Reiner, the son of legendary actor and comedian Carl Reiner, quickly made a name for himself in his own right, playing the role of Mike 'Meathead' Stivic in the long-running sitcom All In The Family. His performance was acclaimed by critics as being one of the reasons why All In The Family became such a beloved show on American TV, but Reiner's dominance was just beginning.
In 1978, he worked with Harry Shearer on a TV comedy pilot which would spawn the creation of parody rock band Spinal Tap, and the 1984 mockumentary about them, This Is Spinal Tap, was Reiner's debut as a film director. He also stars in it as Marty Di Bergi, the documentarian who helps the dysfunctional band tell their full story. The film is regarded as one of the best comedies of the 1980's and launched Reiner's career as a director, which he saw amazing success with in the years to come.
...he could turn his hand to any genre of film and make a classic out of it...
Reiner was an immensely prolific filmmaker. By the end of the 1980's his filmography included a coming-of-age classic (Stand By Me), a beloved fantasy adventure (The Princess Bride), and an acclaimed romcom (When Harry Met Sally...). In his prime he could turn his hand to any genre of film and make a classic out of it, and this continued into the 1990's. My personal favourite Reiner film is his adaptation of Stephen King's Misery, a suspenseful claustrophobic thriller which earned the incredible Kathy Bates an Oscar for Best Actress. Shortly after came A Few Good Men, a legal drama with a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin and a fantastic cast including Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon.
Things seemed to change for Reiner's directing fortunes in 1994. North, a comedy-drama starring a young Elijah Wood, was ravaged by critics and performed terribly at the box office. Reiner struggled to regain his momentum as a filmmaker, and many films in the latter years of his career were met with lukewarm responses.
Despite this fall from grace however, Reiner had also become well-known for his activism. He and his wife Michele co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and he chaired the campaign for California Proposition 10, an initiative which uses taxes on tobacco products to fund early childhood education services in the state. He endorsed several Democrat presidential nominees, and was an outspoken critic of Donald Trump.
Recently, Reiner seemed to be having something of a resurgence. He directed Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the sequel to his iconic directorial debut, and the critically acclaimed documentary Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, produced by his wife Michele. He had also returned to acting, most notably in The Wolf Of Wall Street and acclaimed shows such as New Girl and The Bear.
Sadly, Reiner's life came to a tragic end as both he and his wife Michele were found dead at their home on Sunday evening. My hope is that we do not dwell on the way that Reiner's life came to an end, and celebrate a pioneering and versatile filmmaker that directed some of the most celebrated films of all time, championed social causes and left a phenomenal legacy.