We watch The Princess Bride with the kids on NYE, leading up to the midnight countdown. Going to hit a little different this year.

so many great films that have woven their way into so many lives. i have fond memories of quite a few, but was just thinking recently that i was due for an american president rewatch. reiner, sorkin, that whole cast! and top 5 movie president in douglas.

When Harry Met Sally is my favorite, and a great watch over the holidays. But the remembrances have reminded me of how many great movies Rob made - I need to watch A Few Good Men and The American President again, it's been too long.

What a sad turn of events.

A lovely story about Reiner.

Wil Wheaton, who starred in Reiner's Stand By Me: this is such a painful loss. my heart is broken.

The world knows Rob as a generational talent, a storyteller and humanitarian activist who made a difference with his art, his voice, and his influence. I knew that man, but I also knew a man who treated me with more kindness, care, and love than my own father ever did.

A Few Good Men, which most of us think of as an Aaron Sorkin joint, but which has some lovely pieces of Reiner in it.

So many of Reiner’s films have aged so well. Shockingly well, I’d say. Now if I could just say the same about the Spinal Tap tattoo I got 20 years ago.

But, even in that movie, a great deal of heart and compassion sits right beside the laughs.

I'm heartbroken. I loved Reiner and the films he made. His life and work have been woven through my own family. All in the Family was my dad's favorite show and When Harry Met Sally was always a balm for me.

When I think about Reiner's work, I think about the conversation that is sometimes had about the simple challenge of doing comedy versus doing drama. It's usually some bar-room convo that goes something like, "Robin Williams could have played this Al Pacino role, but could Al Pacino have played this Robin Williams role?" And obviously it's fun cause arguing is fun when it's about silly things like this…

And that's the thing that's nuts about Reiner. I've seen plenty of conversation this weekend about how astounding his directorial run was in the late 80s and early 90s, but the thing that I admire most was the breadth of genres in quick succession. It feels impossible that he switched so deftly between many different tones.

1. Stand by Me
2. The Princess Bride
3. When Harry Met Sally
4. Misery
5. A Few Good Men

For me, the peers are Spielberg and the Coens but they're different. Reiner's films have more natural heart to me. I've seen people online mention Kubrick and Ang Lee similarly. And it's just another fun thing to argue about, but Reiner really was one of a kind and to me feels less celebrated than those other 4 directors.

Even with all this, my favorite bite-size Reiner related thing will always be the Tiramisu conversation he has with Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle. I love Reiner playing a graceful and complimentary shepherd to his recently widowed friend. In my favorite film of his, When Harry Met Sally, I feel like he's doing the same for us, the audience — in a tight 136 minutes, he gently massages the idea of friendship and romantic love and how those two things can balance each other.

RIP Rob Reiner. Thank you for everything.

Bob had the ending of When Harry met Sally changed into an happy one. He met Michele on the set, which appears to have been his motivation… A really sweet guy. Really sorry their lives ended in this horrible way.

Matt Zoller Seitz: Rob Reiner Was Good.