

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 September 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

La princesa prometida

Filming Locations:

Burnham Beeches, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$16,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$30,857,814 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Act III Communications, Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cary Elwes was cast because of what Rob Reiner called his Douglas Fairbanks or Errol Flynn quality. Fairbanks and Flynn both played Robin Hood (Fairbanks in Robin Hood and Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood). Later Elwes spoofed their performances in Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

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Goofs

The state of the Grandson's peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

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Quotes

[first lines]
The Mother: Hi, honey.
The Grandson: Hi, Mom.

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Connections

Referenced in Suburban Knights (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Storybook Love"
Written and Performed by Willy DeVille

User Reviews

Fantastic and funny fairy tale

I love this movie! It's sweet, but with satirical humor. The dialogue is great and the adventure scenes are fun. Rob Reiner shows an excellent touch once again with comedy and a childlike point of view. It manages to be whimsical romantic while laughing at the conventions of the fairy tale genre. I would recommend it to just about anyone. I've seen it several times, and I'm always happy to see it again whenever I have a friend who hasn't seen it yet. I haven't watched it with any kids, but I think it has lots for them too. There are wonderful quotes throughout. I think Mandy Patinkin absolutely steals the scenes he is in as the Spaniard Inigo Montoya, bent on avenging his father's death. I gave it 8 out of 10 mainly because it feels very light, but I may go back and change to 9 thinking of how happy this movie makes me and it's rewatchability.