Abstract (300 words maximum)
In this study, I examined the choices Oscar-winning screenwriter William Goldman made in developing the structure for his film The Princess Bride (1987). I draw on insights from Goldman's book, William Goldman: Four Screenplays with Essays (1995), as well as Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! (2005). This analysis uses Blake Snyder concepts of story beats like opening image, catalyst, all is lost, etc. I as well use his concepts of genres like golden fleece, out of bottle, etc. In this analysis I decipher and depict which of his genre, or genres, this film fits into. This analysis also not only looks at the characters by themselves, but also as a whole of how they interact with each other. This film is a complicated one in that it’s written as a multi-protagonist and multi-antagonist film. This can get complicated but in the analysis I observe how the writing was done to make this complicated idea work.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - English
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Anna Wienstien
Screenplay Analysis of The Princess Bride
In this study, I examined the choices Oscar-winning screenwriter William Goldman made in developing the structure for his film The Princess Bride (1987). I draw on insights from Goldman's book, William Goldman: Four Screenplays with Essays (1995), as well as Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! (2005). This analysis uses Blake Snyder concepts of story beats like opening image, catalyst, all is lost, etc. I as well use his concepts of genres like golden fleece, out of bottle, etc. In this analysis I decipher and depict which of his genre, or genres, this film fits into. This analysis also not only looks at the characters by themselves, but also as a whole of how they interact with each other. This film is a complicated one in that it’s written as a multi-protagonist and multi-antagonist film. This can get complicated but in the analysis I observe how the writing was done to make this complicated idea work.