Rob Reiner famously cast his mother in a key scene in his 1989 classic When Harry met Sally – but he now says he may not have realized how awkward directing it was going to be.
the director appeared on CBS’ 60 Minutes on Sunday night, where he opened up about his newly released sequel, Spinal Tap II: the End Continues, as well as his late-’80s hit starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal.
The latter starred Crystal and Ryan as the title characters, and the two had a key scene in the film where Sally and Harry are having lunch at a busy deli. Their conversation consists of Sally trying to convince a dubious Harry that at least one of his past sexual partners has more than likely faked orgasm wiht him. Sally fakes the act – loudly, while banging on her table – and brings stares from fellow diners. The scene ends with one of the greatest lines in movie history, uttered by Estelle Reiner: “I’ll have what she’s having.”
But things got really awkward for Reinger when he had to step in and show Ryan how he wanted her to act our the moment.
“First couple of times, she didn’t do it full out,” he said. “And finally I sat across from Billy.And I acted it for her. … And I’m pounding the table, ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ And I’m realizing I’m having an orgasm in front of my mother, you know? There’s my mother over there.”
The movie ends with – spoiler alert! – longtime friends Harry and Sally getting married and talking about their wedding reception. Interestingly, that wasn’t the way things might have ended: As noted on 60 Minutes, Reiner actually changed the ending to a happy one after he met his now-wife Michele.
## “Spinal Tap 2” Emerges After Rights dispute Resolution
After actor Harry Shearer (who portrays Derek Small) successfully sued to gain control of the original film’s rights, the path was cleared for a continuation of the story. “Now it’s 40 years later, we have these rights: Whaddaya do with ’em? And we started throwing out ideas,” Reiner explained.Both *Spinal Tap* films are characterized by extensive improvisation – referred to by Reiner as “schnadeling” – from the cast and the numerous celebrity cameos, including Paul McCartney.
The original 1984 film is widely credited with popularizing the mockumentary genre and satirized the world of rock music, drawing inspiration from real-life band experiences. One such instance involved Van Halen’s famously specific rider request. “Apparently, Van Halen had a rider in their contract: ‘No brown M&ms,'” Reiner recounted. “So some roadie had to sit there picking out the brown M&Ms.It’s crazy. So we looked at that, and we said, ‘There’s a scene.'” This anecdote directly inspired a scene featuring nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) lamenting the size of the bread.
Michael McKean returns to his role as David St. Hubbins in the sequel, which premiered in theaters last month and is also available on streaming platforms.