By Amanda Reed — Changed her mind about a movie. Still changes her mind about things.
Last updated: April 2026
When I was 15, my parents made me watch The Princess Bride. They loved it. They quoted it all the time. “Inconceivable!” “My name is Inigo Montoya.” “As you wish.”
I hated it. It was old. The jokes were dumb. The sword fights were slow. The kissing parts were gross. I sat through the whole thing with my arms crossed, waiting for it to end.
For years, I told people that movie was overrated.
Then, in my late twenties, I was sick on the couch. Stomach flu. Could not move. Could not sleep. Needed something on the TV that did not require thinking. The Princess Bride was streaming. I put it on.
I do not know if it was the fever. Or being older. Or being too tired to be cynical. But I loved it. Every second.
I laughed at the jokes I used to think were dumb. I cared about the characters I used to think were boring. I almost cried at the end. Almost.
I watched it again the next day. Still loved it.
What Changed
The movie did not change. I did.
| At 15 | At 28 |
|---|---|
| The jokes were dumb | The jokes were clever |
| The kissing was gross | The romance was sweet |
| The sword fights were slow | The sword fights were charming |
| The movie was old | The movie was classic |
| I was too cool to enjoy it | I did not care about being cool |
At 15, I was trying to be mature. I wanted serious movies about serious things. A fairy tale with silly jokes felt beneath me.
At 28, I was tired. Life was hard enough. I did not need every movie to be deep. I needed a movie that made me smile.
The Princess Bride made me smile.
Other Movies I Changed My Mind About
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
At 16: This is stupid. Nothing happens. Why do people like this?
At 30: This is stupid. Nothing happens. That is why I like it.
The Parent Trap (1998)
At 12: Fun movie.
At 25: Wait, the parents were so selfish. They kept their kids apart for years. That is messed up.
At 35: I do not care. It is still fun.
Clueless (1995)
At 14: A movie about rich kids shopping. Boring.
At 30: A movie about rich kids shopping that is secretly about class, friendship, and growing up. Also, the outfits are amazing.
What I Learned
Your taste changes. That is not a betrayal of your younger self.
My 15-year-old self was not wrong. She just wanted different things. I do not need to defend her opinions now.
Some movies are for the person you become later.
The Princess Bride was wasted on teenage me. It was not ready for me. I was not ready for it.
Comfort movies are important.
Not every movie has to challenge you. Some movies are just warm blankets. That is enough.
What I Am Not Saying
I am not saying you will eventually love every movie you hated. Some movies are just bad.
I am not saying your teenage opinions are invalid. They were valid for who you were then.
I am just saying: it is worth revisiting things. Not because you were wrong. Because you have changed.
A Small Suggestion
Pick one movie you hated when you were younger. Wait until you are in a different phase of life. Watch it again.
Do not force yourself to like it. Just watch with an open mind.
Maybe you will still hate it. That is fine.
Or maybe you will see something you missed the first time. That is a gift.
The Bottom Line
I hated The Princess Bride at 15. I thought it was dumb and old and overrated.
At 28, I watched it with a fever on the couch. I laughed. I almost cried. I felt warm.
The movie did not change. I did. And that is okay.
Now I quote it all the time. “Inconceivable!”
My parents were right. I just was not ready to admit it.
About the author: Amanda Reed watches movies from every decade. Some she liked as a teenager. Some she did not. She keeps an open mind about both.
This article is for entertainment purposes. Movie tastes change over time. That is normal.
