The Princess Bride (1987)
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A swashbuckling farmhand must embark on a perilous journey to rescue his kidnapped true love from an evil prince.
The story
Presented as a book being read by a grandfather to his sick grandson, the story follows Buttercup, a young woman living on a farm in the kingdom of Florin. Her farmhand, Westley, leaves to seek his fortune but is captured by the Dread Pirate Roberts. Five years later, Buttercup is forcibly betrothed to the arrogant Prince Humperdinck. Before the wedding, she is kidnapped by a group of criminals including a gentle giant, a skilled swordsman, and a crafty villain. A masked man in black pursues them across the sea, leading to a series of dangerous encounters in the Fire Swamp and beyond.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In a frame story, a grandfather reads 'The Princess Bride' to his sick grandson. The story follows Buttercup, who is betrothed to Prince Humperdinck but is kidnapped by Vizzini, Fezzik, and Inigo Montoya. They are pursued by a masked man in black, who is revealed to be Westley, Buttercup's true love, who has assumed the title of Dread Pirate Roberts. After a reunion in the Fire Swamp, they are captured by Humperdinck. Westley is taken to the Pit of Despair by Count Rugen, the six-fingered man. Buttercup is imprisoned, and Inigo and Fezzik eventually find Westley, who is 'mostly dead.' They take him to Miracle Max, who revives him. The trio infiltrates the castle during the wedding. Inigo kills Rugen, and Westley stops the marriage by revealing Buttercup never gave her vows. Westley intimidates Humperdinck into submission, and the three escape together. The story ends with the grandson asking for one more reading.
- First release year
- 1987
- Runtime (minutes)
- 98
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Rob Reiner
- Writers
- William Goldman · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Cary Elwes · Westley; Robin Wright · Buttercup; Mandy Patinkin · Vizzini; André the Giant · Fezzik; Chris Sarandon · Prince Humperdinck; Christopher Guest · Humphrey Dumont; Wallace Shawn · Vizzini; Peter Falk · Miracle Max; Billy Crystal · Miracle Max; Carol Kane · Miracle Max
- Genres
- fantasy; adventure; comedy
- Themes
- True Love; Longing; Adventure
- Tone and mood
- Quirky; Romantic; Swashbuckling
- Premise and plot tags
- Damsel in Distress; Kidnapping; Fantasy; Romance
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Princess Bride novel by William Goldman
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical acclaim and has since become a cult classic, recognized as one of the greatest films of the 1980s.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 93% · review count: 147; Metacritic · score: 78 · scale: 100 · review count: 20
- Awards and nominations
- Hugo Award · Best Dramatic Presentation · 1988 · Won; People's Choice Award · 12th Toronto International Film Festival · Won; Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture: Drama · 9th Youth in Film Awards · Won; Feature Film Casting—Comedy · 4th Artios Awards · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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From the page to the screen
This film adapts The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Check the adaptation reference.
Explore more movies based on books, or use our book-and-film comparison worksheet.