Friday, November 18, 2005

"Meathead" the movie maven



In the 1970s Rob Reiner was known as "Meathead" from All in the Family where he played husband to Sally Struthers and son-in-law to Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapelton. Like other TV stars of the time such as Ron "Richie Cunningham" Howard and Penny "Laverne" Marshall, Reiner has had success behind the scenes as a film director. Let's look at some of the highlights of his impressive directing resume.

This is Spinal Tap (1984) If you haven't seen this, be sure to check it out. It's a mockumentary profiling a rock band and it's filled with great humor and many cameo appearances. If you like this, also check out Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind, which feature many of the same actors from Spinal Tap.

The Sure Thing (1985) A romantic comedy starring one of my favorites, John Cusack. If you like Cusack, be sure to check out Say Anything, Better Off Dead and High Fidelity.

Stand By Me (1986) Based on a Stephen King novella, this is a coming-of-age story featuring River Phoenix and a chubby Jerry O'Connell.

The Princess Bride (1987) I have yet to see this one, but many people say that it's great.

When Harry Met Sally (1989) Many romantic comedies have tried and failed to catch the magic that is evident in this great movie. Also check out You've Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle.

Misery (1990) If you've seen this creepy adaptation of the Stephen King novel, you'll never forget some of the scenes with Kathy Bates and James Caan.

A Few Good Men (1992) A military courtroom drama with a stellar cast including Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise and Demi Moore.

North (1994) This was panned universally by the critics. Roger Ebert included it in his book of his worst reviews titled "I Hated, Hated, Hated this Movie".

The American President (1995) Reiner teamed up with West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin to make this romantic/political comedy where Michael Douglas plays the commander-in-chief.

Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)

Rumor Has It (2005)

*Source for some material in this article:Entertainment Weekly magazine