Rob Reiner’s Legacy Remembered

The headlines felt like a punch, but what followed needed space: a careful look at Rob Reiner’s legacy across film, television, and public life. We start with the shock, then move into the work that defined him—how a sitcom son became a director who shaped modern storytelling and a citizen who put his name, time, and money behind causes that change lives.

I revisit the run that still towers over studio filmmaking: the dry genius of This Is Spinal Tap, the tenderness of Stand By Me, the fairy tale nerve of The Princess Bride, the chemistry clinic of When Harry Met Sally, and the taut moral showdowns of Misery and A Few Good Men. Along the way, sharing details that made the craft feel human, like an iconic line delivered by his mother, and why those choices reveal a director obsessed with timing, character, and truth. Advocacy is also a big part of Reiner's legacy: early childhood education, healthcare initiatives, marriage equality, reproductive rights, and the legal muscle built through the American Foundation for Equal Rights.

As breaking reports swirl speculations swell, we talk openly about addiction, homelessness, and possible serious mental illness not to sensationalize, but to argue for compassion and due process while investigators do their work. The goal is simple: honor the art, learn from the activism, and resist the urge to flatten complex lives into easy narratives.

If this episode resonates, I invite you to follow the show, share it with a friend who loves film history, and leave a review with your favorite Rob Reiner moment. Your notes help others find thoughtful, humane conversations when they’re needed most. Watch the video of this podcast here.

#UPDATE: LAPD has taken The Reiner's son Nick Reiner into custody in connection with his parents' death.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hey everyone, Corey Andrew Powell here of the Core
Issues Podcast and also theNaughty But Nice with Rob
Podcast as well.
And uh this morning I had thepleasure of joining News Nation
to do a segment on the life ofRob Reiner.
Of course, um we woke, we allwoke to the news this morning
that Rob and his wife, uh RobReiner and his wife Michelle

(00:22):
Reiner were found dead in theirLos Angeles home um this Sunday,
basically yesterday.
And uh there was a respondingcall at a medical call about
3:30 p.m.
And that's when both the bodieswere discovered by the Los
Angeles PD.
So I had a chance to go and talkabout not that part of the the
situation, but more aboutcelebrating Rob Rainer's life

(00:46):
and career in Hollywood.
So as a director, of course,many people are realizing now
how prolific he was because ofall the amazing films that he
directed that were sort of likeum the biggest films in
Hollywood in recent years,including his first, I guess,
big cult classic, which is thisis Spinal Tap.

(01:06):
Uh, but he did Stand By Me, ThePrincess Bride, when Harry met
Sally, of course, where he gavehis own mother the best line in
the film in the orgasm scene inthe restaurant when you know Meg
Ryan is having that moment, andthe woman in the background just
has that dead delivery and says,I'll have what she's having.
So many people don't know thatwas Rob Reiner's mother.

(01:29):
He gave his mom the best line inthe film.
But he did the movie Misery, afew good men.
I mean, to this day, peoplestill yell lines from that
movie, including, You can'thandle the truth.
Um, so it's just my goodness.
I mean, hit after hit after hit.
And um, of course, he was partof the alumni as well, if you
think about it, with people likePenny Marshall and Ron Howard.

(01:50):
They're from the same televisionera as actors, and they went on
to become so uh to become someof the biggest directors in
Hollywood and made the biggesthits in probably the last, I
would say, three decades, maybein Hollywood.
So tremendous loss.
But people also don't know abouthis activism, and that's a
really big important part ofwhat he did as well.

(02:12):
So beyond Hollywood, Reiner wasa longtime political activist
using his profile to championcauses, including early
childhood education, uh,healthcare initiatives, marriage
equality, uh, women's healthcare and reproductive rights.
And he even co-founded theAmerican Foundation for Equal
Rights, which played asignificant role in that fight

(02:32):
for same-sex marriage rights.
So, my goodness, you know, he'sbeyond Hollywood.
He was a humanitarian, not justin America, but also with global
issue concerns.
So he had uh a documentary abouthis advocacy as well.
And he just really was a publicpolicy advocate overall for
social issues.

(02:52):
So that's a huge loss to theworld, um, not just about
Hollywood, but about thehumanitarian aspect of the world
in general.
That's a tremendous loss on theworld stage.
But I want to put a little humancontext, of course, to what
happened to him, because youknow, there's a lot of
speculation that his son isresponsible for this homicide.

(03:16):
Now, People magazine claims thatthey got an exclusive source
that told them that the son wasguilty of this crime.
Now, at the time that I'mreporting this story to you
right now, uh, that was notofficial.
Maybe by the time I post thisvideo, uh, it may have been
revealed that's either the truthor not.
So I don't know.

(03:37):
But at this time, as far as Iknow, that is not an official
statement.
That's just a um a sourceunnamed that told People
magazine that their son um maybe responsible for this.
We do know the police isquestioning the son, of course,
and um as a person of interest,but that is not strange because

(03:58):
that's typical what happened,typically what happens uh when
someone is involved in ahomicide, it's the family, the
people closest to them who getinterviewed.
So that's not really out of theordinary.
Um, but in the past, NickReiner, who is Rob Reiner's son,
uh 32 years old, you know, hehad spoken a lot um in the past

(04:20):
about his own struggles withaddiction, periods of
homelessness.
And there's some speculation,I'm not sure how true it is,
that he may also be, excuse me,he may also be schizophrenic.
And so there's a lot of talk insocial media, a lot of chatter
on social media, um, calling hima spoiled rich kid and a drug

(04:40):
addict, and you know, mockinghim for having been someone who
threw away such opportunitiesbecause he came from privilege.
But I want to put a little bitmore of a human, excuse me, a
little bit more of a human spinon that, if in fact he is
schizophrenic, because that is avery debilitating psychological
disorder.

(05:00):
And anyone who's familiar withit or has it in their family can
especially tell you it's avolatile situation with the
person with that disease,especially um when they are
prescribed medication, let'ssay, and they don't take their
medication.
They can have extreme bouts withpsychosis, hallucinations,

(05:24):
things that seem absolutelyreal.
And it's not uncommon for themin a psychotic episode to harm
their own family members orloved ones if they're not being
treated.
So, again, this is speculation.
We don't know if that is what'sgoing on with uh Nick Reiner.
Um, but there is some talk thathe may be schizophrenic as well.

(05:45):
And um that would put adifferent context to the story.
As far as his addiction, though,and his homelessness in the
past, um, it actually inspiredan autobiographical film called
Being Charlie, that some of youguys may be familiar with.
And uh it was like a personaldetail of his own life told in
the story.
And um, it's important just tocontextualize it again that he

(06:06):
was in many ways trying to gethelp and work uh out his demons,
if you will.
Um, but we don't know how any ofthat really played into the
situation and if he is even theculprit who is responsible.
But authorities will continuetheir investigation.
And um, you know, again,nothing's confirmed as of yet.
Um, that may change quickly.

(06:28):
So it's an evolving news story.
The details may change as policerelease official statements.
So, you know, at this time, um,we just don't know, you know.
So it's really more about nowfor me, just remembering Rob
Reiner, remembering how he beganas meathead on all in the
family.
Those of us of a certain agewill remember all in the family

(06:49):
and will know him as the personwho would always go head to head
with a very bigoted ArchieBunker.
He was often the voice of reasonagainst um an unreasonable
Archie Bunker.
He was often the voice ofjustice and inclusion when
Archie was at his most bigotedon the show.
And that dynamic was so powerfulthat it actually garnered a few

(07:13):
awards for uh Rob Runner playingthat character on All in the
Family as Mike Meathead Stivik,one of the best characters in
TV.
So, sad story, you know.
Just wanted to share myperspective on it.
It reminds me almost of when Idid a report similarly to when
um Gene Hackman and his wifewere found dead.

(07:35):
Um, of course, homicide wassuspected in that case, too, but
we found out obviously laterthat that was not the case.
In this case, Rob Reiner and hiswife, multiple stab wounds on
the bodies.
Homicide is what is being likelyum the case of how these two uh

(07:56):
met their demise.
But more story on that later, Iguess, as it unfolds.
Let's remember Rob Reiner forhis wonderful work and his
legacy.
And may they both rest in peace.
Thanks.