Rob Reiner

Gone too soon

Back in September, I listened to wonderful interview with Rob Reiner on NPR’s “Fresh Air” in which he discussed — among other things — his recently released sequel to “This is Spinal Tap.” It’s a fun, wide-ranging conversation that confirmed my impression of him as a truly good guy … and I say “impression” because I didn’t work on any of his movies or TV shows during my time in Hollywood, nor did I ever meet the man, but some of my co-workers did — and nobody had a remotely bad word to say about him. “All in the Family” was a mainstay in my parents home, and although I was away at school during the early years of the show, I saw more than a few episodes during visits back home, and they were always good. Although I didn’t see many of his movies — only “Spinal Tap” and “Princess Bride” — it was clear that he belonged in the director’s chair, and had the box office receipts to prove it. For a while he enjoyed a hot streak of cinematic success that rivaled any of the big names from the ‘70s, not in terms of gross profits, but by making good, solid emotional dramas that addressed a wide spectrum of the human condition.

He was one of the good ones.

There are many eloquent tributes to Rob Reiner out there by people who knew him — including this from “Mother Jones” — and this, from Kevin Bacon —

— and since there’s nothing I can add to the conversation, I’ll leave it here: listen to that NPR interview and you’ll hear a good man who made good movies and did his best to do good things in life away from the cameras. Being of an age where I skim the obits in the Sunday paper — and am thus acutely aware of the harsh realities dictated by actuarial tables — it’s hard to say that any 78 year old man “died too young,” but Rob Reiner was a true mensch, the kind we need more of, and he definitely died too young.

Our world is poorer in his absence.

RIP.