Few directors, probably none, can boast of having so much Rob Reiner (New York, 1947 – Los Angeles 2025) to show on his resume one of the best romantic comedies in history, one of the best courtroom dramas in history, one of the best Stephen King adaptations in history, one of the best fantasy and adventure stories in history and the first and funniest mockumentary ever filmed. Historical. Indeed, Rob Reiner, found murdered yesterday at his home with his wife Michele, Between 1984 and 1992, he directed a prodigious succession of seven unforgettable films that placed him in the highest ranks of filmmakers, perhaps not the best, but undoubtedly the most beloved in history. Recently, on the occasion of the premiere of the sequel 40 years later It’s Spinal Tap He confessed to the enormous pressure that accompanied him throughout his life every time a devoted fan asked him for a sequel to one of his films that, irrevocably, changed his life. To him and the fan. “You feel uncomfortable and with a huge unsought responsibility,” he confessed in an interview. And he continued: “However, the most beautiful thing is when they come up to me to tell me that The Princess Bride It’s been his favorite movie his whole life and now it’s his son’s. People come up to me and say, “I saw it when I was six and now I’m showing it to my son.” “It makes me happy.”
In order they were the same It’s Spinal Tap (1984), college love games (1985), count on me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally (1989), Misery (1990) and some good men (1992), the seven productions which placed at the top the actor until then unique and well known mainly for his intervention in the sixties in the two hundred long episodes of the series. All in family. For that and, of course, for being the son of comedy legend Carl Reiner. Any movie buff, not necessarily a fan, can quote without much effort a memorable phrase from each of the films mentioned. From the joke about Stonehenge or the joke about the drummer drowning in someone else’s vomit, to “Did you order code red?” without forgetting the “My name is Iñigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die”, the fake orgasm at dessert or – how can I forget it for God’s sake – “I’ve never had friends like the ones I had when I was twelve. My God, does anyone have any?”every image, every phrase, every chord of Stand by remains engraved in my retina. And forever and without cure.
By chance or destiny, death surprised him just after completing two works that undoubtedly defined his life and work. Still unpublished in Spain, in September of the same year, the highly anticipated second part of the mockumentary the most famous in the history of cinema (the word, already common to designate a mockumentary, is a contraction of joke and documentary in English, an invention of Reiner himself). In the new film called Spinal Tap II: The End Continuesthe group composed of the very improbable rockers Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer in the roles of guitarist Nigel Tufnel, singer David St. Hubbins and bassist Derek Smalls returns, already aged, ready to revisit and clean up four decades later each of the old jokes with a special mention of Stonehenge, of course, and with the stellar collaboration of people like Elton John or Paul MacCartney among others. Without really meaning to, the comedy exudes a deep melancholy which, in its way, perfectly defines the character and way of seeing the world of an essential and comically melancholy filmmaker. The group Spinal Tap, remember, crossed the screen and between jokes and truth became itself a rock group with its more or less serious, more or less incredible tours. And so on until he performed at the Live Earth recital at Wembley Stadium, London, on July 7, 2007.
Shortly before last year, Reiner made his debut as a producer God and country, by Dan Partland, a documentary far from any joke which describes, with the most obvious panic, the growing influence of evangelical churches in American politics. The film contemplates in astonishment how Christian nationalism, the same thing that movements like Make Yourself Heard in Spain claim, has transformed churches into militant cells with preachers inciting hatred against Democrats and pastors willing to fight their beliefs with the weapons they carry in their sermons. In the view of the film and Reiner himself, this is a movement that saw in current President Trump the means to end the Constitution and democracy that prevent the realization of his deeply reactionary ideal. For now, the repeal of the right to abortion with the revision of the landmark case Roe v. Wade’s 1973 Supreme Court is among his most obvious achievements. And growing. In its own way, this film can also be read as a continuation of the entire life of a man raised in reason and not in faith, a liberal and political activist who fought for the repeal of the ban on same-sex marriage in California. and that he gave his full support to channeling tobacco taxes into child protection programs. His 1996 film, Ghosts of the Past, about the trial of the murderer of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, is further proof of his commitment.
When he died at age 78, he left a legacy of nearly 100 films as an actor, including his recent appearances in the series The bearand thirty in which he was director. Now or never (2007), with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, or Our story (1999) with Michelle Pfeiffer and Bruce Willis are just two of those titles that you inevitably come across, almost by chance. But among them, seven films border on a miracle. A fake documentary, we said, hilarious; a delicious romantic comedy worthy successor to It happened one night, by Frank Capra; an unforgettable story about the dangers of growing up with a corpse in the background; the story Iñigo Montoya deserved; another romantic comedy, the most glorious of all, with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal perfect in every imperfection; the most shocking horror story about the dangers of admiring someone like never before, and the most quotable trial movie in history, starring Tom Cruise on his way to heaven. In order, This is Spinal Tap, College Love Games, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery And Some good men.Rob Reiner, the filmmaker who did everything right.
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