Stephen King’s Eulogy for Rob Reiner

Stephen King wrote a heartfelt tribute to director Rob Reiner in the New York Times on Tuesday, following the tragic murders of Reiner and his wife over the weekend.

In his eulogy, the author of “It” and “Carrie” recalled an invitation from Reiner back in 1985 to the Beverly Hills Hotel, where he was shown a rough cut of the film “Stand by Me,” adapted from King’s 1982 novella “The Body.”

King shared how “deeply shocked” he felt after watching the film and praised Reiner for his skillful adaptation of what he called his “blankly autobiographical story.”

“When the movie finished, I thanked Rob and surprised myself by giving him a hug,” King wrote. “I’m not typically a hugger, and I don’t think he was either. He stiffened, muttered something about being glad I liked it, and we both walked away.”

Reflecting on that moment, he added, “Apparently I hadn’t finished feeling my emotions. I went into the nearest men’s room and sat in a stall until I felt better. Nostalgia can be dangerous up close. I don’t exactly know what this means, but it felt true.”

Reiner also directed the film “Misery” in 1990, based on King’s 1987 novel. King noted that he had similar feelings of emotional devastation after watching it.

At Reiner’s suggestion, King participated in a documentary addressing their shared disdain for Donald Trump.

King emphasized Reiner’s ability to handle criticism gracefully, stating, “Rob took a lot of bricks and slurs on Twitter with his usual politeness.” He added that while Reiner was well-known as a political figure and satirist, he recalled a poignant moment from “Stand by Me,” where Chris Chambers comforts a crying Gordie LaChance, saying, “You’re going to be a great writer someday.” That crying boy was me, and it was Rob Reiner who brought it to life on screen.

Reiner was discovered dead, alongside his wife Michelle, on Sunday in their Los Angeles home. Their son, Nick Reiner, was arrested that evening on suspicion of murdering his parents.

Family friends revealed to the Los Angeles Times that Nick had an argument with his parents during Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party the night before and had been acting unusually.