Daily Dialogue — August 9, 2017

“Inconceivable!”

— The Princess Bride (1987), screenplay by William Goldman based on his novel

The Daily Dialogue theme for this week: One Word. Today’s suggestion by Nathan Eyre.

Trivia: Before filming, Wallace Shawn (Vizzini) had come to understand that he was second choice for the part after Danny DeVito (although there is some confusion about whether DeVito was ever seriously pursued). He became convinced that he was wrong for the role and in danger of being fired at any moment. He was extremely nervous throughout filming and co-star Cary Elwes (Westley) noted that he was visibly sweating during the ‘battle of wits’ scene.

Bonus Trivia: Shawn was terrified of heights, and in the scene when Fezzik climbs the Cliffs of Insanity, André the Giant comforted Shawn by softly patting him and saying, “I’ll take care of you.”

Dialogue On Dialogue: Commentary by Nathan: “Vizzini says ‘Inconceivable!’ five times in the movie, making it the third most repeated catchphrase from the film after ‘Hello! My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!’ (six times) and ‘As you wish.’ (seven times). Although these phrases are repeated, the script gives the actors a whole range of nuanced emotions to express by using the same words in different situations.