As the saying goes: When someone shows you who they are, believe them.
2024 is a world in spectacle; and American culture is mortgaged to this principle. The American public has demonstrated, time and time again, that they will value above-all-else the biggest, brightest, and loudest spectacle offered to them. It's the reason for our infinite music festivals, it's the reason we had the Barbenheimer phenomenon, and it's the reason our former president - despite being a convicted felon - is enjoying a new apex in popularity after being shot in the ear.
Our quieter impulses aren't nurtured like they used to be. The squeaky wheel gets the grease in century 21. It's a fact.
I use this revelation not to complain, condemn, or promote some political agenda. Oh no. I use this to talk about something much, much more important: Cinema!
In a world of BIG, genre-defining directors like Scorsese, Tarantino, Spielberg, Nolan, even Villeneuve and Gerwig - it seems natural, almost inevitable - that some meek brilliance fall by the wayside.
Names like these all get thrown around as the some of the greatest and most beloved directors and filmmakers of our time. Again, deservedly so. They have so much to offer the world in terms of their expertise and obvious love of the craft.
But there is a forgotten man, an unsung hero in their midst whose relatively mild acclaim in popular culture is, perhaps, a product of our intense addiction to the spectacle that films today have become. No, his films aren't as violently decadent as Scorsese's or Tarantino's, nor are they as epic and sprawling as Spielberg's or Nolan's. But within his films, especially in his prime, lies an incomparable versatility of storytelling, an uncanny understanding of story and character, and consistently, the best dialogue ever put to film.
I speak, of course, of this guy:
While Rob Reiner may not have the acclaim or accolades of his counterparts, he has in my argument, the greatest five-film run of all-time. Here is why.
Stand By Me (1986)
In my humble opinion, Stand By Me is the epitome of coming-of-age stories. It doesn't shy away from its complex themes and authenticity. It's a movie that stars four young boys adventuring through the forest on Labor Day weekend. And it's rated R. Where a film like The Goonies dances around maturity and mortality, (Goonies never say die!), this film embraces the very real-world themes of death and the loss of innocence. It's thrilling, hilarious, and charming - a paragon of versatility I contend Reiner is ingenious for.
The Princess Bride (1987)
This is an opinion piece, but I'll gladly admit my bias: The Princess Bride is my favorite film of all time. Everything about this movie is perfect. Every actor delivers a standout performance; with iconic lines, action and cinematography oozing from the screen. This movie doesn't just parody the fantasy genre, it comments on and subverts it. It's one of the silliest movies ever made, but Peter Falk narrating to his grandson makes the story incredibly personal and the silliness charming. It's one of the most fun, and funniest movie-watching experiences I've ever had or will have. I find myself wishing I could rediscover this film again and again. In many ways, it defines my childhood, and exudes the confidence and wonder I wish to live with in my life as an adult.
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
While I may prefer the setting and adventure of The Princess Bride, I know many a person who would call When Harry Met Sally... THE funniest movie ever made. And I'm not mad at it. Billy Crystal was a scene-stealer in the last film, but his portrayal of Harry Burns is the best thing he's ever done on screen. This movie is so much Billy Crystal, yet not enough. He and Meg Ryan are so natural together it feels like real life. And the story is just the same. When Harry Met Sally... has all the awkward relatability of dating, sex and romance. SO many scenes are deeply uncomfortable, but yet, it's a world that you 100% want to live in. Rob Reiner crafts such a fun and alluring tone in his films, and this movie is the prime example of that. It's as funny and feel-good as any movie ever made.
Misery (1990)
Did I mention versatility earlier?
At this point, my dude Reiner is C-O-O-K-I-N-G. I'm sure he was thinking to himself: Yeah... I could make another comedy classic. But that would be too easy.
Instead, he took a leap and adapted another Stephen King novel. This time, Reiner submitted a genre-defining horror/thriller classic - and if you've seen this movie - that may be an understatement. The intensity of this film speaks for itself. Every line of dialogue, every plot detail carries so much weight. It's a story in the most story sense of the world. Every event logically leads to the next; it unravels itself. Reiner builds tension throughout the entire runtime of Misery, until it is finally released in the most explosive and cathartic climaxes in all his filmography. This is such a curveball in tone from his previous works - even antithetical to his playful directorial debut, This is Spinal Tap (which I love, of course). It is punctuated by a dynamic and eternal performance by Kathy Bates, and the always-compelling James Caan. Reiner's direction has these two at their best, demonstrating character and motivation in the most gruesome of ways.
A Few Good Men (1992)
In musical terms, this is The Beatles ending their run of Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, and The White Album with Abbey Road.
It's Kanye West ending his run of The College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation, and 808s & Heartbreak with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
It's David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and it's Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.
It's Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise yelling at each other in a courtroom. What more could you want?
I would not have guessed that "courtroom drama" would be next up after the success of Misery, but who the hell could blame the guy at this point. He. Could. Not. Miss. A Few Good Men has the best dialogue of any movie, ever. This is the movie that put Aaron Sorkin on the map and made his name synonymous with cutting, evocative, and efficient dialogue. For a movie that is essentially a stageplay, it doesn't feel forced. It's not boring, and there are no lulls. It pulls you in with its characters, and toys with life, liberty, security, truth and justice so effectively it makes your head spin - in the best way. You can really see both sides of the central moral argument, and that's what good storytelling is all about. Reiner gets so much credit for adapting this screenplay and getting the most out of his actors yet again. A Few Good Men is another notch in his belt in terms of classic, memorable, and immediately-quotable movies. At this point in his career, he was just showing off.
With A Few Good Men, Rob Reiner ends the greatest five-movie run of all time.
As the son of film and comedy legend Carl Reiner, perhaps Rob's success as a storyteller should not come as much of a shock. This run was momentous in quality and impact on American culture, but it seems more and more as if we've forgotten this way.
With mainly the only films getting theater-play being $400 million CGI-superhero-cacophonies and monster-melees, I find myself longing more and more for Reiner's type of films. I want characters that feel real, characters that are like me - just people trying to make sense of a crazy world.
Mr. Reiner crafted these characters and stories with top tier attention-to-detail and understanding of the art. Even if he didn't have the box office numbers or the staying-power of his contemporaries, his pinnacle was as varied, consistent, and impressive as any filmmaker, storyteller or director to ever call out... Action!
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