As You Wish

I've read a lot of books about movies and how they are made, about the actors in them, etc, but perhaps none has interested me as much as "As You Wish," by Cary Elwes, who plays Wesley in The Princess Bride.  The movie has become very special in Hollywood history, but other than knowing what it was about and remembering that I had enjoyed it, I really didn't have any special feeling about it.

When I saw the Elwes had written a book about the making of the movie, I thought it might be interesting and put it on my Amazon wish list.  Ned and Marta got it for me...for Christmas or for my birthday and other than barely starting it, I hadn't really picked it up until this week.

It quickly became obvious that before I could read the book, I'd have to see the movie again.  Fortunately it was on Disney, and so I got it and watched it.  When I picked the book up again, it was a whole different experience reading it with the movie fresh in my mind.

What a fascinating story.  I was midway through the book, reading about the training for the sword fight between Elwes and Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya (3 months, 8 hours a day, 5--sometimes 6--days a week!) and I had to watch the movie again to see not only the sword fight but all the rest that I had read about up to that point.

I simply couldn't put the book down.  I sat and finished it this afternoon and now I have to go back and watch the movie again, to see the things he talks about toward the end of the book -- like breaking his big toe and having to film the last scenes in great pain and the scene where Christopher Guest as Count Rugen is supposed to hit Wesley over the head with his sword.  Guest, Elwes explains, is such a gentle person that he didn't want to really hit him and so was trying to barely hit him, but it wasn't coming across as believable on film.  Finally Elwes told him that he should actually hit him...not hard, but definitely make contact with his head.  So they tried that and Guest accidentally hit him too hard and Elwes passed out.  He says he woke up in the hospital!  When you watch the movie and see him pass out...he really did!

Like The Wizard of Oz this movie did not make a big impact when it was released, partly because of poor publicity and people feeling it was a kid's movie.  It was several years later, when videotapes came out that it began to acquire the fame that it has now, and has become as beloved a film as Wizard of Oz.

I am so glad to have read this book..and now I have to watch the movie for the third time.

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

Marta harvesting basil

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