It’s tough when you lose a public figure that has had a positive impact in so many ways over the years.
The world is still coming to grips with the stabbing deaths of the legendary Rob Reiner and his wife Michele at their home in Los Angeles, with Rob’s son Nick Reiner now in custody and set to face serious charges.
I am old enough to remember Rob Reiner’s legendary Role as Michael (better known as “Meathead”), the son-in-law of Archie Bunker on “All in the Family”, but like most people, it was Reiner’s directing that left the biggest impact.
It reads like a list of the movies that helped shape the entire industry.
From the initially dry and warped humour of the mockumentary “This is Spinal Tap”, to the emotionally powerful “Stand by Me”, the wonderfully magical “The Princess Bride”, the unabashedly direct “When Harry Met Sally”, the frightfully obsessive “Misery” to the electric and captivating “A Few Good Men”, he delivered in just about every genre.
He also did it with style and impact, shaping the films that delivered some of the most memorable scenes and lines in movie history.
“You can’t handle the truth”, “I’ll have what she’s having”, and even “Ours goes up to 11” wouldn’t have shaped our cultural language without Reiner.
As the case surrounding his death continues in painful detail, we can take solace in the fact that his life was spent providing entertainment that genuinely touched and brightened the lives of others, and that legacy will live on for many years to come.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
