Heartwarming / The Princess Bride

Both the book and the movie have many Heartwarming Moments. If such a moment appears in both, it's okay to list it in both folders, since not everyone is familiar with both versions.

Moments From the Book

• When Buttercup's parents watch the Count's procession as it rolls past their farm, her father comments that "Now I can die," because he has seen something so remarkable. Her mother looks at him fondly — despite their continual quarreling — and says, simply, "Don't."
• Most of the narrator's recollections of his father, whom he loved deeply.
• Similarly, Inigo's relationship with his father. He adored old Domingo, and while Domingo was swept up in the creation of the six-fingered sword, Inigo made sure that he ate and slept. It's easy to see why the poor kid was so crushed when his father was murdered.
  • As well as the dynamic between Domingo and Yeste: even from one interaction between them you can tell that they've known each other since they were kids. And after Domingo dies, Yeste takes Inigo in and does his best to make the boy feel just as loved as before.
• There have been five kisses throughout history that everyone agrees deserve full marks for passion, purity, etc. Buttercup and Westley's first kiss left them all behind.
• How Fezzik nurses his drunken friend Inigo back to health.
• The narrator's reconciliation with his son in a section added for a more recent edition of the book.
• Humperdinck, of all people, gets one when, in a subversion of the usual fairy tale cliche, he actually has a loving relationship with his stepmother. In fact, he even calls her "evil stepmother" as a joke.

Moments From the Film

• If you've ever been read a book as a child, and/or ever told a story to one, this whole movie will be a Heartwarming Moment for you.
• "Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for awhile."
  • "AAAAAAAS YOOOOOOU WIIIIIISH"
  • Really, all the dialogue from that scene is incredibly sweet.
  Westley: Can you move at all?
  Buttercup: Move? You're alive! If you want, I can fly.
• A more subtle one: Inigo offers to help the Man in Black/Westley up the cliffs so they can get to their fight. Naturally, Westley is hesitant to accept his help, even after Inigo swears on his honor as a Spaniard ("I've known too many Spaniards."), seeing as how Inigo's going to try to kill him when he reaches the top anyway. Then...
  Inigo: Is there any way you'd trust me?
  Man in Black (struggling with the cliff): Nothing... comes to mind.
  Inigo: I swear on the soul of my father, Domingo Montoya: you will reach the top alive.
  Man in Black (without hesitation): Throw me the rope.
  • And the Man in Black starts drawing his sword the instant he gets to the top of the cliff, and Inigo tells him to wait until he's ready. Then he hands the Man in Black his sword for him to admire its craftsmanship. The depth of honor Inigo shows a complete stranger he's been tasked to kill is heartwarming in the extreme, and is repaid in full by Westley not even trying to attack Inigo now that he is defenseless. Nor does he mock or interrupt him: he just listens respectfully and carefully as Inigo opens his heart to him.
  • Also this:
  Inigo: I do not mean to pry, but you don't by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand?
  Man in Black: [Understandably nonplussed] ... Do you always begin conversations this way?
  Inigo: I'm sorry. It's just, my father was murdered by a six-fingered man.
  [Without another word, the Man in Black holds up his right hand to show only five fingers.]
• Much of Westley's combat with Inigo is accompanied with polite conversation. It becomes sort of a heartwarming echo compared to Inigo's humiliating fight against the six-fingered man when he was a boy. Though Westley defeated Inigo, he refused to kill him and only knocked him out, even complimenting him when he's unconscious. It's no wonder that later Inigo helps Westley get Buttercup back in exchange for Westley's help in finding Rugen.
  Westley: I would as soon destroy a stained-glass window as an artist like yourself. However, since I can't have you following me either... *thunk* Please understand I hold you in the highest respect.
  • In the book, Westley uses Leonardo da Vinci instead of a stained-glass window.
• Valerie has been ragging on her husband Max about Prince Humperdinck's firing him, but when Max says he'll take the job of reanimating Westley, Valerie's instant and completely sincere reaction is "Hooray!"
• Mandy Patinkin revealing that during his fight scene with Count Rugen, he drew on the emotions he had about his father's death from cancer and pictured himself as fighting, and ultimately defeating, the cancer that took his father.
  • "I want my father back, you son of a bitch!"
  • As described by Patinkin:
  "And for a moment, he was alive, and my fairy tale came true."
• As the heroes are about to escape the palace, Inigo admits he's not sure what he should do with the rest of his life after avenging his father. Westley gives him a pat on the back and makes this suggestion.
  Westley: Have you ever considered piracy? You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts.
  • Just before this, Fezzik reunites with the others, leading four white horses for their escape and greeting Buttercup with an absolutely adorable "Hello, lady!"
    Inigo: Fezzik, you did something right.
    Fezzik: Don't worry. I won't let it go to my head.
• The final scene, with its implied Platonic Declaration of Love.
  Grandson: Maybe you could come over and read it to me again tomorrow.
  Grandfather: As you wish.
• A behind-the-scenes moment: the producers were struggling to find an actress to play Buttercup, and eventually came across Robin Wright. Rob Reiner and casting director Jane Jenkins arranged for Wright to meet author William Goldman at his home to get his opinion. When Wright arrived, Reiner opened the door, revealing the actress in a simple white dress, her long blonde hair glowing in the sunlight (Jenkins later commented that she was "backlit by God"). Goldman took one look at Wright, sighed, and said "Well, that's what I wrote." Needless to say, she got the part.
• The tribute to André Roussimoff is this and a Tear Jerker.
  Robin Wright (Buttercup): I remember he used to put his hand on my head when we'd be outside and it was freezing cold where we were, and it would come down to here (points to her nose). His fingers would come here and it would cover the back of my neck, his hand was so big. And it would keep me warm.
  • In the foreword of one of the anniversary editions of his book, Goldman describes Andre the Giant being curiously happy while filming. "What do you enjoy about this so much?" "Nobody looks at me."
  • The bit about how Wallace Shawn was terrified of heights and was afraid he'd ruin the movie because he couldn't do the Cliffs Of Insanity scene. Andre simply took him aside and promised him that he'd be fine because Andre wouldn't let him fall. Wallace had no problem at all with the scene after that.
• Princess Bride cast reunion. Nuff said.

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