The Princess Bride

FADE IN ON:

A VIDEO GAME ON A COMPUTER SCREEN

The game is in progress. As a sick coughing sound is heard.

CUT TO:

THIS KID:

lying in bed, coughing. Pale, one sick cookie. Maybe he's

seven or eight or nine. He holds a remote in one hand,

presses it, and the video game moves a little bit. Then he's

hit by another spasm of coughing, puts the remote down.

His room is monochromatic, greys and blues, mildly high-tech.

We're in the present day and this is a middle class house,

somewhere in the suburbs.

CUT TO:

The Kid's MOTHER as she enters, goes to him, fluffs his

pillows, kisses him, and briefly feels his forehead. She's

worried, it doesn't show. During this

MOTHER:

You feeling any better?

THE KID:

A little bit.

MOTHER:

Guess what.

THE KID:

What?

MOTHER:

Your grandfather's here.

THE KID:

(not overjoyed)

Mom, can't you tell him that I'm

sick?

MOTHER:

You are sick, that's why he's here.

THE KID:

He'll pinch my cheek. I hate that.

MOTHER:

Maybe he won't.

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2.

The Kid shoots her an "I'm sure" look, as we

CUT TO:

THE KID'S GRANDFATHER bursting into the room. Kind of

rumpled. But the eyes are bright. He has a wrapped package

tucked under one arm as be immediately goes to The Kid,

pinches his cheek.

GRANDFATHER:

Hey! How's the sickie? Heh?

The Kid gives his Mother an "I told you so" look. The Mother

ignores it, beats a retreat.

MOTHER:

I think I'll leave you two pals.

And she is gone. There's an uncomfortable silence, then...

GRANDFATHER:

I brought you a special present.

THE KID:

What is it?

GRANDFATHER:

Open it up.

The Kid does. He does his best to smile.

THE KID:

A book?

GRANDFATHER:

That's right. When I was your

age, television was called books.

And this is a special book. It

was the book my father used to

read to me when I was sick, and I

used to read it to your father.

And today, I'm gonna read it to

you.

THE KID:

Has it got any sports in it?

CUT TO:

THE GRANDFATHER:

Suddenly passionate.

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3.

GRANDFATHER:

Are you kidding? Fencing. Fighting.

Torture. Revenge. Giants. Monsters.

Chases. Escapes. True love.

Miracles.

CUT TO:

THE TWO OF THEM as the Grandfather sits in a chair by the bed.

THE KID:

(manages a shrug)

It doesn't sound too bad. I'll

try and stay awake.

GRANDFATHER:

Oh. Well, thank you very much.

It's very nice of you. Your vote

of confidence is overwhelming.

All right.

(Book open now, be

begins to read.)

The Princess Bride, by S.

Morgenstern. Chapter One.

Buttercup was raised on a small

farm in the country of Florin.

DISSOLVE TO:

The story he's reading about, as the monochromatic look of

the bedroom is replaced by the dazzling color of the English

countryside.

GRANDFATHER:

(off-screen)

Her favorite pastimes were riding

her horse and tormenting the farm

boy that worked there. His name

was Westley, but she never called

him that.

(to the kid)

Isn't that a wonderful beginning?

THE KID:

(off-screen doing his best)

Yeah. It's really good.

GRANDFATHER:

(off-screen reading)

Nothing gave Buttercup as much

pleasure as ordering Westley

around.

CUT TO:

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4.

BUTTERCUPS FARM - DAY

BUTTERCUP is standing, holding the reins of her horse, while

in the background, WESTLEY, in the stable doorway, looks at

her. 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.

BUTTERCUP:

Farm boy. Polish my horse's

saddle. I want to see my face

shining in it by morning.

WESTLEY:

(quietly, watching her)

As you wish.

Westley is perhaps half a dozen years older than Buttercup.

And maybe as handsome as she is beautiful. He gazes at her

as she walks away.

GRANDFATHER:

(off-screen)

"As you wish" was all he ever

said to her.

DISSOLVE TO:

WESTLEY, outside, chopping wood. Buttercup drops two large

buckets near him.

BUTTERCUP:

Farm Boy. Fill these with water --

(a beat)

--please.

WESTLEY:

As you wish.

She leaves; his eyes stay on her. She stops, turns -- he

manages to look away as now her eyes stay on him.

GRANDFATHER:

(off-screen)

That day, she was amazed to

discover that when he was saying,

"As you wish," what he meant was,

"I love you."

DISSOLVE TO:

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5.

BUTTERCUP IN THE KITCHEN - DUSK

Westley enters with an armload of firewood.

GRANDFATHER:

(off-screen)

And even more amazing was the day

she realized she truly loved him

back.

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