Rob Reiner was the most effective administrators in Hollywood all through the 80s and 90s, churning out hit motion pictures in a wide range of genres with among the world’s largest stars. Reiner acquired his begin as an actor, and a whole era knew him from his position as Mike “Meathead” Stivic on All within the Household earlier than transferring on to directing.
Rob Reiner died on December 14, 2025, at 78, and he left behind a legacy of films that nobody will ever contact. Reiner mastered all the pieces from mockumentaries to rom-coms and navy dramas to coming-of-age tales and fantasy masterpieces. Whereas he by no means gained an Oscar for guiding, Rob Reiner instructed the tales that outlined a complete era.
Rumor Has It… (2005)
In 2005, Rob Reiner tried his hand at one other romantic comedy, this one starring Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner, referred to as Rumor Has It… Aniston is Sarah, a newspaper author who returns residence for her youthful sister Annie’s (Mena Suvari) marriage ceremony, accompanied by her personal fiancé, performed by Mark Ruffalo.
When Sarah hears her grandmother point out that her mother ran away every week earlier than her marriage ceremony, Sarah realizes that she won’t know the identification of her organic father. She then units out to satisfy the person who could be her organic father, a rich Silicon Valley tech knowledgeable named Beau (Kevin Costner), who additionally slept along with her grandmother.
He wasn’t her father, however what resulted was Beau sleeping with Sarah, the third era of ladies on this household. Critics did not extremely regard the film, however Reiner did some attention-grabbing issues by mixing concepts from the film The Graduate into this story, and it had the identical good performances one would anticipate from a Reiner movie.
Ghosts Of Mississippi (1996)
In 1996, Rob Reiner took on a courtroom drama that had a forged that included Alec Baldwin, James Woods, and Whoopi Goldberg. The movie is predicated on the real-life 1994 trial of a white supremacist named Byron De La Beckwith, who was accused of killing a civil rights activist named Medgar Evers in 1963.
Whoopi Goldberg performs Myrlie Evers, the widow of the murdered man, and James Woods performs the killer, who was acquitted twice in hung juries within the Nineteen Sixties. It took 25 years earlier than Evers was lastly capable of pull collectively sufficient proof to assist convict the person. Alec Baldwin is the person who agrees to assist strive the case.
Each Goldberg and Woods have been praised for his or her performances, with Woods incomes an Oscar nomination for Finest Supporting Actor.
The Positive Factor (1985)
Rob Reiner’s second film of his profession, following his cult favourite That is Spinal Faucet, was a fundamental romantic comedy referred to as The Positive Factor. The film stars John Cusack in an early rom-com position as Gib Gibson, a highschool senior who’s about to go to varsity and is struggling within the relationship sport.
He meets a younger girl at school named Alison (Daphne Zuniga), however can not seem to win her over. His finest pal, who went to UCLA, asks Gib to fly out, and he’ll hook him up with a “Positive Factor.” Nicollette Sheridan performs the unnamed “Positive Factor,” however Gib cannot cease fascinated about Alison, and he has a troublesome resolution to make.
This was Reiner’s first try at a rom-com, and whereas he made a number of over his profession that have been higher, there was nonetheless one thing candy about this film that made it really feel like a modern-day It Occurred One Evening. Critics praised its take a look at teenage romance with out sexualizing it in an period the place intercourse was the norm.
The American President (1995)
Ten years after making a rom-com directed squarely at youngsters in The Positive Factor, Reiner went in the wrong way along with his film, The American President. This movie starred Michael Douglas as U.S. President Andrew Shepherd, a widower who’s working for re-election. Nevertheless, his plans are thrown into disarray when he falls for a lobbyist.
Annette Bening performs the lobbyist, and this was a enjoyable rom-com that flips issues on their head. Douglas was 51 when the film was launched, whereas Bening was 37, and in an period the place rom-coms centered on youthful romantic leads, this was a pleasant movie directed instantly at grownup crowds, a pleasant change of tempo.
The American President was a small field workplace success for Reiner, and it went on to earn an Oscar nomination for its rating. Nevertheless, its most vital legacy was that it led author Aaron Sorkin to create his tv drama The West Wing, with most of the similar beliefs that he created with the President on this movie.
Distress (1990)
Rob Reiner directed two Stephen King motion pictures, and his second one was one of many solely King movies to win an Oscar. In 1990, Reiner directed the King film, Distress, which was primarily based on King’s frustrations with how followers can attempt to hijack an writer’s profession and pressure him to solely write what they need to learn.
He took it to the acute, with writer Paul Sheldon (James Caan) being concerned in an auto accident, solely to be saved by his largest fan, Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates). Nevertheless, Annie turns into obsessed and refuses to permit him to depart till he rewrites his newest e book to her specs, torturing him when he refuses.
Bates pulled off a uncommon accomplishment when she gained an Oscar for her portrayal of Annie Wilkes, one thing that does not occur typically in horror motion pictures. Reiner additionally obtained nice reward when Stephen King stated he felt the film Distress was even higher than his novel.
This Is Spinal Faucet (1984)
It appears nearly arduous to consider that That is Spinal Faucet was a debut movie for a brand-new film director. Rob Reiner had made his identify as an actor, along with his most vital position approaching the Norman Lear tv sequence All within the Household. Nevertheless, when he directed his first movie, he made an attention-grabbing resolution.
Reiner determined to make a mockumentary, the place he starred as a person interviewing a well-known heavy steel band referred to as Spinal Faucet, following them on tour and exhibiting the loopy occasions that came about of their lives. Michael McKean, Christopher Visitor, and Harry Shearer starred because the band members and improvised most of their traces.
That is Spinal Faucet stays one of the beloved rock and roll motion pictures ever made, and the most effective mockumentaries of all time. It obtained a Criterion Assortment launch, helped launch Christopher Visitor’s mockumentary profession, and even had a sequel that got here out in 2025, Rob Reiner’s last film as a director.
Stand By Me (1986)
In 1986, Rob Reiner directed his first of two Stephen King motion pictures, and solely die-hard King followers even knew it was primarily based on one among his tales. Primarily based on the novella The Physique from Completely different Seasons, Stand By Me was the first-ever Stephen King film that wasn’t a horror story. As a substitute, this was a touching coming-of-age drama.
The 4 younger stars all turned family names, with Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell as 4 pre-teen pals who hear there’s a lifeless physique within the woods and got down to see it. Alongside the way in which, they face their very own morality and are available again fully modified in methods they by no means anticipated.
There have been extra profitable King non-horror movies, with The Shawshank Redemption and The Inexperienced Mile as one of the best examples. Nevertheless, Stand By Me stands alongside these movies as the most effective King motion pictures ever made, and the performances that Rob Reiner pulled from these youngsters have been merely perfection.
A Few Good Males (1992)
In 1992, Rob Reiner directed the most effective non-war navy motion pictures and courtroom dramas of all time. The film starred a younger Tom Cruise as an lawyer tasked with representing two males who’re accused of homicide as they face a court-martial. Demi Moore co-stars as a second lawyer, who believes one thing else occurred.
Jack Nicholson delivered an intense efficiency as Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, the merciless base commander who breaks beneath testimony when he admits ordering a Code Purple, the place he ordered the 2 accused males to precise violent extrajudicial punishment on the soldier who died. That scene stays the most effective in courtroom drama historical past.
A Few Good Males was a monster success on the field workplace and went on to earn Jack Nicholson an Oscar nomination for Finest Supporting Actor, whereas Reiner shared in an Oscar nomination for Finest Image.
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Rob Reiner directed what many take into account to be the best romantic comedy ever made. When Harry Met Sally stars Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as the 2 titular characters. It is a comedy about two very shut pals, and it breaks down how arduous it’s for a person and girl to be solely pals, particularly when there may be some attraction.
This film has among the most iconic scenes in rom-com historical past, with the one scene the place Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm whereas sitting in a restaurant, the place everybody can hear, one of the repeated gags in any romantic comedy. This was one of many motion pictures that helped Meg Ryan overtake Julia Roberts because the Queen of the Rom-Com.
The film was a field workplace success and ended up incomes Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. In 2022, the Library of Congress added When Harry Met Sally to the Nationwide Movie Registry.
The Princess Bride (1987)
The very best Rob Reiner film ever made arrived in 1987 with the fantasy romantic comedy The Princess Bride. The movie, written by William Goldman, is book-ended with a grandfather studying the story to his sick grandson. It follows a farmhand named Westley who’s in love with a younger girl named Buttercup.
He units off to seek out fortune abroad, however when he’s presumed lifeless in an assault by Dread Pirate Roberts, she finally ends up forcibly betrothed to Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). The evening earlier than her marriage ceremony, a Sicilian prison named Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) and his henchmen kidnap her. This brings a mysterious pirate to attempt to save her.
This film has all the pieces fantasy followers might need. It has nice dialogue from names like Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes, a enjoyable efficiency by Andre the Large, and a candy love story. It’s a large cult favourite and was added to the Nationwide Movie Registry in 2016 by the Library of Congress. All issues thought of, it is Rob Reiner’s masterpiece.