It’s hard to forget that Reiner was once the most influential filmmaker of his time. Only a handful of iconic filmmakers had the fortune of creating a film that has become synonymous with a genre. Reiner had done it several times before. When you consider how wide and popular his 1980s and 1990s hit list was, it’s fairly amazing. Reiner is one of our best filmmakers; he could create a dozen more forgettable films and yet be remembered. It was difficult to rank Reiner’s classics because each one could easily be called his best work. The best Rob Reiner’s movies can be found below.
1. The Princess Bride (1987)
Cast- Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin
Return to a period when marshes were swamps and men were men. That is, fire swamps. Quicksand and Rodents of Unusual Size abound. Shrieking eels lived in the lagoons. Buttercup was the name of the most gorgeous woman on the planet. It is, after all, a twisted fairy tale. Fencing, pursuit, escapes, and ridiculous accents are all there and correct. Inigo Montoya, for example, has spent his entire life dreaming of locating the six-fingered man who murdered his father. His massive sidekick is Fezzik. And the kvetching miracle man is Max. Blonde Buttercup has a thing for sad stable lad Westley. When he is kidnapped by pirates, the villainous Prince Humperdinck chooses her to be his princess bride. She is kidnapped and he is slain along the way.
2. Stand By Me (1986)
Cast- River Phoenix, Will Wheaton, Jerry O’ Connell
Gordie Lachance, now in his late thirties, is shocked to learn of the loss of a beloved friend while reading the local newspaper. He recalls how, back in Oregon in the summer of 1959, he and three close friends, Chris, Teddy, and Vern, embarked on a life-changing expedition. The death of a missing twelve-year-old child piqued their interest at the time, prompting them to follow the train lines and become heroes by first chevaliering his body. Ace Merrill and his crew of bullies, unfortunately, did the same. Growing up can be difficult at times; but, making genuine friends can be even more difficult.
3. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Cast- Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner
In this mockumentary, director Rob Reiner follows the fictional English rock band Spinal Tap on their most recent tour. With almost a dozen studio albums under their belt, the legendary band has a lot on their plate. They are definitely not as popular as they once were, and they must perform in front of meagre crowds at smaller settings. They also have to cope with cancelled dates (don’t worry, their manager says), conflicts about their latest album cover, and the entrance of one of the band members’ girlfriends who wants to help manage the band. Overall, the tour was a flop.
4. A Few Good Men (1992)
Cast- Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Demi Moore
A private is killed by two other marines at the Guantanamo Marine Base. Lt. Commander Jo Galloway conducts an investigation and informs her superiors that she believes the private was attacked because he was going over the head of Colonel Jessup, the base commander, and threatening to reveal something unless he was transferred, so Jessup ordered a “code red,” which is essentially a type hazing, which is illegal. Galloway requests to be assigned to defend the two marines.
However, her boss desires that everything run smoothly, so he declines her request and assigns the case to Lt. Dan Kaffee, a Naval lawyer who has never tried a case in court and loves to settle his cases out of court. Galloway, on the other hand, tells him that if he pleads the matter out, Jessup would walk free. Kaffee decides not to plead the case and instead seeks to defend them, although there is no proof that Jessup authorised the order in the first place.
5. When Harry Met Sally…(1989)
Cast- Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Bruno Kirby
The successful political consultant Harry Burns and the New York City journalist Sally Albright haven’t found an answer after a decade of unsatisfactory debates and logical arguments on the ever-present subject of whether men and women can be merely friends. Even though they like bantering when they are not squabbling, Harry and Sally persistently refuse to acknowledge that they are the right fit against the backdrop of a strictly platonic friendship punctuated with dramatic love/hate moments. They are still confronted with this difficult ongoing situation after all this time.
6. The American President (1995)
Director- Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen
President of the United States Andrew Shepherd is about to finish his first term. He is a widower with a small daughter who has been well-liked by the general people. His win seemed to be a foregone conclusion. That is, until he meets Sydney Ellen Wade, a paid environmental lobbyist. He’s charmed with her right away, and they ultimately go on a date after several funny tries. Senator Bob Rumson, Shepherd’s main political opponent, may now attack the President’s character, something he couldn’t do in the previous election because Shepherd’s wife had just died.
7. Misery (1990)
Cast- Kathy Bates, James Caan, Lauren Bacall
Paul Sheldon, a best-selling novelist, is driving home from his Colorado hideaway after finishing his newest book when his automobile is hit by a freak snowfall. Paul is seriously injured, but is rescued by former nurse Annie Wilkes, Paul’s “number one admirer,” who whisks him away to her secluded mountain home without informing anybody. Annie, unfortunately for Paul, is also a jerk. When she learns that Paul has murdered the heroine in one of her favourite books, she is devastated.
