Bob's Take: Critics flipping again for ex-Meathead

We first got to know him as the long-suffering son-in-law of Archie Bunker on the TV sitcom “All in the Family.” His character’s name was Michael Stivic, but Archie called him “Polack” and “meathead.” As Archie’s politically liberal nemesis in the family, Michael was the perfect comedic foil for Archie the hard-core conservative.

What we didn’t know in the 1970s was what a gifted movie director Meathead, aka Rob Reiner, would turn out to be.

I bring this up because “Flipped,” the 16th wide-release movie directed by Reiner, opens here Aug. 27. A Los Angeles Times columnist says early test screenings of “Flipped” have been getting such an enthusiastic response that the opening date was bumped from Sept. 17 to the summer lineup, with Aug. 6 openings in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Calif., and Austin, Texas.

Based on the popular kids novel by Wendelin Van Draanen, “Flipped” tells the first-love story of two junior-high-age kids in the 1960s. Despite being very different from each other, their topsy-turvy relationship leans toward romance. Talented youngsters Madeline Carroll and Callan McAuliffe are said to be terrific in the lead roles.

The rest of the cast is filled out by movie veterans like Anthony Edwards (“Revenge of the Nerds”), Rebecca De Mornay (“Risky Business”), John Mahoney (“Moonstruck”), Aidan Quinn (“Desperately Seeking Susan”) and Penelope Ann Miller (“Kindergarten Cop”).

The soundtrack is full of Everly Brothers hits, which should please Iowans, since Don and Phil Everly grew up in Shenandoah and got their career start on radio there.

But back to Rob Reiner. He got his career start learning from dad Carl Reiner, a comedic master. Carl Reiner’s credits range from writer/actor for Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” in the 1950s to writing/acting/directing for “The Dick Van Dyke Show” in the 1960s to directing Steve Martin’s early films to acting in the recent “Ocean’s Eleven” series of movies.

Rob Reiner was writing for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” even before being cast as Michael Stivic. Just six years after “All in the Family” ended in 1978, Reiner wrote and directed the still-vaunted spoof of rock films, “This Is Spinal Tap.”

He followed that by directing a string of solid hits in the 1980s. They included “Stand by Me,” the nostalgic story of a writer recalling a boyhood journey with friends to find a corpse; “The Princess Bride,” a sweet-natured classic fairy tale crossed with hilarious comedic spoofing of swashbuckling movies; and “When Harry Met Sally ...,” a hilarious romantic comedy in which Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan stumble from revulsion toward love in spite of themselves.

In the 1990s Reiner proved he could nail drama as well. First it was “A Few Good Men,” in which Tom Cruise takes down Jack Nicholson in a military trial (“You can’t handle the truth!”); and “Misery,” in which Kathy Bates earned an Oscar as a deranged fan who takes down writer James Caan. “The American President” was a hugely popular movie combining White House politics and romance, starring Michael Douglas and Annette Bening. And “Ghosts of Mississippi” was a hard-hitting drama about the murderer of civil rights activist Medgar Evers. It notched a couple of Oscar nominations in 1997.

Reiner has had only sporadic and partial success since then, helming serviceable comedies like “Rumor Has It” and “The Bucket List,” along with some nonstarters (“North,” “Alex & Emma,” “The Story of Us”).

He’s also had a few memorable bit parts as an actor, such as playing Tom Hanks’ best friend in “Sleepless in Seattle.” It was Reiner who told Hanks a cute tushy was key to modern dating, and that Hanks’ derriere passed muster. Other notable movies in which he played character roles: “Bullets Over Broadway,” “Primary Colors,” “The First Wives Club” and “Throw Momma From the Train.”

Reiner wrote the script for “Flipped,” and word is he has stuck close to the popular novel, which should please its fans.

Also encouraging: This movie sounds like Reiner’s forte. When you think of the nostalgia for a bygone era in “Stand by Me” and the sweet sentiment behind virtually all of his 1980s hits, plus “The American President,” it just makes sense that he would handle a 1960s tweener love story, complete with classic rock hits, like the pro he is.

I’m looking forward to finding out if the early buzz is right.

If you don’t believe Reiner is still sentimental, please note: His latest film, “Flipped,” takes place at the corner of Bonnie Meadow Lane and Renfrew Street. Rob Reiner grew up in New Rochelle, N.Y., at 48 Bonnie Meadow Road, and the address of Rob and Laura Petrie’s house on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” was 148 Bonnie Meadow Road.

Contact the writer:

444-1269, bob.fischbach@owh.com

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