Remembering Rob Reiner

By: Dominic La-Viola

In death, we always look back to admire the life of the person in which we lost. With the passing of Actor and Filmmaker Rob Reiner, instead of talking about the details and covering the story of his death.

I decided to make a list of 10 films that he made that everyone should see. A tribute to remembering his life, and his achievements.

1. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

The definitive modern romantic comedy

This is Reiner’s masterpiece-not because it’s flashy, but because it’s precise. Every scene advances an idea about intimacy, timing, and emotional maturity. Nora Ephron’s script gets the headlines, but Reiner’s direction is what gives the film its rhythm: conversational, intimate, patient.

What makes it last. 

2. Stand by Me (1986)

Childhood remembered as myth

Few films capture memory the way Stand by Me does. It’s not really about finding a body

—it’s about realizing, too early, that childhood ends.

Reiner directs this with extraordinary restraint. He trusts faces, pauses, and the emotional intelligence of kids who don’t yet know how to articulate loss.

3. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

The blueprint for modern mockumentary

What’s radical about Spinal Tap isn’t the jokes—it’s the commitment. Reiner treats the band with the seriousness of a prestige documentary, letting absurdity emerge organically. 

4. The Princess Bride (1987)

…

A fairy tale that knows it’s a fairy tale

Reiner’s genius here is tonal balance. The film is sincere and ironic, romantic and ridiculous. It understands fantasy as a shared story-something passed down, questioned, and retold. A film, that on paper shouldn’t work, but not only does.  It flourishes. 

5. Misery (1990)

Control, obsession, and authorship

Reiner’s darkest film—and one of Stephen King’s best adaptations. Misery works because it’s about art as captivity. Kathy Bates’ Annie Wilkes isn’t just a villain; she’s an audience taken to its logical extreme. Not to mention, the films gives us one do the best Oscar winning performances ever. 

6. A Few Good Men (1992)

The courtroom drama as moral battlefield

This is Reiner operating at full studio scale, but still grounded in character. The film asks whether institutions value truth—or obedience-and doesn’t offer easy answers.

7. The American President (1995)

Politics as romantic idealism

Often dismissed as light, this film is actually one of the clearest expressions of Reiner’s worldview: that sincerity still matters, even when systems are broken.

8. Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)

Justice delayed, memory unresolved

One of Reiner’s most overlooked films. It’s a sober examination of history’s unfinished business, focusing less on spectacle and more on moral responsibility.

9. Flipped (2010)

Young love without irony

Late-career Reiner returned to childhood perspective with unexpected gentleness.

Flipped is small, earnest, and emotionally clear. A true hidden gem. 

10. The Bucket List (2007)

Mortality for mainstream audiences

This is Reiner at his most populist. The film isn’t subtle, but it’s emotionally transparent-and sometimes that’s enough.