h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Princess Bride - The Film - A1143659
Author: Nylarthotep - U200240

A truly magical film.

This is great!

Two things that are particularly memorable about the film are the sword fighting and the dialogue, and I wonder if it would be worth including some of the more memorable lines to illustrate the character descriptions -

"As you wish"

"Inconcieveable!"
"I don't think that word means what you think it means"

"My name is Ingio Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die"
"Stop saying that!"

"There's something you should know. I'm not left-handed" [my favourite]

What do you think?


Otto

I expect that the various spelling problems are normal for a just finished piece and will be dealt with.

The piece is excellent on many levels, and your passion for it is apparent. I really do like what you've done with it, but (with apologies) I'd like you to make it even better (by better I merely mean more accurate in some small passages).

If I am right about that, then you will want to take another look at these few points (feel free to disagree with them, but take another look first):

1) The script never says that Buttercup is "a girl who will grow up to be the most beautiful woman in the world."
[ However, it does say in the description that,
"Buttercup is in her late teens; doesn't care much about clothes and she hates brushing her long hair, so she isn't as attractive as she might be, but she's still probably the most beautiful woman in the world." ]

2) The grandfather says "Westley had no money for marriage. So he packed his few belongings and left the farm to seek his fortune across the sea", but no mention is made of 'America'.

3) Westley did 'best the unbeaten giant', but he wasn't 'stronger than the unbeaten giant'. He used his brains to greater advantage than he did his brawn.

4) Westley earned his mercy by using the word "please" is great, but you might add that it the "please" that stopped him, and was his use of the phrase 'true love' that probably turned Dread Roperts' heart:
"He died well, that should please you. No bribe attempts or blubbering. He simply said, "Please. Please, I need to live." It was the "please" that caught my memory. I asked him what was so important for him. "True love," he replied. And then he spoke of a girl of surpassing beauty and faithfulness. I can only assume he meant you. You should bless me for destroying him before he found out what you really are."

5) "Westley set about finding and rescuing Buttercup under the impression that she had turned her back on his love in favour of Humperdinck's power and status." If he believed that, than he would not have thought she needed rescuing. You may want to consider '... finding and confronting ..."

6) Buttercup, The Princess Bride (Robin Wright)
The most beautiful woman in the world (but certainly not the brightest), ...

7) Lastly, I'm grateful that you mentioned Billy Crystal as Miracle Max, but perhaps you will credit Carol Kane as his wife, too.

Great Job! Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

"Inconcievable!!!"

No, really. I've made most of the changes that you pointed out as I think what's happened here is that the book (which I just finished) has cross-pollinated with the film (which has been in my top five for years). Most of the errors that you point out are actually in the book.

Goldsmith makes a great point of the fact that Buttercup is in fact the most beautiful woman in the world and even goes as far as to chart her rise from the lower top twenty to the number one position as she goes through her late teens and early twenties.

In the book Goldsmith goes to great lengths to maintain that he is translating a story by the great Florinese author Morgenstern rather than writing the thing himself. He maintains that the locations are real and that the nation of Florin actually exists to this day. To this end he also includes other details such as the fact that Fezzik is Turkish (strange that the screen-play leaves this out, but still records Vizzini and Inigo as a Sicillian and a Spaniard respectivley). In this "real world" account, Westley does indeed set sail for America and still plans to go there once he and Buttercup have escaped from Humperdinck.

And finally, Goldsmith does make a big deal of pointing out that Buttercup is very beautiful but not very bright. Subtle hints are there all the time, as when she jumps into eel infested waters or when she actually believes that Humperdinck has released Westley. But I don't think that would have gone down too well with a cinematic audience, so out it went.

But as I said earlier, these are aspects of the book rather than the film so I have removed them.

Thanks for the feedback.

Quick and Responsive! It looks like it might have been easier to just mention you are covering the book, and forget the movie's differences. Thank you for the more courageous choice. You appear to have satisfied both. (You might now want to mention the book, it sounds like an interesting presentation in its own right.)

Much spelling has been corrected, too! If it's 'I before E, except after C', you may want to check 'inconcievable', and I think there's an 'I' in medieval.

You chose to stick with rescuing, which does happen in the story. Perhaps you could indicated the linear nature of the two things by using '... and then rescuing' or something.

Thanks, also, for bringing in the rest of the cast at the end. But,
'Billy Crystal also makes an appearance as Miracle Max along with his wife Carol Kane as Max's witch (or more accuratley his wife) Valerie.'
Too many 'wife'.
'Billy Crystal also makes an appearance as Miracle Max along with Carol Kane as Max's witch (or more accuratley his wife) Valerie.'
Might better fit.

I hadn't even known of a book. Perhaps I should have expected a novelized version. Do you know if the quoted author was the name on the book in the movie? Was the movie taken from a book?

Congratulations on a guide-worth piece, and thanks again.

Just realized that when I cut and pasted the 'Miracle Max' part, I missed correcting 'accurately'.

Made the suggested changes.

As for the book, it was written by William Goldsmith and first published in 1973. Goldsmith also wrote the screenplay of the later film.

I thought there was already a Guide entry on this film.

If I had realised there wasn't I would have written this before.

Curses! Foiled!


Geggs

There is a small review of the film, but the researcher responsible never submitted it the the peer review and so I decided to step into the breach. This is a film far too important not to have an edited entry.

Oh, I agree.

"What about the R.O.U.S's?"

"Rodent of Unusual Size? I doubt they exist. ARGH!"


GEggs

Well now, didn't I mention that Westley faces them in the article?

Probably. I'm just trying to make myself feel better by spouting some lines.

Did you mention Mel Smith in his brief role as the Albino?


Geggs

I see you did.

Please ignore me.


Geggs

Thanks for the feedback!

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

I'm made up!

Well done!


Geggs

I love the film too. I have to agree, the best bit is when they are having the duel then both admit they're not left handed and swithc! Hilarious! My brother and I still quote that to each other. Great entry too.

Why thank you...everytime I start remembering the film, it makes me want to sit down and watch it again.