As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

By Cary Elwes, Joe Layden and Rob Reiner

From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes the New York Times bestselling account of the making of the cult classic film filled with never-before-told stories, exclusive photographs, and interviews with costars Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Mandy Patinkin, as well as author and screenwriter William Goldman, producer Norman Lear, and director Rob Reiner.

The Princess Bride has been a family favorite for close to three decades. Ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time, The Princess Bride will continue to resonate with audiences for years to come.

Cary Elwes was inspired to share his memories and give fans an unprecedented look into the creation of the film while participating in the twenty-fifth anniversary cast reunion. In As You Wish he has created an enchanting experience; in addition to never-before seen photos and interviews with his fellow cast mates, there are plenty of set secrets and backstage stories.

With a foreword by Rob Reiner and a limited edition original poster by acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey, As You Wish is a must-have for all fans of this beloved film.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Release date: Oct 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781476764030

Cary Elwes

Cary Elwes is a celebrated English actor who starred in The Princess Bride before moving on to roles in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Glory, Days of Thunder, Twister, and Saw, among many other acclaimed performances. He will always be indebted to The Princess Bride, he says, for changing his life and giving him a career that has spanned decades. He lives in Hollywood, California, with his family. Find out more about Cary Elwes on Twitter @Cary_Elwes.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

NEW YORK, OCTOBER 2, 2012

Standing onstage at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, surrounded by cast members and some of the crew, many of whom I’ve not seen in years, I feel an almost overwhelming sense of gratitude and nostalgia. We have gathered here at the New York Film Festival to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Princess Bride, a movie whose popularity and resonance now span generations.

That fact alone boggles the mind—how such a quirky and modestly conceived film could achieve such a lofty position in the pantheon of popular culture. What really strikes me, though, as I look down the row at the faces of my fellow actors, is how quickly the time has passed. Has it really been twenty-five years? A quarter century? The passing of time is most critically noted by those who are missing, the great Peter Falk and that gentle mountain of a man, André the Giant. But to counter that sadness is the camaraderie of being back with those who are here tonight and who stood alongside me so many years ago: Rob Reiner, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, Wallace Shawn, Chris Sarandon, and Mandy Patinkin, not to mention Robin Wright, looking as lovely as she did the day I first laid eyes on her so many years ago. Then again, she has always set a rather ridiculously high standard for beauty, and that seems not to have changed. The only ones who couldn’t make it were Christopher Guest and Fred Savage, who unfortunately were busy working on other projects.

This is a night of red carpets and remembrance, of interviews and a screening filled with laughter and joy. It is also only the third time that I have seen the film in its entirety with an audience since its initial screening in 1987 at the Toronto Film Festival. That previous event, while successful, did not exactly produce the sort of response one would expect of a film destined to become a classic.

Is it fair to call The Princess Bride a classic? The storybook story about pirates and princesses, giants and wizards, Cliffs of Insanity and Rodents of Unusual Size? It’s certainly one of the most often quoted films in cinema history, with lines like:

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

Inconceivable!

Anybody want a peanut?

Have fun storming the castle.

Never get involved in a land war in Asia.

Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.

Rest well, and dream of large women.

I hate for people to die embarrassed.

Please consider me as an alternative to suicide.

This is true love. You think this happens every day?

Get used to disappointment.

I’m not a witch. I’m your wife.

Mawidge. That bwessed awangement!

You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you… "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die."

Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.

Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!

There’s a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours.

And of course…

As you wish.

Classic: a small word that carries enormous weight, although sometimes it’s tossed around a bit too casually; a reputation earned over the course of time, and given only to those rare films that stand up to repeated viewings. That being said, The Princess Bride has aged remarkably well. I think this is in part because of the quality of the writing, the directing, and the wonderful ensemble of actors I had the sheer pleasure of working with.

Even though it is the fans who have truly kept the memory of the movie alive, each of us in the cast has remembrances of making the film, things that have stayed with us over the years. All of us have stories about encounters or moments, like being approached and asked to recite a favorite Princess Bride line. Mandy swears that barely a day goes by that he isn’t asked by someone, somewhere, to recite Inigo Montoya’s most famous words, in which he vows vengeance on behalf of his father.

And I never let them down, he says.

I read somewhere recently that a passenger on a plane was asked to leave the flight as his Montoya T-shirt bearing that infamous line frightened one of the passengers who had never seen the movie. After it was explained to them, apparently the T-shirted passenger was allowed to stay on the aircraft.

Mandy, himself, has a long and impressive résumé. The man has won a Tony, an Emmy, and countless other honors. But, like most of us at Lincoln Center tonight, he knows that someday his obituary will feature, more prominently than anything else, his affiliation with The Princess Bride.

And that’s just fine with him, as it is with all of us.

There might be a shortage of perfect breasts in the world, but there is no shortage of actors who achieve a degree of recognition or fame due to the popularity (or, in some cases, the ignominy, which is an entirely different story) of a specific movie and their role within that movie. It can become a blessing or a curse; sometimes a little of both, depending on the circumstances. Over the past three decades I’ve appeared in nearly a hundred movies and television shows. I’ve been a leading man and a supporting actor and worked in almost every genre. But whatever else I’ve done or whatever else I might do, The Princess Bride will always be the work with which I am most closely associated; and Westley, with his wisp of a mustache and ponytail, the character with whom I will be forever linked.

Not Glory, which earned higher critical praise upon release and won more awards; not Days of Thunder or Twister, both of which were summer blockbusters. Not even Saw, which was shot in eighteen days on a budget smaller than most movies spend on catering, and earned more than $100 million; and that’s just fine by me.

When I started The Princess Bride I was very young and fairly new to the world of film. I was cast in a movie that frankly could have been interpreted as preposterous, were it not for the fact that it was so well written, so well directed, and populated with such a ridiculously talented cast. As I look around the stage at Rob Reiner, the director, and William Goldman, the writer, who so deftly and lovingly adapted the screenplay from his equally imaginative novel, I think how incredibly fortunate I was to have been part of this project. To have been plucked from relative obscurity and dropped onto a set with these two insanely talented men and this extraordinary cast.

I’d be lying if I told you we had even the slightest inkling that our movie, made on a modest budget over a period of less than four months, and shot in and around London and the magnificent Peak District of Derbyshire, was destined to become a classic. But I think it withstands the rigors of time because it seems to be a timeless story—a tale of love and romance. Of heroes and villains. And, although it is a film from the 1980s, there is nothing on the screen that betrays its birth date (notwithstanding perhaps the Rodents of Unusual Size).

Instead of a bouncy techno-pop sound track, you have the elegant slide guitar of Mark Knopfler; instead of big hair and shoulder pads, you have the period style of a swashbuckler and a princess. Perhaps the only thing that serves as a time stamp is Fred Savage’s video game at the very start of the movie (which, by the way, is where the film gets its first laugh). It is, of course, a movie within a movie. A story within a story, much like the book itself. Even in the scenes between Peter Falk and Fred Savage, a grandfather reading to his bedridden sick grandson, there is a timeless grace and elegance to the filmmaking. And then there is the dialogue:

They’re kissing again. Do we have to read the kissing parts?

What preteen boy hasn’t said that or thought that? Or at least something like that? It’s the kind of dialogue that holds up. It endures. In fact, like a good wine without iocane powder, it seems to get better with time.

The movie, believe it or not, opened to mostly positive, if occasionally befuddled, critical response. Even those who praised the movie weren’t quite sure what to think. Was it a comedy? A romance? An adventure story? A fantasy? The fact is, it was all of those things and more. But Hollywood abhors that which is not easily categorized, and so the film didn’t quite gain the kind of traction it might have deserved, grossing a respectable, though hardly overwhelming, $30.8 million in its first run ($60 million when adjusted for inflation). This meant it made almost twice the budget, but still only a tenth of what that year’s top-grossing movie, Fatal Attraction, made only the week before.

Within a few months of finishing the movie, we all moved on with our lives, putting The Princess Bride in our respective rearview mirrors. There were other projects, other films, families to raise, careers to nurture. And then—though I can’t pinpoint the time when it actually occurred—a strange thing began to happen: The Princess Bride came back to life. Much of this can be attributed to timing—in particular to the newly developing video market. The Princess Bride came to be enormously popular in the VHS format. And it was via this relatively new medium that the film began to gain traction, and not simply as a rental. After careful scrutiny by those who do these things, it became clear that fans were not only recommending it to friends and family members, they also began purchasing a copy for their own home libraries. It became that rare kind of movie that was viewed and enjoyed, and ultimately beloved by entire families. Copies of it were being passed down from generation to generation in much the same manner that children were introduced to the magic of The Wizard of Oz by nostalgic parents who wanted to share one of their favorite movies. So, too, was The Princess Bride uniquely family entertainment. Parents with their children, and even their grandchildren, could watch the movie together, and each enjoy it for what it was. There was nothing condescending or embarrassing about it. Nothing offensive. It seemed to be as smart and funny on the tenth viewing as it was on the first.

Today The Princess Bride is acknowledged and recognized as one of the more popular and successful films in Hollywood history. It is ranked among the 100 Greatest Film Love Stories by the American Film Institute, is on Bravo’s list of the 100 Funniest Movies, and Goldman’s script is ranked by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays ever produced.

All of these things, and a whole lot more, were running through my head that night at Lincoln Center. At some point during the evening, we all were asked what the movie meant to us. There wasn’t time for me to adequately put into words exactly how I felt, so that’s what I’m trying to do now with this book. The film really gave me a career in the arts and the life that I have today, a life I feel privileged to enjoy. That’s not an overstatement. Other movies have surely helped, but this was the one that put me on the map and allowed me to stay there.

I still get fan mail today from children all over the world, sending me drawings and sketches of pirates dueling, or of princesses kissing them. I even have to be careful not to walk down the wrong aisle at Toys R Us, lest I find myself suddenly under siege by little tykes with plastic swords and shields.

Everyone associated with the film has heard stories by now of Princess Bride weddings, where the bride and groom are dressed as Buttercup and Westley and the pastor even recites Peter Cook’s dialogue from the movie. Or the late-night dress-up interactive screenings, not unlike the ones they do for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, where things like peanuts are thrown at the screen after Fezzik’s now famous line. The Princess Bride nights at the Alamo Drafthouse cinemas, a national restaurant/movie house, have become so popular that they now produce their own licensed Princess Bride wine.

I can’t speak for everyone, but I consider it a blessing. Clearly The Princess Bride has become a truly remarkable phenomenon. The film has literally millions of devotees. They know every line, every character, every scene. And, if they’d like to know a little bit more about how their favorite film was made, as seen through the eyes of a young actor who got much more than he bargained for, then all I can say is… As you wish.

1

MEETING ROB

BERLIN, JUNE 29, 1986

The note simply read: IMPORTANT.

It was a message from my agent, Harriet Robinson, that had been slipped under my door by a bellhop at the Hotel Kempinski, where I was staying.

I immediately picked up the phone and dialed her number. This would be the call that actually changed my life. After I reached Harriet on the line she began to tell me that she had arranged an important meeting for me. That the director of This Is Spinal Tap, Rob Reiner, and his producing partner, Andy Scheinman, were planning on coming to Berlin to see me.

Really?

Yes.

What for?

She said they were hamstrung by a tight preproduction schedule and were still looking for an actor to play the pivotal role of Westley in a film version of The Princess Bride.

"Not The Princess Bride by William Goldman?"

I think so, yes, came the response.

I couldn’t believe it. This was a book I had read when I was just thirteen. And here I was being considered for one of the leads by the director and the producer. Fortunately, for me, they did not change their plans.

A little backstory on where I was at that time. I was a neophyte, just twenty-three, with only a handful of films to my credit. But I already knew what I wanted out of life. I knew I wanted to be an actor. I was born and raised in London and briefly attended the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art, one of the world’s most prestigious training grounds for serious stage actors. I enjoyed studying but my ultimate goal back then was simply to be a working actor, preferably in film. Besides, I had already done plenty of studying when I moved to New York to attend the Actors Studio and the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. After leaving LAMDA, I picked up an agent, Harriet, and started going out on auditions.

I’d already been a production assistant on a handful of movies, including the James Bond feature Octopussy, where I had the unique experience of being asked to drive Bond himself, Roger Moore, to work a couple of times. I was a nervous wreck, I can tell you. All that kept going through my mind was, What if I killed Bond on the way to work in a traffic accident? How’d that be? It would certainly put a halt to my burgeoning career in the film industry. I could already see the headlines: Lowly Production Assistant Kills Bond! During one of our early-morning drives, Mr. Moore actually looked up from his newspaper and said, in that very calm and collected manner of his, You can speed up a little if you want to.

By the mid-1980s, I had a résumé that was short but not unimpressive. My first movie, released in 1984, was Another Country, a historical drama based on a popular West End play by Julian Mitchell, with Rupert Everett and Colin Firth. I had costarred with Helena Bonham Carter in Lady Jane, director Trevor Nunn’s period drama about Lady Jane Grey, the nine-day queen of England whose brief reign followed the death of King Edward VI. Apparently this was the film that Rob had been able to see, and the one that convinced him to take a chance on me.

After I wrapped Lady Jane, Trevor Nunn offered me an opportunity to spend a year in residency with the Royal Shakespeare Company, of which he was the director. I was flattered almost to the point of distraction—most young actors would kill for such an opportunity. But by this time I was living in London, and I knew that spending a year with the RSC, as prestigious as it was, would be the equivalent of doing graduate work in theater: the compensation wouldn’t even cover my rent. Nevertheless, I seriously considered the offer, as it came from a talented director whom I admired and still admire a great deal. Might things have been different for me had I said yes? Who knows? I have very few regrets about the life I’ve been fortunate to lead. But this much seems certain: if I had taken up residency with the RSC, I would not have been free to accept the role of Westley. In fact, I might not have even been considered. You could say I was rather lucky, for as it turned out, I happened to be in the right place at the right time.

By the time Rob Reiner had started looking for someone to play his leading man, I had a body of work that was thin but perhaps worth investigating. Through fate or skilled representation or a combination of these I came under consideration for the role of the farmhand turned pirate, Westley—a character created in a renowned novel that had long been considered incapable of being adapted for the screen. And one that I had already read and enjoyed as a kid.

How did that come to be? Well, it turns out my stepfather had worked in the literary department of the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles and, after leaving to make movies, had produced William Goldman’s very first screenplay, adapted from the novel The Moving Target, by Ross Macdonald. The film version was released in 1966 under that same title in Britain but was renamed Harper for release in the United States, where it became a modest hit and helped further establish the stardom of its young lead, Paul Newman. And it wasn’t bad for Goldman, either, who won an Edgar Award for best screenplay and subsequently became one of the hottest writers in Hollywood.

Being a huge fan of Goldman’s, my stepfather naturally kept a copy of The Princess Bride in his library and one day gave it to me to read. Needless to say, I loved it. I remember reading the author’s own description of the good bits from S. Morgenstern’s fictitious novel:

Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautiful ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Pain. Death. Brave men. Cowardly men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles.

Now if that didn’t sound exciting to a thirteen-year-old, nothing would.

When the call came from Harriet, I was in Berlin shooting a little indie film called Maschenka, based on a semiautobiographical novel by Vladimir Nabokov, the man who gave us one of the most controversial examples of twentieth-century literature, Lolita. The film was a British-Finnish-German coproduction and was being shot in both Germany and Finland.

This was the early summer of 1986, only a few months after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which had caused quite a fear at the time. Harriet actually told me that Rob and Andy had seriously thought about canceling their trip because of the whole nuclear thing. My recollection is that it wasn’t of much concern to those of us working on our small European coproduction. I recall a crew meeting being called on a set in a place called Katajanokka, in Helsinki, only a week before and being told that there was nothing to fear because the winds were in our favor and that the fallout was likely to be blown in another direction. We were warned, however, that as a precaution we probably shouldn’t drink the local milk. At least not until it had been declared safe. Like a good many of the others on the crew, I went back to work, scratching my head, wondering if we shouldn’t be taking the whole thing more seriously. We were, after all, only eight hundred miles away from the accident. All I can say is that insurance policies for the film industry back then were not as sophisticated as they are now, so shutting down production wasn’t really an option.

Anyway, not exactly what you want to hear, but the show did indeed go on. And, as far as I know, no one got sick from the experience, thank God. The last few weeks of the shoot took place in Berlin at Studio Babelsberg, which is how I came to be staying at the Kempinski.

I pressed for more information from Harriet. She said all she knew was that Rob and Andy were trying to meet as many British actors who might be right for the part, and that they were obviously interested in me. I subsequently found out that Rob had gotten a call from the casting director, Jane Jenkins, suggesting that he watch Lady Jane, and if he liked it, fly out to meet me. It seemed reasonable to think that I was in good shape if they were traveling such a long way—and not only that but to a region that might be contaminated with radioactive material. I wasn’t accustomed to this level of interest, and (even though it happens quite often now) no director had ever come to visit me on location before.

Do I have to read for the part? I asked, dreading the answer.

It’s possible, since they’re coming all that way, Harriet replied.

As an actor you lose far more roles than you gain at readings. You learn pretty early on that most things are beyond your control, and that it is better to let go and let God and to get used to disappointment, as Goldman so eloquently had the Man in Black say in the movie. I kept trying to tell myself there would always be another film, another job on the horizon—that it didn’t matter. But deep down I knew I wasn’t kidding anyone, least of all myself. This was far from being just another job. This was two of my heroes, Bill Goldman and Rob Reiner, working together!

Although the novel was published in 1973 to immediate acclaim and passionate reader response, it was already thirteen years old by the time I was approached to play the role of Westley. Goldman’s screenplay, which he had adapted from his own book, had in fact become something of a legendary property in Hollywood circles, having been declared by those in power at the studios as an impossible film to make.

ANDY SCHEINMAN

We were trying to meet all the actors who might be capable of playing Westley, and I seem to remember Colin Firth was one of them. We get a call saying there’s this kid you should see, he’s in East Germany. So all I remember is it was right after Chernobyl. And I’m not crazy about going to East Germany. I’m looking at maps, and they have gray areas where the nuclear fallout is and I don’t like it. And Rob was like, Don’t go if you don’t want to. But I did. I just remember running fast into the hotel, like that’s going to do anything. And literally

Reviews for As You Wish

[jlharmon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Princess Bride is my favorite movie. While not quite as magical as The Princess Bride movie, this book was everything I wanted. Behind the scenes stories. Funny anecdotes. Fencing training. Andre the giant. There's all sorts of details in the movie that I never caught, but now I just want to watch it over and over. So much love and fun went into that movie.

I went to a book signing with Cary Elwes and it was one of the best book signings. I started reading the book, but left it at home for Christmas break because it was too big, but I started the audio book instead and it was even better. I loved that all the actors and other involved persons shared their own memories. This book was surprisingly emotional, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[gaillamontagne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you loved The Princes Bride as my family and I did, you will enjoy this memoir delivered in audio form by "Wesley" himself. This book is heartwarming and humorous giving it's fans a backstage peek into the lives of the people who wrote and brought to life this marvelous movie. Cary, being a young man 23 with a bud of a career, expresses his gratitude and humility to have been chosen to be a part of this production. He has the ability to laugh at himself as he shares his experiences with Andre the Giant, (7 feet 4 inches), who actually was a "gentle giant", Rob Reiner the directer who encouraged the best out of his actors, and Bily Crystal who was only filming on the set for 3 days yet had an enormous impact on the movie with his humor as Miracle Max. This backstage account only helps you appreciate every scene even more than you already do. Wesley and Indigo did not use stunt doubles for the fencing scenes but only for the gymnastics. It took 8 hours a day of practice right up until the sword fight was filmed. I truly enjoyed listening to and learning more about one of my favorite movies. Waitresses take "Wesley's" order in a restaurant and then leave saying, "As you wish".

[imperfectcj · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I love The Princess Bride (movie and book), but it turns out I don't love making-of stories, especially those that are primarily filled with actors gushing about how brilliant everyone on the movie is and what a blessing it was to work with such brilliant, hard-working people. Come to think of it, I think all of the making-of things I've watched or read do this same gushing. Not that I would want to read about a bunch of people complaining about everyone who worked on the movie and saying how amazed they are that the film turned out to be as popular and enduring as it was given that everyone hated making it. It's just that neither option would seem more pointless than the other.I did enjoy Wallace Shawn's perspective on the film and on his part in it, and Cary Elwes's impressions were fun, but aside from those, this audiobook didn't really do much for me. Well, except to remind me that there are essentially two women in the entire film, one of whom is a total damsel in distress, a fact that I try not to think about because it diminishes the pleasure I take watching an otherwise beloved movie. Thank you, Mr. Elwes, for bringing up such a painful subject. While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?

[C Hume · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As a huge fan of the movie, this book provided a lot of fun insight into the making of it. I enjoyed the fun anecdotes and they hugely increased my appreciation for the film.

[Hugo Rabson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book immensely. My wife and I enjoyed the anecdotes so much.

[Jan Dumas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed reading a behind the scenes look at movie making and especially enjoyed the background on the greatest sword fight in modern times

[Michelle Gershon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Reading about the making of one of my favorite films has added to my joy in watching that film. To know how much the people involved in this lovely movie enjoyed making it, how they bonded, adds to my personal enjoyment. That these people succeeded in making this film what it is has much to do with the friendships they formed and the joy they felt. Thank you Cary Elwes for sharing your experiences.

[PHDPT · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A heart-felt story of the filming of perhaps the sweetest story of all time. A must read for any fans of the film and a reminder to revisit and share this timeless classic.

[Amy Linebaugh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cary is a wonderful storyteller. He painted such a vivid picture of his experience making this movie. And you can tell that everyone involved had so much love for the piece. I cried multiple times while reading... then went and bought a copy for my best friend so he can experience it too.

[kylelundy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Delightful. Education on how a movie is executed and put together about one of the best movies of all time.

[chris · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love the film, and I've found even more to love about it in this book. It was very enlightening and impressive to experience all the production highlights aswell as the casting and the screenings through the eyes of one of the lead actors. I've gained a new found respect for actors, directors and everyone else participating in making a film through this. I've also realized that shooting a movie is more complex than I initially thought, although one has to keep in mind that a lot has changed since the 80s. The book does show many of these technical things to someone as unfamiliar with the subject as me, but the focus always lies on the personal experience of Cary and the sense of family and kinship with the cast etc. he develops over time, because that is what he feels makes the film special.

[billiebook · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Charming, though I will admit that teh ARC I had was riddled with grammatical and punctuation errors that were making me a bit crazy. But, it's Westley writing about his time working on The Princess Bride, so how could I help but be delighted, in spite of its flaws.

[wealhtheowwylfing · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cary Elwes describes his experiences being cast in, acting in, and then experiencing the unexpected upwelling of fandom for cult hit The Princess Bride. It's written in a workman like, plain style that doesn't make Elwes seem particularly clever or insightful, but does give the impression of a man trying hard to give back to his fans. I enjoyed the numerous inserts with comments by the other actors and crew members, the behind the scenes pictures, and the anecdotes, especially those about Andre the Giant and the months and months Elwes and Patinkin spent rehearsing their famous swordfight. For the stories of their sword training alone, this was worth a read.

[bostonian71 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Essential reading for any fan of romance/comedy/adventure classic. Elwes' memoir takes you through all the stages of preproduction, shooting, and unexpected popularity for "The Princess Bride", focusing mainly on his perspective as a then-unknown actor who is continually thanking his lucky stars to be part of such a fascinating movie. This attitude of humility and gratitude is echoed by the various other participants he has solicited memories from, and sometimes the mutual admiration society of Elwes, writer William Goldman, director Rob Reiner, and fellow actors Billy Crystal, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, etc. gets to be a bit much. However, this is far outweighed by all the wonderful behind-the-scenes details, told with much humor and insight by someone who sincerely enjoyed shooting the best swordfight and the best kiss of all time. I look forward to buying my own copy so I can first read it out loud to my wife, and then watch the movie with the book in hand -- almost as good as having Elwes and company by my side providing a commentary track.

[Robert Bersch · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you are a fan of the movie you will enjoy this making of book. Very cool and a flowing read.

[Angie Kozak · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Almost as much fun as watching the movie. A great memoir

[ladypembroke · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've heard several of the stories included within this book over the years. I am of the firm belief (and should set up a Tumblr for it) that for every situation, no matter how odd or bizarre, there is an appropriate Princess Bride quote. Getting to hear Cary's tales in his voice, and the voice of so many of his colleagues on the movie, was a joy. You definitely miss the voices of Andre and Peter and several others, but what you get is worth the listen.

[hskey-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Delightful - Cary Elwes' voice is like melted butter and his impressions are hilarious. This worked really well as an audiobook since we got to hear from Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, Wallace Shawn and Rob Reiner (to name a few) and their voices are so iconic and unforgettable that it feels like hearing from an old friend.

The Andre stories were a highlight, as expected. It's a sentimental but sweet and endearing read/listen, and it just made me want to watch the movie again.

[cecrow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In the 1980s there were three brands of fantasy films: the try-too-hards, the just-for-kids, and the let's-make-fun. At first blush I felt 'The Princess Bride' steered too close on the making-fun side to be a really great movie, but there wasn't anything to cling to that bore any comparison with the epic genre fiction I was reading. It was the best of a bad bunch. Now that we've had some better takes, I'm far more comfortable with it. Nostalgic, even.

Carey Elwes, its leading star, takes us back to the making of that film. His own journey was overwhelmingly one of learning how to fence, but the highlights of his story centre on how the right people all came together to work with a perfect script. There's really very little to quibble with in the film's numerous highlight sequences and its dialogue is fantastic, something they all appreciated at the time. He is complimentary to everyone, but this is fully deserved; the on-set comradery was real and these people still remain friends decades later, something that can't be said for most productions. His Andre the Giant stories are especially good and highlight what a wonderful man the pro wrestler was.

I listened to the audio version, read by the author. He put a nuance on some lines that I might have found pompous to read but sounded fine when spoken. I was pleased and surprised by the numerous other people who interrupted to read their own quotes: Rob Reiner, Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, etc. They may not have realized they were making an underground classic at the time, but they sure had some fun and built lasting memories doing it.

[smorton11 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My mom first bought me The Princess Bride one day when I was in upper elementary or middle school and had been home sick for a few days. The Princess Bride and 10 Things I Hate About You were supposed to cheer me up and make me feel better. I begrudgingly let her put The Princess Bride into the brand new DVD player in her bedroom where I had taken up residence. I was hooked immediately. I had a handful of films that were known as my “sick day movies” and The Princess Bride jumped immediately to the top. At this point, the movie was about 15 years old and I was a member of the new generation of millennials falling in love with it for the first time.

It’s been a few years at this point since I watched the movie, it’s not readily available on any streaming service and my DVD player hasn’t seen any use in the last few years with the emergence of streaming, but as soon as I started listening to the book, I pulled the movie out and was thrilled that it was just as wonderful as I remembered. And then I had to watch every other movie staring Cary Elwes, but that’s a different story.

Cary’s book follows the production schedule as the structure/timeline for As You Wish so I advice watching the movie first if you either a, have never seen it before, or b, for a refresher of the chronology of the plot. Interspersed in his narrative are a great number of interviews with other cast and production members. While Cary does a great job of telling the nuts and bolts of the filming as well as his own feelings and reactions during production, the other cast members interjections are my favorite parts.

This collaborative writing process makes me love the movie and the cast even more. The fact that 30 years after the movie was released, the cast are still in regular contact and still get on well enough to all contribute to the book is an absolute delightful thing to witness. The way the different cast members memories are woven together is pitch perfect for the movie and you often feel like you’re on set with Cary, Robin, Mandy and the others as the narrative moves forward. If you have any sort of love or enjoyment of the film, I wholeheartedly recommend reading As You Wish, it was one of my favorites of the year and I cannot think of a better final review for 2018.

[tsmom1219 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3 1/2 stars. I enjoyed this. There wasn't anything incredibly groundbreaking about the book, but it was fun and made me want to watch the movie again.

[nanettels · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I haven't seen The Princess Bride in decades and this really made me want to see it again. While it was a great memoir about the making of a cult classic, it also dragged a bit in the middle. Enjoyable thought to hear the memories of those involved in making and creating this movie.

[quickmind · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun look behind the scenes of the making of one of the most beloved films of the last century. It was fun to read all of the different memories that different cast and crew members had about their time. Much like the story, it sounds like a truly magical time.

[magus_manders · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A sweet, light-hearted reminiscence of the making of a wonderful film. Elwes has nothing but lovely things to say about the whole production, and as a fan it made me smile.

[virago77 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The tale was almost as whimsical as the movie! This was a great listen. The stories of commaraderie, funny and happiness, as well as the tales of shenanigans were fantastic. Cary told his story of the nerves of audition and being cast were refreshing. I think we sometimes forget that (even big name actors) don't always have roles handed to them. So for an virtual nobody in the acting world, Cary had to have so much anxiety at even being considered for the lead in one of his favorite stories. I love the other actors' account interspersed with Cary's narration. I think the stories I enjoyed most were in regard to André. I was a huge wrestling fan growing up and as a child, seeing him in this movie was such a treat. But to hear about how much he meant to his fellow cast mates was very touching.Not that I ever need an excuse, but listening to this made me want to watch the movie and look for the hidden things revealed in the book. I had the opportunity to attend a Cary Elwes panel at Comic Con a few years back. He was so engaging and funny and told such wonderful stories. Now I regret not having purchased a copy of the book and having him sign it. :(Even if you've never read the book; even if you've never seen the movie--but seriously if you haven't, what rock have you been living under?! You will enjoy this book if for no other reason, it's an actor's account in the adventures of making a movie that became a cult classic the likes of Rocky Horror!

[zot79-720973 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An absolutely enchanting memoir from the star of The Princess Bride. He begins at the beginning with the creation of the story and the early encounters with it by himself and many of the of the crew. After a brief synopsis of his early career, he picks up the story with getting cast, meeting everyone, the many adventures making the film, and some of the adventures of having made it.

Interspersed are additional memories from Rob Reiner and most of the cast. The result is an absolute must read/listen for any fan of the film.

I highly recommend listening to the audio book, in order to hear not only Cary Elwes' warm narration, but also his spot-on voice impressions of Rob Reiner and Andre the Giant and several others.

[jsabrina-219220 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a warm-hearted, thoroughly delightful memoir of making "The Princess Bride" and it strikes just the right balance between savoring personal memories and providing fun information about the production. The best part, for me, were the sections about how Cary and Mandy Patinkin worked on their famous duel. It had never occurred to me how significant it was that both actors (neither of whom were trained fencers) did the entire fight themselves, without stunt doubles (except for the gymnastic flips on the horizontal bar). Not even Errol Flynn did all his own fighting!

The book is enhanced by the inset commentary by Cary's co-stars, director Rob Reiner, and screenplay writer and author of the original book, William Goldman. Clearly this was a special experience for all of them.

If you're looking for snark or dirty laundry, you won't find it here. Cary's memoir is as sweet and loving as the film itself.

[ms_rowse · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Delightful--listened to this one on Audible, which I think made it even better, hearing Cary Elwes and others involved in making this film reading their experiences.

[james_patrick_joyce · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Everything was good, they were all happy, and everything worked out in the end. The end.

[newsieq · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As an avid fan of the movie “The Princess Bride,” I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book by the man who more than 25 years ago played the movie’s young hero Westley. Mr. Elwes probes his own memories -- and those of most of the surviving cast and crew – to give fans a sneak peek into what went on during the months of filming in England. As You Wish is a delightful concoction.Like the movie, many parts of the book are are hilarious; some moments are bittersweet. Mr. Elwes’s self-deprecating approach ensures the book doesn’t become an exercise in self-aggrandizement. He takes plenty of pokes at his own youthful (minor) misbehavior and gives credit where credit is due to everyone else. Director Rob Reiner and author/screenwriter William Goldman garner the most applause and appreciation.The book is, at times redundant, and the writing is just so-so. Who cares? The book made me want to watch the movie again, this time with the director’s commentary on. As You Wish will NOT disappoint fans of the movie.