The Princess Bride (1987)

Directed by Rob Reiner. Starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, André the Giant, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, Christopher Guest, Peter Falk, Fred Savage, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, Mel Smith, Peter Cook. [PG]

Utterly delightful fusion of fairy tale, comedy, adventure and romance (“fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…”) elevated further by the keen edge of metafictional self-awareness. As told by a genial grandfather (Falk) to his sick grandson (Savage), the story of poor farm boy Westley (Elwes) “dying” a couple of times to be with the woman he loves, Princess Buttercup (Wright), gives the material a lot of heart—not to mention an emotionally-satisfying subplot for a little Castilian swordsman revenge—but it’s the zesty wordplay, swashbuckling, offbeat jokes, and twists-on-tropes that make the movie such a disarming masterwork. Excellent casting results in a Murderer’s Row of sharp, specific talents—Elwes looks the handsome and athletic part, with a wonderfully light, wry approach that falls just short of winking at the camera; who else but André the Giant could play the gentle, erm, giant Fezzik?; soulful Patinkin is unexpectedly compelling as the blade master searching for the six-fingered man who killed his father; Shawn is gaspingly hilarious as the little conspirator with wits beyond compare (“Ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates? Morons”); pound-for-pound, Crystal has never been as funny in a movie as he is here in an extended cameo as Miracle Max; Sarandon’s venal pomposity and Guest’s sly Henry Daniell impression and Cook’s goofy speech impediment and…well, I could go on. Scribe William Goldman adapted his own book and wound up with one of the most quotable screenplays ever produced for the big screen…with writing and performing this peerless, who cares if director Reiner doesn’t provide much in the way of pace or style? Music by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame.

98/100