As You Wish

By Cary Elwes

Storm the castle once more.

Standing on the stage for the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Princess Bride, I felt an almost overwhelming sense of gratitude and nostalgia. It was a remarkable night and it brought back vivid memories of being part of what appears to have become a cult classic film about pirates and princesses, giants and jesters, cliffs of insanity, and of course rodents of unusual size.

It truly was as fun to make the movie as it is to watch it, from getting to work on William Goldman’s brilliant screenplay to being directed by the inimitable Rob Reiner. It is not an exaggeration to say that most days on set were exhilarating, from wrestling Andre the Giant, to the impossibility of playing mostly dead with Billy Crystal cracking jokes above me, to choreographing the Greatest Sword Fight in Modern Times with Mandy Patinkin, to being part of the Kiss That Left All the Others Behind with Robin Wright.

In this book I’ve gathered many more behind-the-scenes stories and hopefully answers to many of the questions we’ve all received over the years from fans. Additionally, Robin, Billy Rob, and Mandy, as well as Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Fred Savage, Chris Sarandon, Carol Kane, Normal Lear, and William Goldman graciously share their own memories and stories from making this treasured film.

If you’d like to know a little bit more about the making of The Princess Bride as seen through the eyes of a young actor who got much more than he bargained for, along with the rest of this brilliant cast, then all I can say is…as you wish.

I never read stuff like this. I find them boring and hardly ever finish, but this...this was just so much fun! I loved all the behind the scenes stuff I learned, and after reading it I went and watched the movie and laughed at certain scenes because I knew what had happened and why Westley was sitting the way he was (broken foot!). I enjoyed the writing as well, which was friendly, down-to-earth, and engaging. It really felt like I was sitting just having a chat with Cary who was enjoying reliving a great time in his life (minus the broken foot). I loved the little quotes and stories from other actors as well. I’d heartily recommend this book to anyone, who like me, grew up running around their house saying, “Inconceivable!” “Anybody want a peanut?” or “Twoo Wuv!” It’s a heart-warming look at a beloved family film that we are now enjoying with the next generation of the family.

I give it a 4 out of 5