Westport still lacks a theater. But the Westport Cinema Initiative is winging it well.
As the group works to bring a movie house to town, they’ve sponsored a series of showings at Town Hall. The next — set for 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 — is “The Princess Bride.”
Chris Sarandon
The romantic fantasy comedy — released to modest success in 1987, but now a cult classic — is one of his favorites, says star Chris Sarandon (Prince Humperdinck).
But don’t take my word for it. You can hear him talk about the film — and much more — at a talkback following the showing. Noted movie critic — and Westporter — Susan Granger will lead the discussion.
Sarandon — an Academy Award, Golden Globe and New York Film Critics Circle nominee, with dozens of movie, Broadway and off-Broadway credits — has fond feelings for “Princess Bride.”
Because of the cast, the characters they played, and Rob Reiner’s deft touch, the film has touched many lives, Sarandon says.
Nearly 30 years later, strangers quote lines back to him. They tell him they watch the movie with their own children. It appeals to audiences of all ages.
Of course, 3 decades ago Sarandon and his crew had no idea that viewers in the as-yet-unknown age of Netflix would react so well.
“It was not marketed well,” the actor admits. “The studio had no idea what to do with it. It operated on so many different levels. But all of us loved it. It was personal to us.”
Sarandon looks forward to talking about all this — his fellow actors, anecdotes from the filming, untold stories — at the “Princess Bride” talkback.
Hearing him speak in Westport is the next best thing to seeing it in an actual theater here.
(Tickets to the April 9 event are $10 each. They are available at the door, or by clicking on www.westportcinema.org. Admission includes snacks!)
