10 Memorable Grandpas In Movies
1. The Grandfather (Peter Falk) - The Princess Bride
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young woman who was madly in love with a farm boy. But their union was ill-fated because she was supposed to marry an evil prince against her will. To save her, the brave lad will have to face a giant, a swashbuckling Spaniard, a criminal mastermind, a rodent of unusual size, an entire castle army and Billy Crystal in a wig! As the tagline tells us: True love has never been a snap. Rob Reiner's intelligent direction and William Goldman's witty and funny script have created a timeless classic - a thrillingly romantic adventure, endlessly quotable and full of memorable characters. Its legacy lives on and its tongue-in-cheek quality has been the source of subsequent light fantasy adventures such as Shrek or Pirates of the Caribbean. But what on earth may a self-conscious fairy tale have to do with grandpas? The fact is that the whole 'Princess Bride' plot, is actually a storybook that a grandfather is reading to his grandson, who is sick in bed. The directors choice to tell the story this way could have been awkward, not to say cheesy. But the real and fictional worlds merge together effortlessly to a point that the grandson and his grandpa actually comment on the situations that the characters encounter - while we are still watching the movie. Played with warmth and a subtle sense of absurd by a radiant Peter Falk, the grandpa is exactly what you would expect from a grandfather figure in the 80s: a sweet, caring old-fashionedly dressed elder, a bit moralistic but with a twinkle in his eye. He doesn't care much about modern technology ('When I was your age, television was called books he tells the boy) but he is really fond of his family. You can tell he is full of affection for his grandson but doesn't know how to show it. Peter Falk and Fred Savage (the grandson) show marvelous chemistry together and their amusing bickering feels true from the moment the grandfather appears on screen. As a kid, I thought the generation gap between them was quite accurate and funny. Growing up, I find that the way they slowly bond over the book throughout the movie is even more moving. Is there a more beautiful way to say 'I love you' than the words 'As you wish? * * *
Also Sir Not Appearing On This List - but who still deserves to be mentioned: Marlon Brando as the iconic Don Corleone (The Godfather, 1972). The intimidating mobster was also a caring family man. Amid the maelstrom of violence, he died a peaceful death while playing with his grandson in the garden. Anthony Hopkins as backyard maverick genius Burt Munro who flies from New Zealand to the Utah desert in attempt to break speed records with his customized motorcycle (The World Fastest Indian, 2005); one of the actor's best performances in years. Finally, I heard a lot of good things about Henry Fonda in On Golden Pond (1981). He won an Oscar for Best Actor for the part and critics praised the movie. But I haven't seen it yet I hope you have enjoyed this list of 10 memorable grandfathers in movies. Did I forget your favorite grandpa? Please let me know on the comments below