Yes, I know, it is "inconceivable" of me to not be as enamored of The Princess Bride as, oh, apparently everyone else in the world who has ever seen it.It certainly has all the elements that usually draw me into such a fanciful lark: magic, mayhem, "mawage" ...
Perhaps it is the tone of the piece. True, author-turned-screenwriter William Goldman fractured this fairy tale long before Shrek and its multitude of imitators beat that horse of a sub-genre to death, but even twenty years ago these deconstructed "storybook loves" seemed to want to make fun of their cake and eat it too.
Or maybe I just grew weary of director Rob Reiner metaphorically elbowing me in the side at how quaintly mirthful the whole thing is.
Nevertheless, whenever a Bride booster starts spouting the litany of quotable phrases spawned by this movie, my eyes invariably roll whilst I nod in recognition, knowing in my heart of hearts that whatever threadbare appreciation I did have for the film sinks ever deeper into my own personal Pit of Despair.
If, unlike me, you are a Princess Bride fan, head over to Gone Hollywood for some enlightening "then and now" pictures of the cast. And don't say I didn't warn you. Oh Wesley, what the hell happened to you?
Click here to buy The Princess Bride
on DVD from Amazon.com.Links via Imdb.com and HollywoodOutsiderTheBeltway.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment