It works beautifully, and because of the chopped up nature of the storytelling due to the book being read by the Grandpa to Fred Savage, it can get away with almost anything. And so it does. Beautiful film.

We don't meet Han Solo in the first act, or Sallah in Raiders, or Large Marge in Pee Wee's Big Adventure. Or the scarecrow, tinman, and cowardly lion. Lord of the Rings adds most of its characters after the first act, and keeps adding them into the third film. The epic, the road movie, the journey - they all entail travels which entail meeting new people along the way. These are minor characters who do not need an early introduction. Bringing them in later gives the story a sense that it's going somewhere, that new an exciting things still await the viewer, and increases the scope of the movie. If anything, Miracle Max is a far too entertainment and fun character to be contained in the few scenes he has, but that's mainly Billy Crystal's fault. I'm surprised there wasn't a movie spinoff.

Totally agree with Bryan. Wesley's goal is so clear, it allows the introduction of characters to take on a more episodic nature. (The Neverending Story did this too, and it works the same way.) It one of the most effectual things you can do with a character in a "road movie" -- so much different that a group of characters repeatedly interacting with each other since Act 1. And it's effectual because that is what we experience when we're out and about in real life -- smaller scale, perhaps, as the woman at the hotel desk or the bartender at the bar we stumble across isn't going to try to kill us -- but we do meet new people, have an interaction, then move on.

"I'd love to make it, more than anything else I've not written." Well put, Goldman. That's the screenwriting quote of the week.

The Pirate Princess Westley disappears while trying to recover his kidnapped apprentice (who is also the love of Westley and Buttercup's daughter). Buttercup follows, doing the only thing she can think of to smoke out the suspect and travel the world unseen: she takes on the mantle of the Dread Pirate Roberts. The daughter stows away on the ship. Now it's the women out to save their men from unknown dangers. Runins with colorful strangers and familiar faces (Miracle Max, Inigo as a swordsmith, etc.) ensue. Yadda yadda yadda.

Ooooooh! I like it!

It was written as a novel first, and adapted by the author. Of course it's not as full of bullshit as most screenplays.

Princess Bride and Westley are in couples counselling. Unfortunately for them their counsellor is...the former Prince. Who's done his time, cleaned up his act and is now giving back to the community by being a relationship counsellor. This is not good for the already strained relationship.