It’s “inconceivable” that Wallace Shawn has taken a vow of silence when saying that single word, one of the most famous lines in the oft-quoted, beloved classic “The Princess Bride.”
“I was just doing my job saying that line, which was written for the character,” said Shawn, alias Vizzini. “At a certain point, people thought that’s my catchphrase but that is not how I really see myself if you really stop and think about it.”
In turn, Mandy Patinkin, alias Inigo Montoya, has not taken a vow of silence when speaking his famous line: “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
“I’m asked at least 3-4 times a week ever since the movie came out. I loved being asked to do it. I’m very flattered anyone wants to hear it. And when little children ask me to do it or the parents tell them I’m that guy, I never say it to the kid because I’ll worry how could I be the guy because I don’t look the same… so I always walk up to the children and whisper it in their ears. My wife sometimes watches and says, ‘You should see their faces.’ That way, I feel it’s just an audio experience and their imaginations can take care of the rest. I have great fun when they ask me to say it,” explained Patinkin. “It’s not my absolute favorite role – I’ve been blessed with many – but it seems to be one of my most well-known roles and certainly a role a lot of people are familiar with.”
As popular as that line is, Patinkin won’t take credit for it.
“The credit, in my opinion, goes to (author) William Goldman, who wrote the words – I just repeated them over and over again,” he said. “The real genius and gifted person here, as far as I’m concerned, is Goldman. He wrote a beautiful story. I’m just the mailman.”
“The Princess Bride” will be screened at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor on Friday, Aug. 30, and Thursday, Sept. 5.
Based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Goldman (who also wrote the screenplay), “The Princess Bride” was directed by Rob Reiner (“Sleepless in Seattle”) and released in 1987 to critical acclaim yet modest box office success. However, it did very well on home media and amassed quite a following, eliciting recognition as one of the best films of the 1980s and one of Reiner’s best films. In 2016, the Library of Congress selected “The Princess Bride” for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”
“No one knew that ‘The Princess Bride’ would become such a beloved film,” said Shawn.
The movie opens with a grandfather (Peter Falk, “Columbo”) reading a book to his sick grandson (Fred Savage, “The Wonder Years”). Swashbuckling hero Westley (Cary Elwes, “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”) – accompanied by his allies he meets along the way, including Inigo – must rescue his true love Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright, “Forrest Gump”) from the clutches of the evil Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon, “Dog Day Afternoon”).
Robert Fox, who teaches media and film production in the Ann Arbor Public Schools, has watched “The Princess Bride” with his two children. He gave his insights about the movie’s staying power.
“It’s a timeless fairy tale — we all grow up on fairy tales, but ‘The Princess Bride’ plays with the tropes of this genre in a sort of wink-wink meta way,” he explained. “We are more than used to this now — thanks to movies like “Shrek,” etc. However, ‘The Princess Bride’ was ahead of its time in that way, yet it also remains true to the hallmarks of fantasy and princess movies, while also winking at us at the same time.”
Fox continued: “It has staying power because it is really funny! And romantic. It is also an exceptional example of ‘The Hero’s Journey,’ which is innate in every film, but not always as clearly as this. ‘The Hero’s Journey’ is so embedded into our storytelling DNA, which is why audiences tend to gravitate to stories like this. The story of a person on a journey – both external and internal – and trying to become better through the experience. It’s what we all want. Again, it is such a funny, fresh movie that doesn’t feel dated. Like a bedtime story, which is exactly what this movie is in terms of the Fred Savage scenes.”
“The Princess Bride” at the Michigan Theater
“The Princess Bride” can be seen at the Michigan Theater, located at 603 E Liberty St, Ann Arbor, on the following dates and times:
- Friday, Aug, 30, at 9:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 5, at 8 p.m.
Ticket prices range between $9.75 to $11.75. For questions or more information, contact the Michigan Theater at (734) 668-8397 or info@marquee-arts.org.
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