The Princess Bride (1987)

Director: Rob Reiner

Starring: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, André the Giant, Fred Savage, Peter Falk, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane

There were fairy tales aplenty in 1980’s American cinema, most of which I can find distinctive ways of enjoying, films such as “The Dark Crystal” (1982), “The NeverEnding Story” (1984), “Legend” (1985), and “Labyrinth” (1986). They were all of them pretty straightforward in the way that they told their respective stories. Director Rob Reiner takes the clichéd tale of the hero who saves the girl from the bad guy who wears the crown and infuses it with just a touch of satire. Had he thrown in too much, “The Princess Bride” could have become a total farce. Fortunately, he has so many great characters and equally talented actors to play those parts that the humor never overstays its welcome, and instead we can focus on the well-told story, adapted for the screen by William Goldman from his original novel.

Cary Elwes and Robin Wright (in her first starring role) are perfect to portray young lovers Westley and Buttercup. Their story, particularly in the beginning, would be a bit sugary sweet on its own, but is terrifically aided by the external narrative of a young Chicago boy (Fred Savage) and his grandfather (Peter Falk). The boy is bed-ridden with an undisclosed illness, and his grandfather has come over with a story that he wants to read to him. The boy gets impatient during the romantic stuff in the beginning. He’d rather hear about battle scenes where men meet the pointy end of a sword. All in good time… or, as the grandfather says: “Keep your shirt on!” The boy’s interest is piqued once he hears the part about Westley being presumed killed at the hands of pirates. Westley hasn’t been murdered, of course, but the boy is now hooked.

Any good fantasy film thrives on its supporting characters whom the heroes meet along their journey. Here, they aren’t just cyphers but actual fleshed-out characters, some with background stories that really help you to feel like you’ve gotten to know them. Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) is a Spanish swordsman who has spent 20 years seeking out the man responsible for his father’s murder. Fezzik (André the Giant), the big man with an even bigger heart and a talent for rhyme (“some of the time”), is Inigo’s companion on his travels. Both will eventually meet with, fight, and later befriend a man dressed all in black and wearing a mask who goes by the name “The Dread Pirate Roberts,” yet sounds remarkably like Westley.

Some of the best scene-chewing in “The Princess Bride” comes from its villains. Chris Sarandon is the aforementioned evil man of royal descent, Prince Humperdinck. He has chosen Buttercup as his bride due to her status as a commoner. His interest in their union is purely political, romance be damned. His right-hand man with an extra digit on said appendage, Count Rougen (Christopher Guest) may or may not be the very target whom Inigo has been searching for his entire adult life. Arguably the best character in the movie, and certainly my personal favorite, is the Sicilian criminal Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) who, with the hired help of Inigo and Fezzik, initially kidnaps Buttercup before Westley… I mean Roberts… interferes. Vizzini is funniest when expressing annoyance towards Inigo and Fezzik, participating in a “battle of wits” with Roberts/Westley, and in the most memorable utterance of the word “inconceivable” dating back to its invention.

“The Princess Bride” is, quite simply, a timeless classic. It has always been near the top of my list of favorites, currently resting comfortably at #4. The score is composed by Mark Knopfler of the band Dire Straits (FYI, their 1985 album “Brothers in Arms” is one of THE great musical compositions of the 1980’s). Knopfler’s most memorable track, “Once Upon A Time…Storybook Love,” has been used by two longtime friends of mine, a brother and sister, as the song associated with their weddings.

Dick Tracy (1990)

Director: Warren Beatty

Starring: Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Madonna, Glenne Headly, Charlie Korsmo, Dustin Hoffman, William Forsythe, Charles Durning, Mandy Patinkin, Paul Sorvino, R.G. Armstrong, Dick Van Dyke, Seymour Cassel, James Keane

Al Pacino became my favorite actor through his work in “The Godfather” and “The Godfather Part II,” but the movie I first saw him in was 1990’s “Dick Tracy,” based on the long-running comic strip of the same name. Come to think of it, this movie also served as my introduction to Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman. In hindsight, this is amusing to me because two out of those three (Pacino and Hoffman) are rendered completely unrecognizable under award-winning prosthetic makeup. I remember, in the weeks leading up to the film’s release, there was a behind-the-scenes TV special that put a lot of emphasis on the makeup, which allowed the actors to greatly resemble the distinctively abnormal characters as they appear in the comic strip. The attention to detail is especially impressive when you consider that some of those characters only appear on screen for as little as a minute or two before being killed off.

Makeup is not the only virtue of “Dick Tracy.” Further portraying the movie as a living cartoon/comic strip is the choice of shooting the film in only seven colors. I like the shameless use of matte paintings for many of the background shots. This technique becomes especially apparent during scenes such as the meeting of Dick Tracy and Breathless Mahoney (Madonna) at the docks to discuss his need for her to testify against ‘Big Boy’ Caprice (Al Pacino). Set design is also a plus. The diner which Dick Tracy frequents is magnificent.

When you want your movie to have a memorable soundtrack, it helps to have people like composer Danny Elfman and actress/singer Madonna available. I’ve often thought that the outlandish color scheme in “Dick Tracy” looks like something out of a Tim Burton movie, and so it’s only fitting that Beatty hired Elfman based on his work for Burton’s “Batman.” On top of being an integral part of the cast, Madonna also does some of my favorite work from her entire music career here with several songs penned by Stephen Sondheim. The best of these are “More,” the Oscar-winning “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man),” and “What Can You Lose,” a duet with actor Mandy Patinkin. If you’ve never heard Patinkin sing, I urge you to listen to this song.

It’s impossible for me not to find Al Pacino absolutely hilarious in this movie. From the way he moves around as the hunchback gangster to the way his character consistently misquotes historical figures, Pacino delivers one of his finest performances (it’s one of Pacino’s favorites of his career, also). With films like “The Godfather” and “Bonnie and Clyde” in their respective careers’ histories, I can’t think of two actors better suited for a movie like this than Pacino and Warren Beatty. Young Charlie Korsmo does a great job as The Kid, and seems like an actor wise beyond his years. We’ll never know what kind of career he might have had as an adult because, with the exception of a return to do 1998’s “Can’t Hardly Wait,” he went into early retirement a couple of years after doing this movie and eventually got into politics. Such a shame.

Part of the promotion for the movie was a line of action figures. Having so thoroughly enjoyed seeing “Dick Tracy” at the theater, I collected the whole set, save for one, and it was the one I wanted the most! The action figure for The Blank was displayed on the backs of each toy’s packaging, but while this figure was manufactured, it was never sold anywhere in the United States. I found out years later that this was because the toy had a removable mask which revealed the true identity of The Blank, which would have completely ruined the ending of the movie for anyone who hadn’t seen it. The action figure for The Blank exists to this day, but is a rare collector’s item.

It would be very easy to choose any one of Al Pacino’s great moments as my favorite scene, but I feel most strongly about one of the movie’s first moments, before Pacino has even made his first appearance. Dick Tracy is having a discussion with his girlfriend Tess Trueheart (Glenne Headly) regarding the dangers of his career as an officer of the law. She is arguing the point that he could have much more to look forward to if he got off the streets. Meaning to say “You could have a life,” she reveals her true feelings about the nature of their relationship by saying “wife” in place of “life.” In response, Tracy says, “Tess, there’s about as much chance of me getting behind a desk as there is of me getting a new girlfriend.” Then Madonna’s “Sooner or Later” begins. It’s a terrific transition. Instantly, you know there’s trouble up ahead.

The moral of the comic strip has always been, “Crime doesn’t pay.” But your experience as a film enthusiast will be made richer by having seen this movie.