How Rob Reiner shot to fame with ‘All in the Family’ — and then churned out Hollywood hits

Rob Reiner, the director whose films have become staples for generations of movie‑goers, passed away at 78. His death marks the end of a career that spanned genres and left an indelible imprint on Hollywood.

Reiner made a name for himself by focusing on the heart of a story rather than flashy effects. He let a solid script, talented actors, and genuine storytelling carry the film, and he never imposed a single stylistic trademark on his work.

TV critic Alan Sepinwall told The Post, “He addressed each movie on its own terms. There are a lot of celebrated directors whose work you look at and can always recognize as theirs. Reiner didn’t have a house style and bent his approach to what that film needed.”
“[People have expressed] disbelief that the same man had made films as varied as ‘Stand by Me’ and ‘A Few Good Men,’” Sepinwall added.

The result was a string of dependable successes that have stood the test of time. Before he could sit behind the camera, Reiner was already a familiar face on television.

He first earned national attention as Michael “Meathead” Stivic on “All in the Family” from 1971 to 1979. In that role he impressed the show’s creator, Norman Lear, with his sharp comedic timing.

Sally Struthers, who co‑starred with him, recently reflected to The Post: “Rob Reiner would jump right in. We started to call him ‘The Sultan of Slice’ because he knew immediately what line to cut without affecting a joke or the plot.”

“Rob said, ‘I know that we’re the same age, and I have no business instructing you. But, I see how disappointing it is for you when you lose a line or two, and nobody writes for you the delicious arguments like I get to do with Archie,’” she added.

Reiner’s directorial breakthrough arrived in 1984 with “This Is Spinal Tap.” A mock‑documentary about a fictional British heavy‑metal band, co‑written with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, convinced many viewers that it was a genuine band on a tour.

The film spun the band’s earnest devotion into pure comedy, kick‑starting a genre that would echo in shows and movies for years to follow.

“It started out actually slow,” Reiner later told  Page Six. “People didn’t quite get it at first. They thought it was a real documentary about a real band.”

Guest and his wife, Jamie Lee Curtis, expressed that they were “numb and sad and shocked” at his passing.

In 1985 Reiner shifted gears to the romantic comedy “The Sure Thing,” putting John Cusack’s affable slacker next to Daphne Zuniga’s grounded girl in a road‑trip that foreshadowed his later takes on love and adventure.

A year later, he brought us “Stand by Me,” a coming‑of‑age classic based on a Stephen King novella. The picture follows four boys—Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell—as they search for a missing teen’s body. The film mixes laughter with real heartbreak, a combination Reiner called the most meaningful project of his life.

“ I don’t know if it’s the best film or not, but it means the most to me,” he said to the Jewish Daily Forward in 2016. “It was the first time I did a film that was really reflective of my personality and sensibility. It has humor to it, but it also has this sad, melancholy aspect to it, and that’s kind of a mixture of what I am.”

O’Connell later praised Reiner for giving the young cast opportunities nearly four decades ago, saying, “Everything I have in my life is because of Rob Reiner.”

Stephen King, in a brief X post, added, “You always stood by me.”

The sequel, “The Princess Bride,” arrived in 1987. Melding fairy‑tale adventure with sharp wit and romance, it featured a star‑packed cast that included Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, André the Giant, and Wallace Shawn. Though the film didn’t make a splash at the box office, repeated viewings on home video turned it into a cult classic that still quotes and references today.

Reiner later stated in 2014, “I have a lot of things that I think about. I love satire, I love romance, comedy, drama – I like all these things, and I try to find ways to make movies that I can use as many of these elements as possible and to put that all together.”
He went on, “I think the best one that used all of them was ‘The Princess Bride.’”

In 1989, Nora Ephron’s “When Harry Met Sally” followed, starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. The film’s central question—can men and women truly be friends?—was answered through punchy dialogue and memorable performances.

Reiner admitted he was on the fence about casting Crystal because of their friendship, but ultimately decided he couldn’t have gone wrong. “Whenever you do something this personal and you’re best friends, if it doesn’t work, it’s like, ‘Oy!’” he told People in 2019. “Finally I said, ‘Aw, f–k it; he’s perfect!’”

He also joked that Crystal helped craft the film’s most iconic line, which the director’s mother, Estelle, later delivered on set: “I’ll have what she’s having.”

The next year he turned to a darker tone with “Misery,” adapted from another Stephen King novel. James Caan played a writer trapped by a deranged fan, portrayed by Kathy Bates, who won an Oscar for her performance.

Bates later praised Reiner in The Post, saying, “He was brilliant and kind, a man who made films of every genre to challenge himself as an artist. He changed the course of my life.”

Two years later came the courtroom drama “A Few Good Men.” With Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore, the film delved into moral dilemmas and powerful speeches. Nicholson’s portrayal of Colonel Nathan Jessep earned acclaim, and Reiner shared an amusing story about the famous line, “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!”

Reiner remembered that Nicholson gave the same intense performance on and off camera after multiple takes. He even mimicked Nicholson’s delivery, noting, “You don’t understand Rob, I love to act. And I don’t get that much of a chance with great parts like this.”

He didn’t stop there. In 1995 he directed “The American President,” a romantic political drama starring Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, and Michael J. Fox that blended office politics with personal longing. The film resonated with viewers who appreciated a love story set against a public career backdrop.

Soon after, he tackled the historical thriller “Ghosts of Mississippi,” featuring Alec Baldwin and Whoopi Goldberg, which explored the delayed prosecution over the murder of civil‑rights icon Medgar Evers.

Alan Sepinwall praised Reiner’s early block of work, calling his first seven films “maybe the greatest opening stretch of a director’s career.” He highlighted Reiner’s talent for choosing collaborators—Christopher Guest, William Goldman, Nora Ephron—and his instinct for casting early big‑name roles for emerging actors like Kathy Bates, John Cusack, and River Phoenix.

Later projects included “The Story of Us” (1999) with Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer, “Rumor Has It” (2005) featuring Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner, and “The Bucket List” (2007) where Nicholson and Morgan Freeman chased their final adventures. That film was a hit and helped introduce Reiner’s work to a younger audience.

After some time away from directing, Reiner returned to comedy with “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” a sequel that rekindled the legendary band’s story. While he never settled into a single style, a consistent theme emerged: his movies were designed to be revisited, loved, and shared with new audiences.

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