Ambiguities of the Creative Process

One of the major themes throughout the making of The Princess Bride and the film itself is William Goldman’s famous Hollywood truism, “Nobody knows anything” (1). Goldman’s quote refers to how nobody in the creative industry can accurately predict whether a film will be successful or fail, whether financially, creatively, or culturally. Reiner quotes Goldman in the foreword of As You Wish, noting how The Princess Bride proves Goldman’s assertion. Film executives were hesitant to make the movie for so long because they did not know how to market it. Hollywood appreciates easy genre categorization, which The Princess Bride subverts. As Fred Savage notes, “Is it an adventure? Is it romantic? Is it funny? Is it moving? It is thrilling? Is it a children’s story? Is it an adult’s story? And the answer is… yes!” (222). Conventional thinking dictated the film...