The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is the most beloved comedy of the 1980s — a film that flopped at the box office and then became one of the most quoted, most rewatched, and most universally adored movies in cinema history through the sheer force of its charm. Rob Reiner adapted William Goldman's novel into a fairy tale that simultaneously celebrates and satirizes every fairy-tale convention, and does both with such warmth that audiences surrender completely.

Every character is iconic. Mandy Patinkin's Inigo Montoya — 'Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.' — delivers the most satisfying revenge arc in cinema in exactly six words repeated across twenty years. Wallace Shawn's Vizzini and the 'Inconceivable!' catchphrase. Andre the Giant's Fezzik, gentle and enormous. Billy Crystal and Carol Kane as Miracle Max and Valerie, improvising comedy gold in a single day of filming.

The framing device — Peter Falk reading the story to a sick Fred Savage — is the key to why the film works. It gives the audience permission to love a fairy tale. The kid protests the kissing parts and demands more action, mirroring every audience member's inner child. By the end, when the kid says 'Grandpa? Maybe you could come over and read it again tomorrow?' the film has earned every ounce of that sentiment. The Princess Bride is flawless entertainment.