Summary

The foreword by The Princess Bride director Rob Reiner opens with a quote from William Goldman, the screenwriter of The Princess Bride: “Nobody knows anything” (1). Reiner states The Princess Bride proves that saying. When Reiner started his career, he wanted to adapt the novel but no film executive would touch the property. Hollywood insiders did not know to market the film since it eluded easy genre classification. The film opened to moderate box success despite critical acclaim. Over the years, through VHS and DVD sales, the film garnered a devout cult following. Reiner has many fond memories of people telling him how much the film means to them. He praises Elwes’ book, writing it has brought back many good memories of making the film.

In the Introduction, Cary Elwes writes his memoir in the present tense. He recalls sitting at Alice Tully...