As You Wish

August 25, 2014
The movie The Princess Bride achieved a certain cinematic magic, which Elwes (Westley) captures in his warm and revealing behind-the-scenes account. At 23, he was one of the youngest actors in the movie and was largely unknown. He proved himself early on during filming when he suggested to director Rob Reiner that instead of going in feet first to rescue Buttercup in the Fire Swamp quicksand scene, as written by William Goldman, it would be more heroic to dive in headfirst. The stunt hadn’t been designed for that move and Elwes could have been seriously injured, but his idea winds up in the film. Elwes also describes breaking his toe while riding costar André the Giant’s ATV, and relates other juicy anecdotes. The author was in virtually every scene of the film, including the sword-fighting sequence, which required intensive training. The book also includes reminiscences about the production from Reiner, Goldman, and other members of the cast.

September 15, 2014

Through personal anecdotes and interviews with fellow cast and crew members, actor Elwes tracks the journey of 1987's The Princess Bride from director Rob Reiner's initial bid through its production and up to the film's 25th anniversary. Elwes's attempt at a conversational narrative feels clunky at times, often getting bogged down in figures, actor resumes, and even a plot summary of the film--the last of which is certainly unnecessary for the dedicated fan base that will be reading this memoir. However, the complete and unabashed adoration that the author and the cast have for the cult classic shines in stories about the famous sword fight between Elwes as Westley and Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya, the many takes ruined by uncontrollable laughter during Billy Crystal's time on the set performing as Miracle Max, and the fond reminiscences of the late Andre the Giant. VERDICT While the writing is occasionally uneven and amateur, those eager to get their hands on anything Princess Bride can still find delight in this behind-the-scenes look and will be running to break out their DVDs for another movie viewing. [See "Books for the Masses," Editors' BEA Picks, LJ 7/14, p. 29.]--Kate DiGirolomo, Library Journal

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