It’s been almost two weeks since Rob Reiner and his wife were tragically murdered, and in that time, I’ve had a lot of in-person conversations with family and friends about his career. I’ve also read a ton of tributes and obituaries and watched a lot of podcasts and interviews that featured people talking about his career. Mostly it’s been affirming to hear how much actors loved working with him and how many people were touched by his warmth and wisdom in real life. Beyond that, however, it’s also caused me to realize something about his career: I don’t see it the same way as most other people. At first it was kind of frustrating, but as I’ve sat with that realization, I’ve started to realize how special that is.
I’ve probably seen The Princess Bride fifty times. I think it’s one the funniest, quirkiest, most quotable and triumphant movies of all time. I like to watch it when I’m sick. I like to watch it when I’m sad or happy or bored or bemused. I like to watch strangers watch it for the first time on YouTube. It would easily make my personal top five, and yet, a lot of obituaries for the director didn’t even mention it, not even in passing. I spoke to several friends and family members who haven’t even seen it. Some have seen it and don't really like it.
