Bulwark Takes – LIVE: Remembering The Best of Rob Reiner

Guests: Frank (host), Bill Kristol, David Weigel, Richard Rushfield
Date: December 16, 2025

Episode Overview

The Bulwark panel assembles for a special live stream to remember and celebrate the life and work of Rob Reiner, following his tragic and shocking death. Instead of a somber memorial, the discussion focuses on the joy, humanity, and immense cultural legacy that Reiner brought as an actor, director, producer, and presence in American life. The panelists share personal anecdotes, analyze Reiner’s career impact—from “All in the Family” to his iconic directorial run—and reflect on his unique role in the political and media landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shock and Loss in the Wake of Reiner’s Death

• Frank opens with reflection on the sadness within Hollywood and among fans:
  • “It felt like the world was crashing... you could not have designed a more unsettling thing because the ending was so awful to someone who was so beloved and so just known for his warmth and kindness.” — Richard (06:02)
• The panel underscores how the manner of Reiner’s passing has left Hollywood and fans “beyond shell shocked.”

2. Rob Reiner’s TV Breakthrough: “All in the Family”

• Massive Cultural Impact:
  • “It was the first show in TV history to be number one for five years in a row…about 30 million viewers a week, which was about 15% of America back then. Unimaginable.” — Richard Rushfield (07:30)
• Role as 'Meathead':
  • Explored Reiner’s ten-year run, his chemistry with Archie Bunker, and the foundational dynamic:
    • “Every week one of them teaches the other to see the world in a bigger way… it was his humanity in that.” — Richard (07:30)
• Personal Reflection:
  • “I actually watched ‘All in the Family’ in real time… it soared to number one very, very fast as I recall. It was a huge thing…you’d talk about it the next morning—classic water cooler TV.” — Bill (09:05)

3. The Menschiness of Rob Reiner (Professional & Personal Admiration)

• Hollywood “mensch list”:
  • “It’s basically Rob Reiner, Ron Howard, and Tom Hanks…you never have, you never hear a server have anything bad to say.” — Richard (04:27)
• Reiner’s reputation for kindness, warmth, and “avuncular presence” discussed throughout.

4. Cinematic Legacy: Actor, Director, Producer

“He lived in all these worlds, and did good by all of them.”

• Acting Roots & Signature Roles:

  • “For me, Rob Reiner is… the beleaguered older lawyer in ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ …anytime he shows up, it’s like yes, Rob Reiner.” — Frank (11:51)
  • Dave highlights Reiner’s self-aware cameos and bit parts playing ‘versions’ of himself (11:51–14:06).

• Directing Run of the 80s/90s —“One of the Greatest Streaks in Film History”

  • “He not only made that leap, which I’m sure people scoffed at…but then had this string of films…as good a director streak as any director had in all of history.” — Richard (19:12)
  • Key Films Noted:
    • This Is Spinal Tap (17:02) – “The first mockumentary anyone remembers…what ‘The Office’ guys are aspiring to…It just feels real and lived in.” — Frank (17:02)
    • Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Stand By Me, Misery, A Few Good Men all get discussed as defining, endlessly re-watchable classics.

• Memorable Lines Ingrained in Culture:

  • “‘I’ll have what she’s having.’ ‘You can’t handle the truth.’ So many lines from so many movies.” — Richard (20:56)

Approach & Directorial Touch:

• Audience Focus and Entertainment First:
  • “He understood what audiences wanted…he was first and foremost an entertainer.” — Frank (21:52)
• Middlebrow Excellence:
  • “Dismissed as middlebrow at the time, but, compared to what we have now, it’s like Molière…they never talk down to the audience…straightforward storytelling.” — Richard (47:30)
• Empathy for Actors:
  • Stories of gentle, effective direction — especially with young actors (Stand By Me, North, etc.):
    • “[He] was very gentle with us…he understood how to work with younger actors.” — Frank (36:04)

5. Castle Rock Entertainment: Building the Mid-Budget Classic

• “If you lament the loss of the kind of like mid-budget adult movie, what you are lamenting is the decline of independent production labels like Castle Rock.” — Frank (38:07)
• Castle Rock’s role in nurturing diverse, memorable films and directors; its absence marks a lost era in Hollywood. (38:07–41:35)

6. Political Engagement & Menschiness Beyond Film

• “He was more than your typical fashionable progressive type. He worked hard about political things—very important, I mean, on same sex marriage... He was very much on the cherish-America-and-want-to-improve-it team.” — Bill (29:16)
• Discussion on his activism, ability to reach across the aisle, and steadfast optimism.

Anecdote: Rob Reiner Directs Bill Kristol (31:44–36:04)

• Bill recounts being gently, expertly directed by Reiner for a political ad:
  • “He did it incredibly gently…such a deft feel… he could have been slightly annoyed that I wasn’t better…but he was very humane… got some sense of what a director does—why it matters.” — Bill (33:00)

7. Lasting Cultural Influence & Nostalgia for a Shared Monoculture

• “When I would see him on TV… it was the Rob Reiner character…you could trust for two decades Rob Reiner if he was involved with something to make it best of class.” — Dave (11:51, 25:08)
• “He did good by the trust he was given by the American public in making these defining films.” — Dave (23:24)
• Panelists express longing for the “foundational basic cable classics” and monoculture films that brought families and the nation together.

8. Trump’s Reaction: National Backlash as a Testament to Reiner’s Legacy

• Trump’s derogatory post about Reiner was met with rare, nearly universal condemnation—“even his supporters are like, what the hell, man?” (49:07–51:46)
• “If Rob Reiner is somehow not part of what makes America great…then you’re on the wrong side.” — Bill (51:46)
• “There was an understanding… Yes, Rob Reiner is a famous liberal… Republicans didn’t say, how can we punish him, how can we jail him… it was not nasty… I am as nostalgic for that as I am for every single minute of Spinal Tap.” — Dave (52:20, 54:08)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Reiner’s Impact:
  • “There are movies that are quoted so much that people don’t even realize they’re quoting the movie anymore, that it’s just part of the language now.” — Richard (20:56)
• On His Directorial Approach:
  • “He never became like a capital A auteur… he was always sort of self-deflating.” — Richard (22:23)
• On the Loss of Mid-Budget Films:
  • “If you lament the loss of the kind of mid-budget adult movie…you are lamenting the decline of independent production labels like Castle Rock Entertainment.” — Frank (38:07)
• On Menschiness:
  • “The mensch list in Hollywood… Rob Reiner, Ron Howard and Tom Hanks.” — Richard (04:27)
• On His Gentleness with Actors:
  • “I would even controversially defend the film North, which is one of the most hated films of all time. But he gets a very nice performance out of Elijah Wood.” — Frank (36:04)
• On Monoculture and Storytelling:
  • “It was just understood… if you saw the Castle Rock logo in the trailer, you marked off that you’d go see it.” — Dave (42:48)
• On Middlebrow Art:
  • “Dismissed as middlebrow at the time, but, compared to what we have now, it’s like Molière.” — Richard (47:30)

Selected Timestamps for Key Segments

• [06:02] – Emotional impact of Reiner’s death on Hollywood
• [07:30] – “All in the Family” and its cultural dominance
• [11:51] – Reiner’s later acting cameos and reputation
• [17:02] – Directing “Spinal Tap” and launching a genre
• [19:12–20:56] – Epic run of iconic films; cultural impact
• [25:08] – “Misery” and influencing horror cinema
• [29:16] – Political activism and character
• [31:44–36:04] – Bill’s anecdote: Rob Reiner the director and mensch
• [38:07–41:35] – Castle Rock’s importance and its loss
• [47:30] – Middlebrow as a virtue, enduring quality
• [49:07–52:20] – Trump’s hostile post and widespread backlash
• [55:42] – Roundtable: which Reiner film to watch tonight

Closing Thoughts

The episode is a heartfelt, multifaceted tribute to Rob Reiner—a man whose career bridged television and cinema, pop culture and politics, warmth and wit. His films and presence united generations, giving shared language, joy, and optimism in Hollywood and public life. The panelists’ affection, the flood of cultural memories, and the bipartisan shock at his passing all point to the rare arc of a figure truly beloved—and a reminder of the power of storytelling, decency, and the better angels of American culture.

Roundtable: What Rob Reiner Movie Will You Watch Tonight?

• Richard: The Sure Thing
• Dave: The Sure Thing
• Bill: When Harry Met Sally (“to be into the New York nostalgia…”)
• Frank: Misery (“the mood of the moment”) (55:42)

“Go watch a Rob Reiner movie…Go watch The Princess Bride. Go watch Misery. That’s what I got on tap.” – Frank (56:13)