As you wish

As human beings, we all can become so focused on what we don’t have that we fail to take joy in what we do have.  All of us have been blessed greatly with many opportunities to live a full life.  And living a full life means embracing all aspects of life.

I recently read a book that reminded me of the simple pleasures that God has granted to me and many others around me.  The Princess Bride has to be one of the great films of the late 20th century, if not of all time.  Filled with memorable one-liners that seem to apply to multiple contexts as well as engaging characters and a great story, The Princess Bride is a true classic in every sense of the word.

Remembering the film

Last year, Cary Elwes (the actor who plays Westley) wrote a book describing his experiences with making this film.  I loved his writing style.  It was welcoming and engaging, no pretense or arrogance as may be found with some writers.

It was also educational as well as entertaining.  The stories from backstage brought back wonderful memories of the film and all of the classic one liners.

“Anybody want a peanut?”

“Have fun storming the castle!”

“Life is pain, Highness.  Anyone who says differently is selling something.”

“Do we have to read the kissing parts?”. . .  “Someday you might not mind so much.”

“And thank you so much for bringing up such a painful memory.  While you’re at it, why don’t you give me a paper cut and pour lemon juice over it.  We’re closed!”

“Inconceivable!”

“You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means.”

“Who are you?” . . . “No one of consequence.” . . . “I must know.” . . . “Get used to disappointment.”

“Rodents Of Unusual Size?  I don’t think they exist.”

“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya.  You killed my father.  Prepare to die.”

“Never get involved in a land war in Asia.”

“Mawidge. Mawidge is what bwings us together today.  Mawidge, that bwessed awangement, that dweam within a dweam!”

“You seem a decent fellow.  I hate to kill you.” . . . “You seem a decent fellow.  I hate to die.”

And of course I could go on, as I’m sure many of you could as well.  Remembering all the great moments from the film brought a smile to my face.  Alone or with friends, watching this film has always been an enjoyable experience.

Learning new stories

I did mention that Elwes’s book educates as well as entertains, and this is true.  His book contains many tales not only from his perspective but from that of the other cast members as well as the producer, director, and screenwriter.

For example, did you know that what sealed the deal for securing Elwes his part as Westley was his Fat Albert impersonation?  Or that Elwes injured his foot in an ATV accident just before shooting the scene with Robin Wright at the bottom of the hill in which Westley declares to Buttercup, “Death cannot stop true love”?  I always thought Elwes looked awkward in that scene, especially as he maneuvered himself towards Buttercup, and now I know why.

There’s more great stories in this book, but as my space here is limited, let me share just one with you in Elwes’s own words.

         We rehearsed the scene a few times, making some adjustments to the timing of head flops, as per Rob’s instructions. And, when we reached the point where he was happy with it, we began rolling.
         However . . .
         We got to the moment where I wake up from being ‘mostly dead’ and say, ‘I’ll beat you both apart! I’ll take you both together!”, Fezzik cups my mouth with his hand, and answers his own question to Inigo as to how long it might be before Miracle Max’s pill begins to take effect by stating, ‘I guess not very long.’
         As soon as he delivered that line, there issued forth from André one of the most monumental farts any of us had ever heard.  Now, I suppose you wouldn’t expect a man of André’s proportions to pass gas quietly or unobtrusively, but this particular one was truly epic, a veritable symphony of gastric distress that roared for more than several seconds and shook the very foundations of the wood and plaster set we were now grabbing on to out of sheer fear.  It was long enough and loud enough that every member of the crew had time to stop what they were doing and take notice. . . .
         At the moment of impact, I couldn’t help but look up at André, at first wondering, like a good many others, if we were experiencing an earthquake and then, having discovered we were not, out of sheer concern for his well-being.  The sonic resonance was so intense I even observed our soundman remove his headphones to protect his ears.  As the fart continued, I looked back at André.  What struck me, besides, of course, the sheer immensity of the wind, was that steam appeared to be rising from his hairpiece, which, given that is was a particularly hot day, was apparently not unusual for him.
         It was, however, combined with the fart itself, a highly unusual sight.  I remember looking up at him as a huge grin flashed across his face and remained there—a grin of both amusement and, I suspect, of blessed relief.  Finally the roar subsided and the set fell completely silent. . . . Between the fart, André’s grin, and the steaming hairpiece, I was done for.  I could not help but burst out laughing.
         Then André started to laugh, too.
         Not a snicker, mind you, but that wonderful, deep guttural laugh of his.  Then, as was usually the  case on most movies when ‘the giggles’ (as it is commonly known in our profession) happen, it spread like a virus, hitting Mandy, Rob, and the entre crew.  Now it should be noted that when this happens on a set, some directors try to let the camera continue rolling, in the hopes that everyone can regain their composure in a fairly short space of time and get back to the scene.  On this occasion that hope was pure folly.
         And so it went . . . . We tried a few more takes, but they were all in vain.  Every time I would think I was past it, I’d look at André and his big grin and the smoking hairpiece, and the giggles would erupt all over again between myself, Mandy, and André. . . . We kept cracking up, ruining one take after another, until it reached the point where I couldn’t even look at André without both of us losing it.  Finally, I pleaded with Rob for assistance.
         ‘You’ve got to help me on this.  I don’t know what to do,’ I said.  ‘I can’t get through the scene.’
         Rob threw an arm around my shoulder and walked with me along the parapet.
         ‘It’s all right, Cary. Just flip it.’
         At first I was confused as to what he was trying to get at.
         ‘What do you mean?’
         ‘Try to change the way you think of André.  Think about what it’s like for him, being a giant and getting laughed at just because he’s different.’
         I looked over at André.  He was still smiling happily. I looked back at Rob and knew he was right.  The truth is, André may have seemed like one of the happiest and most content people I had ever met.  But I’m sure there were times when he wasn’t, especially when he was younger and trying to find his place in the world.
         ‘Better?’ Rob asked.
         ‘Yeah, but now I feel awful,’ I replied.
         ‘Don’t.  These things happen.’ He gave me a pat on the back. ‘C’mon, let’s try it again.’
         Even though I still felt bad, the sage advice Rob had given me worked.  On the very next take, we did it perfectly, and that is the take that is in the movie.  After Rob yelled, ‘Cut,’ I immediately turned to André and apologized.
         ‘It’s okay,’ he replied, ‘my farts always make people laugh . . . That was a big one, wasn’t it?’
         He managed to make me smile, in order to make me not feel bad.  That’s how special André was.

There’s so much more in this book.  It’s a great read, and so if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it.

Find your joy

Books like this comprise just one example of the joy we can find in living fully.  You don’t need to be married or have anything you want but don’t have to live fully.  We all have many simple pleasures around us, and taking advantage of the opportunities to extract joy from them is what living fully is all about.

If you haven’t read As You Wish, there’s lots of those simple pleasures among its pages.  But if reading isn’t your thing, find what is and embrace it.  Maybe it’s eating a special treat.  Or running a special trail.  Or attending a cultural event.  Whatever it is, don’t let what you don’t have keep you from living your life fully.  Find your simple pleasure and make time for you.  Make time to invite more joy in your life.

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