In every sense of the phrase, Rob Reiner, who passed away on Sunday at 78, was a great American filmmaker.
Firstly, and most obviously, he was a great filmmaker. His body of work speaks for itself — a collection of some of the most enduring flicks to ever grace the big screen. With classics like When Harry Met Sally, This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, Stand by Me, Misery, and A Few Good Men, just to name a few, he left a far more significant mark on Hollywood than his humble demeanor ever suggested. I mean, between the listed titles alone, it seems like 40% of pop culture’s most cited movie quotes come from Reiner — and that’s without even mentioning his work as a producer or actor.
Secondly, he was a great American, despite whatever that one guy farts out on Truth Social. Reiner co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights (which initiated the court challenge to California Proposition 8, the state amendment that banned same-sex marriage), led a variety of initiatives regarding schooling and environmental issues, and remained active and outspoken throughout his life.
Finally, he was a great American filmmaker. Rather than artsy quirks or niche interests, if anything runs through the totality of Reiner’s work, it’s his American Everyman sensibilities. He liked rock stars and storybook romances and fairy tales and Stephen King stories. Even at their most dramatic and thrilling, his films were approachable, easy to love, and always anchored by a distinctly American brand of optimism (be it through the lens of coming-of-age tales, grounded but extravagant expressions of love, or justice and the greater good).
Simply put, he was one of the greats, an artist whose work should be required material in any introductory class about American culture. These 10 films prove it.
Read on for Rob Reiner’s 10 best movies, presented in chronological order.
— Jonah Krueger
Editorial Coordinator
