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It has been an impossibly sad day, in Hollywood and beyond, as the industry reels from the shocking death of Rob Reiner, who was found dead along with his wife Michele on Sunday in their home.
The son of writer Carl Reiner, Reiner first became known for his role as Meathead in the influential sitcom “All in the Family.” After making a successful segue into filmmaking, he went on to direct classic films including “Stand by Me,” “This Is Spinal Tap,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “A Few Good Men.” Across genres — from the mockumentary riffs of “This Is Spinal Tap” to the heartfelt beats of “When Harry Met Sally” — his work helped define American cinema in the 1980s and ’90s. Three of Reiner’s films were included in a “100 Best Comedy Movies of All Time” list recently published by Variety.
“He made at least six hall-of-fame films, practically one after another over the course of an 11-year run (a number forever associated with him),” wrote Variety film critic Peter DeBruge in a tribute following his death.
Throughout his career, he forged deep creative partnerships. Reiner’s long relationship with writer/director Nora Ephron yielded some of the most iconic dialogue in romantic comedy, and his collaborative chemistry with performers like Billy Crystal and Meg Regan helped define their work together.
Below, find a list of Reiner’s most iconic films — and where to stream them online.
This Is Spinal Tap
Image Credit: ©EMBASSY PICTURES Summary: Reiner’s directorial debut established a mainstream format for the mockumentary as it follows the increasingly disastrous U.S tour of the fictional British heavy metal band Spinal Tap. Reiner’s comedic genius shines through in the film’s awkward interviews, technical mishaps and sharp critique of the excesses and egos in the music industry.
Where to Stream: HBO Max, Prime Video (HBO Max add-on), Hulu (HBO Max add-on), Philo (HBO Max add-on)
Stand by Me
Image Credit: ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Summary: Pulled from a Stephen King novella, this is the film that showed Reiner could do something quieter and more grounded. Set in a small Oregon town in the 1950s, the film follows four boys who set out to find the body of a missing child rumored to be lying near the train tracks.
Where to Stream: Netflix
Variety Review: “Scripters have written inspired dialog for this quartet of plucky boys at that hard-to-capture age when they’re still young enough to get scared and yet old enough to want to sneak smokes and cuss.”
The Princess Bride
Image Credit: ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection Summary: This cult classic is a prime example of Reiner’s comedic restraint, playing a fairy tale story straight and trusting the script to handle the humor without tipping into parody. Told as a storybook being read aloud, the film centers on Buttercup (Robin Wright), a young woman separated from her true love, Westley, and caught in a plot involving kidnappers, sword fights and a looming forced marriage
Where to Stream: Hulu
Variety Review: “Mandy Patinkin especially is a joy to watch and the film comes to life when his longhaired, scruffy cavalier is on screen.”
When Harry Met Sally
Image Credit: ©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Co / Everett Collection Summary: The movie that locked in Reiner’s place in the rom-com canon, boosted by Nora Ephron’s script and Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan’s ineffable chemistry. The film tracks the evolving relationship between Harry and Sally over more than a decade as they repeatedly cross paths and debate whether men and women can ever really be friends.
Where to Stream: Starz, Hulu (Starz add-on), Prime Video (Starz add-on), Philo (Starz add-on) and Fubo TV (Starz add-on)
Variety Review: “Rob Reiner directs with deftness and sincerity, making the material seem more engaging than it is, at least until the plot machanics begin to unwind and the film starts to seem shapeless.”
Misery
Image Credit: ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Summary: After a car accident leaves him stranded, a novelist is rescued by a former nurse who turns out to be his most obsessed fan. Confined almost entirely to a single house, the film is a departure fro, Reiner’s conversational films, building tension through isolation and control (and Kathy Bates’ exceptional Oscar-turning role).
Where to Stream: Available to purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV
Variety Review: “Bates has a field day with her role, creating a quirky, memorable object of hate.”
A Few Good Men
Image Credit: ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Eve Summary: Reiner keeps the staging direct and uncluttered in this performance-driven courtroom drama adapted from Aaron Sorkin’s play. The fim follows a young Navy lawyer as he’s assigned to defend two Marines accused of murdering a fellow soldier at Guantánamo bay, featuring a high-wattage ensemble cast consisting of Jack Nicholsan, Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon and more.
Where to Stream: Philo
Variety Review: ‘A Few Good Men’ is a big-time, mainstream Hollywood movie par excellence. It’s got all the elements for across-the-boards acceptance — juicy parts for some of the top stars in the business, a Broadway pedigree, a riveting David-vs.-Goliath courtroom battle, serious attitudes that won’t threaten or offend anyone, and skilled filmmaking hands at the top of their game.”
The American President
Image Credit: ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Summary: Reiner reunites with Aaron Sorkin for this glossy, mid-’90s studio movie, starring Michael Douglas as a sitting U.S president as he begins a romantic relationship with an environmental lobbyist.
Where to Stream: Available to rent/purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV
Variety Review: “Working with Reiner again after their successful teaming on A Few Good Men, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has cooked up some reasonably engaging banter for his two bright, quick-witted, hard-driving leading characters without letting it get too artificial. Douglas and Bening are more than up to the challenge, delivering winning turns as A-plus personality types.”
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