Being a kid that grew up in the 1990s, Rob Reiner was an everpresent force in my home. In one way or another, he seemed to always be around. Whether it was on TV as Meathead, the foil to Carol O’Connor’s Archie Bunker in ‘All in the Family’ or in the director’s chair behind the camera on films like ‘The Princess Bride’ and ‘Stand By Me’, Reiner was like family through his media.
With the tragic death of Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, I, like many others, have been left heartbroken. The impact that his work had on so many of us is noticeable in the ways we quote his movies or his roles. A void has been left, but the art remains. Monuments to an icon of film and screen that will undoubtedly be discussed as one of the greatest to ever do it for decades to come.
Rob Reiner was a Hollywood legacy. Son of Carl and Estelle Reiner, Reiner was born to be someone within an industry that his family helped to establish. Growing up in the shadows of the greats, Norman Lear, Mel Brooks, the opportunity and inspiration for greatness was there. Reiner took the blessings of his privilege and created a legacy that is characterised by it’s expression of the every man. People of little consequence that Reiner turned into dread pirates and rock stars. Reiner truly became a voice for the voiceless.
King Lear’s Player
Before he was a master of the camera, Rob Reiner was an actor, a funny, oafish type guy with an affinity for drama and the wit of the shadows that he grew up in. Reiner played roles from the small screen to the big screen, returning to make many guest appearances throughout his career as well. Any time Reiner showed up on screen, whether it was a guest role or recurring, he ate up the screen. He was instantly recognizable. Genuinely, Reiner’s sheer presence in whatever it was that you were watching made it better. Reiner was captivating because he embodied the every man, a guy you could hang out with, have a beer with, laugh with, and share your hurt with.
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Of course, none of this discourse would be possible had it not been for the role that first introduced us to him.
Michael ‘Meathead’ Stivic.
The progressive foil to Carol O’Connor’s hard headed, bigotted Archie Bunker. Meathead secured Reiner’s legacy with the audience. A bumbling oaf with a heart of gold, Meathead seemed more like the man who played him than a caricature or a stereotype of just another TV character. Again, Reiner made him genuine. Someone that was relatable to the audience in their own lives. Meathead was quick to call Bunker on his shortcomings or take him to task for his positions or beliefs when it came to society or politics. Meathead was a reflection of the man, himself, always willing to take the hard stand.
It Goes Up to 11
Following his time on ‘All in the Family,’ Reiner went from the small screen to the big, not in front of, but behind the camera. Never making the same movie twice in a row, he went from genre to genre creating timeless stories that audiences have endlessly quoted for decades.
Reiner was a master storyteller. Mockumentaries like ‘This is Spinal Tap’ left audiences in stitches, while his grasp of suspense put audiences on the edge of their seats in ‘Misery.’ Reiner’s run of films starting with 1984’s ‘This is Spinal Tap’ and continuing through 1992’s ‘A Few Good Men’ is untouchable. Each film in this run is an out and out classic of it’s genre.
‘Stand By Me’ is imprinted on many of us who grew up with it as a coming of age tale. A story that we all related to and could understand regardless of age. Indeed, Reiner’s presentation and ability to reach audiences is exactly why this piece exists. It’s why when we list the greats, Reiner will be near the top.
For me, of course, this is where we delve into the personal. Reiner directed one of my all-time favorite films. He is the direct link to my love of film, something that even in the darkest of times in my life, I could turn to for comfort. ‘The Princess Bride’ is an all time classic. A fairytale with heart and adventure, it finds itself at the top of many “Top 10 Favorite Films” lists, but for me it was more. In a house that didn’t always invite imagination or dreaming, ‘The Princess Bride’ provided the inspirational canvas that I would later paint upon. For this, I will be eternally grateful to Rob Reiner, who will always hold a place of prestige and honor in my heart.
While this is just a poorly worded love letter to a Hollywood icon, it will always fall short of who the man truly was. Rob Reiner was more than just an actor or director. He was a real true to life hero. Reiner’s political activism brought about real change and angered the RIGHT people. Proposition 8, providing equal marriage under the law for LGBTQ+ couples, passed in short part due to Reiner’s advocacy and work. Reiner co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights that brought the lawsuit to the court room, paving the way for marriage equality. Rob Reiner didn’t just play Meathead. For all intents and purposes, he was. The progressive with the undying faith in humanity was exactly who Reiner was off the screen, just as he was on it.
Rob Reiner was an icon of film. The every man that the audience could find themselves in. The director that brought our favorite movies to life. While his life has tragically passed, we are left with his art and the memories of our time with it. A treasure trove of classics and masterpieces that will be passed down from generation to generation, ensuring that Reiner and his work will live on through the ages.
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