Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were murdered by their son Nick, according to People Magazine (more here). Reiner was 78. John Nolte has posted a fair-minded tribute to Reiner in this Breitbart column. The film critic Ty Burr alsi looks back in “Rob Reiner 1947-2025.”
As a moviemaker, Reiner excelled in an implausible variety of genres. Consider that he started as a director with Spinal Tap in 1984, the mockumentary into which he loaded what seemed to me on its original release as an improbable number of seriously funny jokes that I have confirmed subsequently several times. Reiner also played mockumentarian Marty DiBergi in the film.
Reiner’s father was Carl Reiner, who had a spectacular Hollywood career himself. Comedy ran in the family, yet Reiner was never lost in the shadow of his father.
Nolte takes account of Reiner’s obnoxious political fulminations in his tribute. I was most struck yesterday by the words of the conservative actor James Woods in this tweet now pinned at the top of his X account: “Rob and I remained good friends ever since we made GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI. The studio didn’t think I was old enough to do the part, but Rob fought for me. Political differences never stood in the way of our love and respect for each other. I am devastated by this terrible event.” RIP.
