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Social media is a concept that seems to both split the crowd, while also uniting people together for the right cause. The latter half of the spectrum is what happened when a fan of The Princess Bride recorded a video for Mandy Patinkin, seeking to confirm a story she’d heard about the film. What resulted was a beautiful moment where Patinkin connected with this fan, and bonded over the loss of both of their fathers.
User Amanda Webb filmed a short TikTok asking about the legendary standoff between Mandy Patinkin’s Inigo Montoya and his archnemesis, Count Rugen (Christopher Guest). In particular, she was wondering if the story behind Patinkin’s personal motivation in that scene was true, as his performance has been noted as inspired by the death of his own father. Answering her question, the legendary actor confirmed this to be true, through a very beautiful response:
@mandypatinktok
Losing his own father to cancer, Mandy Patinkin’s connection with his Princess Bride fan was all the stronger, as Amanda Webb had encountered the same sort of loss earlier this year. Ms. Webb’s father loved the movie as much as she did, which prompted the entire exchange you saw above. Ending with a request to know the name of Ms. Webb’s father, so he could include him in his prayers, Patinkin proved how the legacy of Rob Reiner’s 1987 adaptation of author William Goldman’s epic book is still something that resonates with audiences to this day.
This emotional moment also confirmed that one of The Princess Bride’s best scenes did see Mandy Patinkin drawing from his own experience in loss. Having him tell the story in the video above only makes that final standoff with Count Rugen even more powerful. You can truly hear Patinkin, through the character of Inigo Montoya, grieving in his ultimate act of vengeance; as you’ll experience in reliving that scene below.
Most audiences know The Princess Bride as a farcical comedy with a beautiful romantic streak, and that’s absolutely valid. However, through Mandy Patinkin’s work as Inigo Montoya, a subplot about dealing with loss shines just as brightly as the story of true love. And thanks to the actor’s own strength to tap into personal loss, it only makes the happier parts of the tale that much sweeter.
Should you wish to watch The Princess Bride, and maybe having a bit of a cry and/or a laugh for yourself, it’s currently available to stream on Disney+. Non-subscribers can check out the Disney Bundle, which rounds up that platform, Hulu, and ESPN+, into one convenient subscription package. Either way, it's probably a good idea to have some extra tissues on hand.
