By Reed Ripley
I can’t separate Christmastime from movies. Not just because there are so many wonderful Christmas movies—although of course, there are—but because those movies brought about some of my life’s most cherished and indelible movie watching experiences. Whether that was my youngest days when Christmas movies turned a spark of Christmas joy into an outright flame (the Rankin-Bass stop-motion films, A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Story, The Santa Clause, Home Alone), a little bit later when my friends, family, and I enjoyed achingly funny movies that went quoted year-round (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elf), and more recently when I’ve been able to share the best of the bunch with my wife and, much more recently, my toddler.
With that in mind, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about a few movies directed by Rob Reiner, who this past week tragically passed away alongside his wife, Michele. Reiner’s best movies evoke the same kind of sensation that Christmastime and its movie memories evoke—those undeniable human experiences captured and felt in fleeting moments, often shared with the ones you love most.
Stand by Me
This is probably the best movie ever about that short window of preteen years when everything feels like the most important thing that’s ever happened, and experienced with the best friends you’ll ever have. There is a deep beauty and sadness within this Stephen King-inspired story of a group of friends setting out on an adventure to find a missing body and return heroes—beauty in the pure friendships on display, and sadness at how time and circumstance can unravel the same.
The Princess Bride
The Princes Bride is funny, thrilling, adventurous, and dramatic in all the ways a costumed action-fantasy-adventure should be. But what makes the film special is its framing device. The whole thing is simply a silly story that a grandfather tells his grandson to cheer him up, which sets such a heartwarming tone that it’s impossible not to fall right into the rollicking, ridiculous story that follows.
When Harry Met Sally…
Out of all Reiner’s films, this is the one I think about most. It’s such an inspiring portrait of love because its central relationship is so endearingly messy. Harry and Sally absolutely shouldn’t be together, and their circumstances fight like hell to keep them apart, but there’s just nothing to do about true soul mates. The climactic New Year’s Eve run and speech about all Sally’s “annoying” traits that Harry loves are cliché now, but that’s because the movie so brilliantly pulled the scene off.
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