As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes

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

author : cary elwes

pages : [hardcover] 259

memorable quote :

That particular take was the one that ended up in the film. So when you see Westley fall to the ground and pass out, that’s not acting. That’s an overzealous actor actually losing consciousness.

summary :

From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at 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, backstage stories, and answers to lingering questions about off-screen romances that have plagued fans for years!

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.

review :

I love The Princess Bride and think that anyone who hasn’t had the absolutely magical adventure of watching the film and/or reading the book (and you MUST do both) is missing out on one of the best stories of all time. It’s full of love, adventure, sword fights, evil princes, pirates, giants, and incredibly catchy lines. It’s the kind of film you can watch over and over, just like the book can be read again and again. People of every age will find something in it to love.

I was super excited to read this memoir because Cary Elwes portrayed main character Westley in The Princess Bride. To be honest, I don’t know too much about the making of movies, other than being vaguely impressed by all of the time and effort that go into such things. Elwes really succeeded in leaving me awestruck of the things he and the cast went through to prepare and make this movie as perfect as it could possibly be. As soon as I read each chapter of this memoir I had to fight the urge to rewatch the movie just so I could look for the scenes he referenced. For example, I never imagined that during the epic battle between Westley and Inigo Montoya, they never used stunt doubles. Instead, they spent months learning the extremely intricate choreography so that they could make the scene as realistic and impressive as possible!

I am a little confused about the summary for this book, though, because I just realized that it references off-screen romances that Elwes never touches upon and that I think never really happened, so I’m not sure what that’s about. But there are plenty of behind the scenes tidbits, stories about the process from Elwes’ initial audition straight through to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the movie’s premiere. I think that any fan–new or old–will be impressed with these stories. Most of them are pretty funny, too, so it was definitely entertaining to see what all went into the film.

This memoir is an interesting read that I’d recommend to any fan of The Princess Bride. There are little comments from the director as well as other actors and actresses to bring a well-rounded approach to the making and success of the film, as well as Elwes’ personal thoughts and story. I think it’s wonderful that something that only had a moderate amount of success upon its release has become this huge phenomenon that so many people love and want to read more about.

4/5 stars