Memoir: As you Wish, by Cary Elwes & Joe Layden

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride
Cary Elwes & Joe Layden
ISBN: 9781476764023
Read February 8, 2015
A specifically-limited memoir shows all the fun and hope that went into The Princess Bride.

Twu Wuv.  That is what bwings me to this book today.  Wuv, twu wuv, that followed me from childhood through the process of finding friends (generally through the rapier-sharp application of quotes to be exchanged) to adulthood.  The Princess Bride is a cultural touchstone for many people, especially of my specific generation (and now of our kids) and Elwes has done an absolutely fantastic job of remembering (and collecting others' memories) of the life and love behind the scenes of the creation of this utterly perfect and timeless film.

Learn how he bonded with Mandy Patinkin over who would be the most adept at swordfighting (oh, by the way, all that swordfighting?  Was them.  No tricks, no extras, no stunt-doubles (except for the flips) and with Andre the Giant over his prodigious drinking abilities.  Learn how he got exiled from the set because of Billy Crystal (and how Mandy sprained a rib for the same reason).  Learn how he broke an important bone, and kept on filming!

Learn about how everyone involved believed in and loved this peculiar little "unfilmable" book, and how they all worked hard to play it straight so the audience could have the fun of being part of the joke.  Learn about how Goldman was so nervous that he was praying out loud on set during filming!

Love this book.  Love the movie.  Loved learning more about it, and about the actors that I adore, and their hopes and fears and concerns about this project, and how gratified and happy they all are that so many people have understood their passion and taken this film into their hearts.

Just an all around perfect little vignette of a memoir.  Just absolutely beautiful.