It's hard -- good grief, it's IMPOSSIBLE -- to expand on what other commenters have said. But with a movie like this, nobody can stop me from trying anyway! So here are some specifics to add to the general cheer:
1. This movie proves that there's still a place for the hackneyed phrase "entertaining for all ages."
2. I'm not the least bit surprised to hear some reviewers report that this movie affected their love life or even catalyzed their marriage. I don't know of any contemporary film, and in fact I'm hard-pressed to think of any film of ANY era, that addresses "true love" so openly, so perfectly, and with such lasting effect. Here is a film that treads boldly in an area that almost always suffers from excessive schmaltz or cuteness, yet handily escapes both. Anyone who dislikes The Princess Bride is probably a very unhappy and pitiable person.
3. This movie has the wrong title. I can't suggest an alternate but I'm sure I would have seen it years earlier had it been named something else -- possibly *anything* else. ;)
4. It's a major accomplishment for a movie that doesn't easily fall into one of the ultra-standard drama categories to rate a spot on the IMDB's "Top 250" list, especially 13 years after its release.
5. If you're the kind of person who reads the "Memorable Quotes" section here before you see the movie, try to resist that. The most precious lines in this film -- and there are dozens -- have many times more impact when you don't see them coming.
6. See it with someone you care about. Or if that's not possible, see it to help you realize how easy it is to care about someone.
1. This movie proves that there's still a place for the hackneyed phrase "entertaining for all ages."
2. I'm not the least bit surprised to hear some reviewers report that this movie affected their love life or even catalyzed their marriage. I don't know of any contemporary film, and in fact I'm hard-pressed to think of any film of ANY era, that addresses "true love" so openly, so perfectly, and with such lasting effect. Here is a film that treads boldly in an area that almost always suffers from excessive schmaltz or cuteness, yet handily escapes both. Anyone who dislikes The Princess Bride is probably a very unhappy and pitiable person.
3. This movie has the wrong title. I can't suggest an alternate but I'm sure I would have seen it years earlier had it been named something else -- possibly *anything* else. ;)
4. It's a major accomplishment for a movie that doesn't easily fall into one of the ultra-standard drama categories to rate a spot on the IMDB's "Top 250" list, especially 13 years after its release.
5. If you're the kind of person who reads the "Memorable Quotes" section here before you see the movie, try to resist that. The most precious lines in this film -- and there are dozens -- have many times more impact when you don't see them coming.
6. See it with someone you care about. Or if that's not possible, see it to help you realize how easy it is to care about someone.