Here are five essential Rob Reiner films, as we mourn the loss of Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.
The couple met on the set of When Harry Met Sally, one of the films Reiner made during an incredible run in which he directed five classic films in a span of just six years — a feat unmatched by almost anyone in the history of film.
Here they are.
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
This fake rock documentary, which popularized the mockumentary format, marked an astonishing directorial debut for Rob Reiner, who had previously been best known for playing Michael Stivic, aka Meathead, on All in the Family.
Gathering the comic talents of Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shear, Reiner dismantled a slew of rock cliches in his in-depth, fly on the wall study of the incredibly pretentious fake band Spinal Tap.
Reiner was also a fantastic straight man, in his “interviews” with the bandmates. The “up to 11” scene is one of the most quoted in movie history.
Guest went on to run with the mockumentary format in several classic comedies of his own, including Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind.
Stand By Me (1986)
It’s a real sign of Rob Reiner’s skill that he could move so swiftly from the hard laughs of This Is Spinal Tap to making one of the best coming-of-age films ever made with Stand By Me. But both films had a commitment to bluntness, truth and not sugarcoating things that made Reiner’s moments of poignancy feel more earned.
A young cast led by River Phoenix tell a lived-in story of the power of friendship that cuts to the heart, resisting cheap sentiment at every turn. Stephen King’s voice can be a tough one to translate to the screen, and Reiner captured his mix of Americana and grotesquerie better than anyone.
Remarkably, Reiner also made another solid movie between This Is Spinal Tap and Stand By Me: 1985’s The Sure Thing is perfectly good — it’s just not on the very high level of the other films on this list.
The Princess Bride (1987)
The Princess Bride works as both a sendup of fairytales and as one of the best fairytales ever written, filled with twists, insights, and heart.
It operates from a baseline of skepticism, never accepting cliches or sanctimony or hero worship, and is all the more moving because of its flashes of cynicism.
With a light touch, Reiner managed to craft moments of soaring romance and adventure, never missing an opportunity for dry wit. When Reiner and screenwriter William Goldman worked together — as they also did on 1990’s Misery — their craft and charm were beyond comparison.
But the real testament to the power of The Princess Bride is that anytime we start watching it, we keep watching it.
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Reiner switched to another genre with this exploration of whether men and women can just be friends. It’s piled with great set pieces — notably the deli scene — and incredibly quotable lines, courtesy of screenwriter Nora Ephron. It’s a rom-com with no illusions.
It’s striking that Reiner could so perfectly encapsulate the idiosyncrasies of writers as different as Ephron and King: Just as he was a great straight man actor in This Is Spinal Tap, he also had the humility and skill as a director to stay out of the way and let the script to the talking. Less confident directors muddy up the works with excess, and he never did.
Notably, he first saw Michele Singer on the set, he told The New York Times in 1989: “I look over and I see this girl, and ‘Whoo!’ I was attracted immediately,” he said.
Misery (1990)
Rob Reiner was admired for lovestruck movies prior to Misery — The Sure Thing, The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally all felt like the works of a true romantic. But with Misery, he proved he could do ruthlessly efficient horror with the best of them, telling a story of obsession.
Working with a writerly dream team — William Goldman adapting a Stephen King book — Reiner managed a stunningly suspenseful film that played on audiences emotions with crackerjack, Hitchcockian efficiency. He found dark laughs, but also moments of pure, visceral horror, notably in the hobbling scene.
As an actor, himself, he had a terrific way with actors, and brought out perhaps the best performances of James Caan and Kathy Bates’ careers. Bates deservedly won an Oscar for Best Actress, making Misery the only film based on a King book to win an Oscar.
To Be Clear
There are other Rob Reiner films that are well worth watching — notably A Few Good Men and The American President. But the five preceding films are the ones we consider the absolute essential Rob Reiner films — movies that you, or anyone, would be cheating yourself not to watch.
If we had to choose one, it would be The Princess Bride. But we don’t have to choose one. Rob Reiner left us a bevy of great films, the legacy of a great director with the confidence and kindness to let others shine.
Rest in Peace.
Main image: Billy Crystal, Rob Reiner and Meg Ryan on the set of When Harry Met Sally, one of the essential Rob Reiner films.
