Cary Elwes uses ‘The Princess Bride’ to reach COVID-19 anti-maskers
“The Princess Bride” star Cary Elwes recalled one of the most memorable lines from the classic 1987 fairytale film in which he played a swashbuckling hero.
Never mind that line he paraphrased in a tweet to communicate the importance of wearing masks was famously said by his co-star Mandy Patinkin, who played expert swordsman Inigo Montoya.
“Hello. My name is Coronavirus. You don’t want to wear a mask? Prepare to die,” Elwes tweeted.
In “The Princess Bride,” Montoya, before avenging the death of his father, told the man who’d killed him, “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Fans of the film reminded Elwes on Twitter that wearing a mask protects others, not the person wearing it. Others argued that only a small percentage of people who contract COVID-19 die from it.
For reasons ranging from spite to ignorance, some Americans refuse to wear masks the scientific community has overwhelmingly concluded will limit the spread of COVID, which has so far killed more than 150,000 Americans in 2020. Babies and people with breathing issues or disabilities that inhibit mask removal are exempt from the CDC recommendation.
“The Princess Bride” enjoyed a second life during the pandemic lockdown when stars including Tiffany Hadish, Jennifer Garner and Hugh Jackman participated in a quirky homemade version of the film that launched on the video platform Quibi late last month.
Critic Roger Ebert said the 1987 “The Princess Bride,” directed by Rob Reiner, “is filled with good-hearted fun,” in his 3.5 star review.
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