And Now for Something Completely Different

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I’m guessing that you are currently feeling some level of stress. “What could I be stressed about?”, you say? Well, for starters it could be the pandemic, or politics, or the economy, or the change of seasons, or the asteroid that’s making a close approach to the Earth on Nov. 2. Or all of the above. And now for something completely different.

It’s time to take a break. Take a breath. Let go of the stress and just feel human again. And, while my mother always wanted me to be a doctor, which I am not (official disclaimer), I have a prescription that will make you happy! Watch The Princess Bride! Yeah, I know it’s not Monty Python which some of the more astute readers thought was where I was going based on this post’s title. Nope! My prescription is to watch The Princess Bride, and then, listen to the audiobook of As You Wish, authored and narrated by Cary Elwes.

If you are already a fan of The Princess Bride, the 1987 American fantasy adventure comedy film directed and co-produced by Rob Reiner, starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, and Christopher Guest, then getting you excited to watch the movie again and listen to the audiobook should be easy. More on that in a bit. If you’ve never seen the movie or you’re not a fan, I have my work cut out for me.

William Goldman (1931 – 2018)

Before you pooh-pooh The Princess Bride as some offbeat kooky fantasy story, stop and consider the author, William Goldman. Goldman was an exceptional author in his own right having published over 20 books ranging from “The Marathon Man” to “Wait Till Next Year” (with Mike Lupica). Most notable are 30+ screenplays that he authored or worked on including amazing ones such as:

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
The Stepford Wives (1975)
The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)
Marathon Man (1976)
All the President’s Men (1976; Academy Award)
The Princess Bride (1987)
Twins (1988; uncredited)
Misery (1990)
A Few Good Men (1992; consultant)
Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
Year of the Comet (1992)
Indecent Proposal (1993; uncredited)
Last Action Hero (1993; uncredited)
Dolores Claiborne (1995; consultant)
The Chamber (1996)
Good Will Hunting (1997; consultant)

My point is that you need to take The Princess Bride seriously! No wait, strike that. You don’t need to take it seriously, you just need to recognize the craftsmanship, sit back, have a glass of wine (without the Iocaine poison), and enjoy it with the entire family. Note: Though quite tame throughout, the humor, the sword fights & torture, and the Rodents of Unusual Size (ROUS) may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

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

Cary Elwes, the British actor who played Westley in the film published this memoir (co-written with Joe Layden) in 2014. The New York Times called it “relentlessly gushy” in its flowing praise for the screenplay, actors, director, etc. It is a bit over the top but I just take it as an expression of the joy Cary and others felt about the project more than any form of conceit. The audiobook, expertly and hysterically narrated by Elwes, is filled with cameo appearances by Rob Reiner, William Goldman, and many others from the cast and production. It is a tour de force of comedic genius and guaranteed to make you laugh (or your money back). I especially enjoyed Elwes’ imitations of Reiner interspersed with actual clips of Reiner. What could be funnier than the impeccably British Ivan Simon Cary Elwes impersonating Meathead (at least that’s how I think of Reiner)?

After you listen to the book, you’ll want to watch the movie again!

Inconceivable!

One of my most annoying traits is my overuse of quoting lines from movies. If I had a quarter for every time I said, ” You’re gonna need a bigger boat” from Jaws, I’d be able to retire now. Jaws, Casablanca, and Young Frankenstein top my list of most often quoted movies followed right behind by The Princess Bride. (Favorite movie quotes may be the subject of a future post). The Princess Bride offers lines useful in all occasions but most often, obviously, when discussing love. Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.

You may be wondering what prompted this sudden desire to tout the virtues of The Princess Bride. Last September, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin held a cast reunion and reading of the screenplay. Regardless of your political affiliation, this event was very special, especially when it devolved into just plain craziness.If you’re so inclined, the event is available for viewing until Nov. 3rd for a small contribution.

But I have no political agenda in suggesting the film and audiobook… my only agenda is stress relief. Have a good laugh and just enjoy yourself. Inconceivable? I think not. Tell me what movies make you laugh. I think I’m going to need some suggestions to keep me going through the end of the year.

Oh, and if you listen to the audiobook which is available through your library, Audible, Kobo, or any other audiobook source such as Apple Books, Google Play Books, Walmart Audiobooks, and Audiobooks.com, you’ll understand my Monty Python reference.

If you haven’t noticed, I’m not putting any advertising on this blog or my other blog, Caring For a Spouse. I hope that if you appreciate my efforts, you’ll buy me a coffee through my ko-fi account. Simple and safe, any small contribution helps me offset the cost of hosting, etc. And it’s all virtual so we’re automatically social distancing!