Rob Reiner leaves a legacy on the big screen, thanks to classic movies like “When Harry Met Sally…” and “A Few Good Men.”
He and his wife died of an apparent homicide in their Los Angeles home on Sunday. He was 78.
Here are the eight movies that define his career.
Rob Reiner leaves behind a body of work that won’t soon be forgotten.
From comedies such as “When Harry Met Sally…” and “The Princess Bride” to classic Stephen King adaptations like “Stand by Me” and Misery,” Reiner’s storytelling mastery delivered some of the most memorable movies released in the 1980s and 1990s. And I didn’t even mention the gripping drama “A Few Good Men.”
Here are eight of Reiner’s most memorable films.
“This Is Spinal Tap” (1984)
(L-R) Rob Reiner and Christopher Guest in “This Is Spinal Tap.”
Embassy Pictures.
Being the son of Carl Reiner, a pioneer in onscreen comedy, and having acted in variety shows for most of his youth, eventually playing Michael “Meathead” Stivic on “All in the Family,” throughout the 1970s, Reiner never had a problem being on screen.
It made him the perfect straight man opposite Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer in this comedy, which he also directed, about a fake band going on tour.
Essentially creating the mockumentary genre with the movie, Reiner plays a director named Marty Di Bergi who chronicles the US tour of the English rock band Spinal Tap.
The movie went on to become a cult classic. Guest has since taken the mockumentary reins, going on to create his own classics, such as the 2000 film “Best in Show” and the 2003 film “A Mighty Wind.”
“Stand by Me” (1986)
“Stand by Me.”
Columbia Pictures
Reiner adapted Stephen King’s novella “The Body” for his sophomore directing effort and demonstrated that he can do much more than comedy.
This coming-of-age tale about a group of friends who set out to look for a dead body made stars out of its lead characters — Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, River Phoenix, and Wil Wheaton — and decades later, you can find many similarities in the character development in Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”
“The Princess Bride” (1987)
“The Princess Bride” was directed by Rob Reiner.
20th Century Fox/Interaccess Film Distribution
Shifting to the fantasy genre, Reiner crafted a love story that has only grown in popularity.
Cary Elwes plays Westley, a swashbuckler determined to reconnect with his true love, played by Robin Wright, who is a princess set to be married.
Along the way, Elwes teams with the likes of Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant, and Billy Crystal to complete his quest.
“When Harry Met Sally…” (1989)
Billy Crystal, Rob Reiner, Meg Ryan on the set of “When Harry Met Sally…”
Columbia Pictures
Reiner collaborated with screenwriter Nora Ephron to make one of the greatest romantic comedies ever.
From the fake orgasm in the diner scene to the romantic conclusion when Harry (Billy Crystal) finally professes his love to Sally (Meg Ryan) on New Year’s Eve, any rom-com that has worked since is because it has used elements that originated in “When Harry Met Sally….”
“Misery” (1990)
“Misery.”
Columbia Pictures
A year later, Reiner would once more turn to Stephen King to prove he can do more than comedy.
James Caan plays a novelist who is held captive by an obsessive fan played by Kathy Bates.
The movie would be a sensation and lead to Bates winning an Oscar, marking the only time an Oscar has been awarded to a King adaptation.
“A Few Good Men” (1992)
Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, and Kiefer Sutherland also star.
Columbia Pictures
Aaron Sorkin adapted his 1989 play for Reiner’s next movie, which would go on to be nominated for four Oscars, including best picture.
With an all-star cast that includes Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, and Kiefer Sutherland, this courtroom drama focuses on a hotshot attorney (Cruise) trying to exonerate two Marines charged with the murder of another Marine.
The movie concludes with a showdown between Cruise and Nicholson, playing the Colonel at the base where the murder took place, that is highlighted by the now-famous movie line by Nicholson: “You can’t handle the truth!”
“The American President” (1995)
Michael Douglas in “The American President.”
Sony Pictures Releasing
Reiner and Sorkin would team up again for this lighthearted political drama, in which Michael Douglas plays a widowed President of the United States who falls for a lobbyist, played by Annette Bening.
The movie went on to be the spirit animal for Sorkin’s beloved series “The West Wing,” which aired from 1999 to 2006.
“Albert Brooks: Defending My Life” (2023)
(L-R) Albert Brooks and Rob Reiner in a scene from “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life.”
HBO
One of Reiner’s final directing efforts was this documentary on his good friend, Albert Brooks.
Reiner, who is also in a lot of the movie speaking with Brooks, recounts the comic’s legendary career from being the go-to stand-up comic for Johnny Carson to becoming a renowned director himself (“Real Life,” “Modern Romance,” “Defending Your Life,” “Mother”).
Making a good decision requires information that you can trust. Devices that have inaccurate readings can mislead users about all the devices they operate. In an era where everything from smart home devices, heart rate trackers, sensors, and even refrigerators is part of the IoT, their reliability is critical. IoT enables traditional Business Intelligence to uncover patterns through data analysis in a continuous and structured manner. Through the use of this real-time data, IoT devices help users by improving their routines or simply setting their preferred thermostat.
How Does IoT Generate High-Value Data?
There is constant data collection from our go-to devices that forms useful big IoT data analytics.
What Sensors Do
Sensors provide high-quality information for IoT and Business Intelligence by tracking aspects such as temperature, screen usage time, energy consumption, and environmental conditions of the connected devices. This provides frequent and constant data, resulting in regular updates to patterns to make them more precise.
What Big IoT Data Means for Users
Every device generates data; now, the accumulation of many minor points of data over time can be categorized as ‘big data,’ as it helps filter out noise and provide clean data that is not misleading. This data then helps create algorithms that identify trends, whether they are habits or outlier activities, and therefore, users are provided with quality information instead of just numerical analytics.
Examples of IoT Devices
Smart plugs that track electricity usage.
Heart rate and sleep monitors.
Smart thermostats.
Smart refrigerators.
Security Considerations for Business Intelligence
When gathering analytics for IoT, the risk of data security remains. Any breach in data or tampered data, for that matter, results in incorrect insights, which naturally result in false inferences. Threats such as devices being hijacked, logs being altered, and data streams being accessed by unauthorized parties pose significant risks.
To protect your personal devices, ensure that your endpoint is secure. Your Mac collects analytics, so protecting it is paramount. By using this source, you can protect yourself from any threats. The risk of malware interference, which can skew data, should be protected against.
Reliability Matters
Business intelligence relies on reliable information gathered by Internet of Things tools to create precise patterns.
The accuracy of data, whether it be precise sensors or regular calibration, is of paramount importance in creating high-quality data.
The quality of connectivity can lead to missing data if there are weak Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections, which then results in delayed readings, affecting the accuracy of patterns.
Data must pass through clean pipelines, from its device to the application to the storage, without corruption, to be analyzed, which is why high-quality IoT data storage is essential in creating strong inferences.
Data Integrity Requirements
Data integrity requirements include:
To ensure unmodified data, constant checks to make sure no data was tampered with during its transmission are essential.
By utilizing secure and trusted firmware, the risk of any data being compromised is severely reduced.
Encryption and authentication protocols ensure that files only reach where they are intended.
Where Does IoT Data Live?
There are different forms of storage for IoT data. These include both local storage and cloud storage. Local storage, such as logs on your Mac, is often limited in space, but they offer more privacy. Whereas cloud storage, although unlimited and allowing for long-term data compilation, is less private, it is ideal for long-term data analysis due to the sheer volume of data it accumulates.
Utilizing a data intelligence cloud for B2B or individual use is highly lucrative. It provides structured datasets, assists in making personal decisions by organizing data without the need for enterprise tools, and also contains shared, anonymized data that improves device recommendations and pattern analysis.
Final Thoughts
When accurate IoT data is analyzed, it becomes a strong tool for evaluating and understanding trends. This applies not just to companies but rather to individuals who stand to benefit from analytics-ready data. This, combined with secure pipelines, leads to an improvement in everyday habits and decision-making. It enables individuals to discover their own patterns while simultaneously enhancing their standards of living using the same data.
The author’s car has over 120,000 miles, but she’s not planning on getting a new one.
Courtesy of the author
My car has over 112,000 miles on it, and my family keeps asking me when I’ll get a new one.
The financial benefits of driving a paid-off older car outweigh those of purchasing a new one.
The car has served my family well, and I trust the vehicle to help keep us safe.
When I bought my Volvo XC90 in 2017, I was thrilled to get a safe, third-row vehicle. With three kids between the ages of 3 and 8, the extra space meant fewer fights and more room, and reassured me that the car’s safety features would help me drive through snowy roads and city traffic.
Almost a decade later, that same Volvo has over 112,000 miles on it. I still remember when my family and I sat on the front porch, excited, as we watched the car get delivered from the truck.
The author’s family was excited to see their car be delivered.
Courtesy of the author
These days, my kids have been asking me when I’m going to get a new car, and my answer remains the same — I love my car and I’m going to keep driving it.
The car is still reliable — and I trust it
Aside from regular maintenance and tire changes, the car has been reliable. Before the warranty expired, we purchased an extended warranty on the vehicle. Now that the extended warranty has expired due to mileage, I am still in awe at how reliable the car has remained.
Years ago, we appreciated that the trunk could hold the double stroller, and that the built-in booster seat allowed us to drive car pools with small children. These days, we appreciate the third-row flexibility that allows us to fit our skis, snowboards, soccer gear, backpacks, and all the other essentials my kids need.
I spend a lot of time in the car driving people around, and I am thankful for a car I can rely on.
The author spends a lot of time in her car and finds it reliable.
Courtesy of the author
My mom used to say that the best car is one that reliably gets you from point A to point B. I still agree with this statement.
I appreciate the small safety features that I now take for granted. From the computer technology to the warning lights on the mirrors and back-up cameras, the car has helped keep my family safe on numerous occasions and helped me avoid some near accidents.
The car is part of our family. We have taken it on adventures to national parks, ski resorts in the Rockies, and even to an alligator farm. The vehicle has had its share of muddy shoes, candy wrappers, and dog hair. It also has dings from when I backed the car into the garage.
The economics don’t make sense for a new car right now
When my car is in the garage, the dealer provides me with a loaner car — a brand-new version of my current vehicle. I get tempted and think about how nice it would be to get a new car. The latest vehicles have more power, fewer scratches, are cleaner, and have that new-car smell.
I’ve crunched the numbers. After years of car payments, my car is now paid off. Every month that goes by without a car payment means more money toward saving for the future. More money for food, utilities, saving for college, and the occasional splurge. Saving money now means more financial freedom for tomorrow.
Buying a new car is expensive. Borrowing money for car payments these days costs more than it did in the past. Even yearly vehicle registration costs less for an older car.
Part of me feels proud to keep driving my older car
We live in a world that tells us that newer is better, that we should want more. Although external validation of a new car is nice, I am focusing on the internal satisfaction that comes from knowing I am saving money by driving an older car.
My car may not turn heads in the school pick-up line, but I view the scratches and door dings much like wrinkles- a sign of a good life.
I will continue to drive my older car, and I am thankful for a safe and reliable vehicle that has served my family well.
The author’s kids attended an outdoor learning school.
Courtesy of Alli Hill
The pandemic created uncertainty about the upcoming school year, so we chose an outdoor school.
The school offered unique opportunities and a learning environment where my kids thrived.
They missed out on a library and gym, and struggled to adjust to public school, but they loved it.
In 2019, my 5-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter were excited to start their first year of public school. But like millions of students in March of 2020, they never got to finish the school year.
The COVID pandemic closed the classrooms, forcing my husband and me to rethink how we wanted to handle our children’s education. An outdoor learning school at The Learning Tree, a local day care, became our solution.
The pandemic made us nervous to send our kids back to school after summer break. We were told that if someone in their class contracted COVID, the entire class would shut down for two weeks. This wasn’t feasible for us as parents with full-time jobs, plus it would disrupt the learning experience for our kids.
That summer, the day care our kids attended prior to starting school announced a new opportunity: a K/1 program focused on interactive, accelerated education. It promised small class sizes (roughly 12 students per class), project-based and student-led learning, and academics balanced with outdoor activities and healthy habits.
Despite the $125 weekly tuition fee per child, we were sold on smaller classes, less exposure to others, and the included after-school care.
We enrolled our kids for the 2020-2021 school year: our daughter in kindergarten and our son in first grade. When the school added second grade the following year and then third grade the year after, we stayed.
We missed out on traditional opportunities, but gained so much more
We didn’t plan on sending our kids to a private program for most of their elementary school years. But after comparing what public school offered that The Learning Tree didn’t, and vice versa, the outdoor learning school was a no-brainer.
The author’s kids loved their outdoor school.
Courtesy of Alli Hill
At The Learning Tree, there was no library, computer lab, or even a cafeteria. They didn’t have art, music, or gym classes. The playground was small, and there was no option for gifted testing.
However, they did have an in-ground swimming pool, and swimming was built into the curriculum during warm months. A mile-long nature trail and morning fitness exercises replaced the gym. Students helped to build gardens and grow food, which made its way into their lunches. Most notably, screen time was minimal — almost nonexistent.
There was also more parental involvement. We went kayaking on the river as part of a history lesson, and we always had special celebrations for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Instead of reading math word problems, they acted them out in real time with things like farmers’ markets and food prep. Projects, not worksheets, were a focal point for each grade. And since students played a role in their own education and pacing, there was no need for a separate “gifted” curriculum.
Transitioning back to the ‘real world’ was a tough lesson
The original K/1 program added a new grade each year, up to fifth grade. However, we pulled our children out when they started fourth grade to give them time to transition back into public education before middle school. Where we live, fifth grade is at the middle school, and we felt like jumping from outdoor learning to a public middle school would be too stressful.
Both of our kids already had lots of friends in public school, so it wasn’t completely unfamiliar to them. Still, it was challenging.
They went from spending most of the day outside to getting only 20 minutes of recess. Classes were much larger, so they didn’t have the opportunity to learn at their own pace. They had more rules and a more rigid structure to follow. There was more sitting and busywork than they were used to.
They missed the kindness and genuine interest of their teachers at their old school. They also lacked the opportunities to guide their own education and pursue their own interests in the classroom.
While we loved our time at the outdoor learning school, all good things must end. Our kids gained a solid foundation of work ethic, self-discovery, and leadership that continues to help them in and out of the classroom, and we’d do it again in a heartbeat — pandemic or no pandemic.
The author (right) is spending Christmas with her mother (left).
Courtesy of Jennifer McGuire
My mother’s husband died, so she’s spending the holidays with me for the first time in years.
I have to be there for her emotionally and financially this Christmas, but I’m already at my limit.
I’m trying not to buckle under all this pressure.
I have not spent Christmas with my mother in more than a decade. We have spent our Christmases apart simply because of geography. We’ve been living on opposite sides of the country: a five-hour flight or a 26-hour car ride through unpredictable weather.
So, she’s kept to herself for the holidays, and I’ve become the keeper of Christmas for my immediate family. Even as my sons grew up and moved away, taking on their own roles to make our holidays special, I’m still the list-maker, the “don’t forget” reminder, and the decider in all things.
My four sons, all between 25 and 31 years old, have helped lighten my load over the years, especially as their partners have come onto the scene. Christmas was just starting to take on a new, easier shape.
But this year, my mother lost her husband of nearly 40 years, so she’s coming to visit, and I’m realizing how far I will need to stretch my budget.
I have to be my mother’s Santa this year
At first, I didn’t really think about how my mother’s arrival might change my own role for the holidays. I just thought about my mom, exhausted and heartbroken and unmoored by the loss of the husband she has lived with for more than half her life.
But as she gets ready to fly to me for Christmas, I’m realizing she’s going to need me to be her Santa.
My mom needs a Santa. She has suffered this year in a way I cannot even imagine. She needs soothing; she needs to be reintroduced to a big family Christmas. She needs a stocking filled with fun, thoughtful trinkets. She needs me to make this year extra magical, and honestly, I’m worried I’m not up to the task.
I’m struggling to keep up with everything this Christmas
I’m finding this Christmas overwhelming because everyone in the family needs me for different reasons. My kids need me to bring them together, to cook for them and bake for them, and organize a big rental space for the group of us.
The author and her four sons usually spend Christmas together.
Courtesy of Jennifer McGuire
I’m also paying attention to everyone’s finances, thinking about who is doing well and who is not. I’m thinking about who might need a bit more and how I can give a bit more without playing favorites. How can I afford a bit more?
This is, perhaps, the crux of Christmas this year. The weight of giving to my children and my mother when they all need more. Whether it’s holiday gifts, time, or food, everyone needs me to be their person this year.
Even though everyone in the house will be a grown-up, I’m left feeling, for all intents and purposes, like the only grown-up for the holidays.
I’m struggling financially
I’m worried that I simply cannot afford to be Santa for everyone — not this year. Like many others, I have lost job after job in 2025. I am swimming just below the surface of losing everything, and I can’t seem to come up for air.
I know that no one in my family expects a lot for Christmas, but even a little something to make the day special for each person who so deeply deserves it will be a struggle. There are 10 people in our family, and $100 each means $1,000. We all know that $100 each is next to no budget at all.
And so this year, I’m getting creative. I’m buying secondhand gifts. I’m trying to become a crafty person to create something meaningful for all of my loved ones. I’m wishing I had helpful elves to take on some of my Santa tasks. I’m actively choosing to leave the stress of trying to find work at the door until after the holiday. I’m trying, I’m trying, I’m trying.
I’m focusing on giving my mother support
My mother’s first Christmas as a widow can’t be consumed by my own stress. She needs comfort. She needs family. She needs joy. Luckily, all of that is free.
She needs me to be the grown-up in the house. She needs me to be Santa. They all do, and I refuse to buckle under the weight of it.
Instead, I’m going to choose to feel grateful that I have all of this love in my life.
But at one investing firm, cost-cutting is practically a forbidden word.
“The mandate across the company is don’t talk about using our resources in AI or tech to cut costs or create efficiencies,” Tide Rock CEO Ryan Peddycord told Business Insider.
The firm has had AI engineers for two years, but they’re aimed at growing business, not cutting, said Peddycord.
The San Diego and New York-based firm, which invests in smaller businesses than your typical private-equity giants, does not use debt to finance its acquisitions. It manages $1 billion, including its current investments and dry powder. It has done over 50 acquisitions, with growth, not just financial engineering, as its goal.
“Our foundation is, and our principle is, that we are focused on being growth engines for these businesses, and that’s where we want to focus our resources,” Peddycord said.
Peddycord spoke to Business Insider about how the firm’s use of AI fits into its business model and gave some real-world examples of where it has made an impact.
The firm’s companies have seen organic revenue growth of 24% a year since Tide Rock was launched 13 years ago, said Peddycord. (He also said the firm has only lost money on one deal over that time period.)
They’re looking for a way to monetize what they built over time, but really just as important to them is for their brand and their legacy and their employees to be able to kind of continue on without them,” Peddycord said.
For founders like this, the story of growth is an essential reason they’d choose to sell to Tide Rock. As such, any discussion of using AI to cut employees or costs is anathema to their sales pitch, whereas AI for growth is a selling point.
AI is becoming an integral part of the firm’s strategy, but they’ve been doing this for years before the advent of LLMs some operational best practices in a library of over 100 videos and 500 pages of documentation.
“A CEO of a portfolio company has access to certain information, a controller has access to a different set of information, a VP of sales has access to information,” Peddycord said.
AI tools have become another operational best practice that the firm shares across the companies it manages, which it tracks in a library of 100 videos and 500 pages of documentation.
The firm also has other centralized resources in-house, “as a bridge” to get the businesses to a place where they can operate on their own, including a centralized talent acquisition team and centralized chief marketing and revenue officers.
This has led to a world where the firm has, for example, been able to integrate a customer relationship management system in “30 to 45 days” instead of “12 to 18 months,” said Peddycord.
How does AI fit in
The company is happy to use third-party applications that can cut costs, but it’s a waste of their own resources, said Peddycord.
“I have a belief that everybody’s so focused on cost-cutting that third parties are going to pick off all the low-hanging fruit there,” Peddycord said. “So us trying to invest our dollars to go create things that other people are creating and probably investing more dollars to do isn’t the right place to spend our money.”
The first tool they invested in was finding companies to purchase. The data on platforms like Pitchbook and Crunchbase is “very, very incomplete” at the sub-$10 million EBITDA level the firm invests in, said Peddycord, so the firm first invested “heavily” in ways to find these companies and start pitching them.
Soon, the firm realized that this ability to find a lot of “non-public information” about companies and then reach out to them would also be “super relevant” for their portfolio companies when they’re looking for new customers, Peddycord said.
“When Blue Origin wins a large contract, there is some public information that we are able to gather to identify what it is that they won the contract for, and we can even reverse engineer what sub-component parts and services are going to be necessary to then go create that,” Peddycord said.
From there, the firm’s portfolio companies could “get in the door earlier” to offer their sub-component manufacturing help, Peddycord said.
“In those high-growth areas like aerospace and defense, they are working as hard to find new qualified suppliers as we are to find new customers,” Peddycord said.
