How Rob Reiner Decoded Our Politics In 2 Great Movie Monologues
The producer, actor, writer, philanthropist, and political activist will be greatly missed, but he left us a parting gift, if we'll accept it
This post is sponsored by NordProtect.
by Cliff Schecter
After a seemingly never-ending weekend of horrific news, from the mass murder of Jews celebrating Hanukkah in Australia to a mass shooting at Brown University back here in America, I searched for the words to convey what I—what many of us—was feeling.
Eventually I conjured up syllables and phrases, best I could, to respond to a third shock-to-the-system—during the two-day respite we call a weekend, because it’s supposed to be when the week ends. But in this world it’s no longer the case. And so it was, with the tragic murders of Rob and Michele Singer Reiner.
As I pondered the larger mysteries of why this happens, and whether our species is made to make it or just some kinda cosmic accident, I thought about his films.
Then it hit me. These jeremiads from his films I quoted in college with some drink in me, as my Brit friends might say, provided two of the most important monologues to explain our present-day crisis.
A yin AND a yang, if you will. Let me explain.
You Can’t Handle The Truth!
As we illegally bomb Caribbean-based boats, hijack tankers and blockade other ships, seemingly preparing for the stupidest, most counterproductive land war since the last one Republicans tricked us into (we were reminded to “never get into a land war in Asia” in another classic Reiner film, The Princess Bride. I’m quite sure that goes for South America too) I thought about Colonel Nathan Jessup from A Few Good Men.
The penultimate trial scene is one of the more famous in cinema, as Jack Nicholson’s performance oozes arrogance and contempt for the “elites” who don’t get our world, the way he of course does. You can feel him spitting hubris from the other side of the camera. I’d call it very J.D. Vance or Peter Hegseth—except Jessup doesn’t have the charisma of a cadaver (Vance) not possess the brain power of a bird (Hegseth).
The parallels to now almost make it feel like Reiner was preparing us for this moment. Jessup was based in Guantanamo Bay—which is where Hegseth deployed as a “platoon leader for security” from 2004-2005.
Considering it was a black hole for detainee dignity, it’s likely where Hegseth developed a taste for cruelty and violations of international law, just as he did for Johnny Walker. And Jim Beam. And Jack Daniels. Luckily no “Charlie Kirk Wine” (no, I’m not kidding, it’s real).
I don’t think Reiner, who produced the film, and writer Aaron Sorkin, could’ve nailed our present dystopia better than a locating the central part of the plot on the base in Gitmo that would become a post-9/11 gulag, now used to process “migrants.” And have a central theme of this masterpiece be about torture committed by our men, with the question asked and answered: are they required to ignore illegal orders from fascistic commanders?
So we’re off, with that epic moment from 1992’s A Few Good Men:
LTJG Kaffee: Colonel Jessup! Did you order the Code Red?!
Judge Randolph: You don’t have to answer that question!
Col Jessup: I’ll answer the question. You want answers?
LTJG Kaffee: I think I’m entitled to them.
Col Jessup: You want answers!?!
LTJG Kaffee: I want the truth!
Col Jessup: You can’t handle the truth!!
Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know -- that Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives; and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives.
You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall -- you need me on that wall.
We use words like “honor,” “code,” “loyalty.” We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it.
I would rather that you just said “thank you” and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand the post. Either way, I don’t give a DAMN what you think you’re entitled to!
LTJG Kaffee: Did you order the Code Red?
Col Jessup: I did the job --
LTJG Kaffee: -- Did you order the Code Red?!
Col Jessup: YOU’RE GOD DAMN RIGHT I DID!!!
I can never fully express my appreciation for the men and women who take the ultimate risk guarding those walls. But Jessup’s protestation of having “neither the time nor inclination to explain” himself to a prosecutor and/or judge in a courtroom?
Sorry pal, that ain’t it, not close to constitutionally acceptable. Which is why it wasn’t until Hegseth, Noem, Homan, Patel, Bondi and the rest of the broken-toy, beating-heart-of-darkness-bitch brigade ascended into positions of power that the elected and appointed civilian stewards of our democracy began to be flipped off like they were Donald Trump…anywhere.
When Jessup says “I’d prefer a simple thank you and be on my way” and then adds his primal scream, “I don’t give a damn what you think you’re entitled to,” this is exactly what Hegseth now wants. Reporters get banned from the Pentagon for not turning in their questions ahead of time. Congressional subpoenas, questions and court orders are ignored.
There’s a name for this: Dictatorship. Even back in 1992, Rob Reiner saw it coming.
We’re a democratic republic. We have a Congress—even if its “Speaker” is an impotent cheese doodle who’s prostrated himself before Trump and spends his time monitoring his son’s porn. Meaning: this isn’t your call, Pete-o.
You damn well fucking better take the time and have the inclination to explain yourself to the people’s elected representatives and our judicial branch. That’s how it works. Or maybe you’ll find yourself on the other side of those Gitmo bars at some point.
I suppose it isn’t a complete surprise that Reiner and Sorkin saw all this in 1992, not long after the very-obviously-guilty perpetrators of Iran-Contra walked away scot-free, and we engaged in whatever the hell Panama and Grenada were, other than polling boosts for Bedtime with Bonzo.
Past is inevitably prologue if not punished.
I was so busy keeping my job, I forgot to do my job
Has a phrase ever been more apt for too many Democrats and the leadership of the party as a fascist force tries to end our democratic experiment? Those simply refusing to craft a simple narrative for how a herd of sick billionaires and their DC butlers jointly robbed us of our rights and financial security by directly assaulting our democracy and economy—which go hand-in-hand.
Supporting this simple and true narrative with a emotionally and culturally resonant messages, and undergirding them with wholesale policy changes we’ll make when we sweep their venal asses out of office in ‘26, should be a top priority. It should be tied to stories from our past, and part of an argument not to return to the America we were, but our ability to overcome any obstacle to become the America we’ve always sought to be.
President Andy Shepherd (Michael Douglas) gives the speech below from The American President, when he finally breaks away from from a DC-political-consultant mentality, or the Schumer-Jeffries mode of caution, caving and small-bore change.
In the film, President Shepherd shows all the behaviors that drive us nuts—a lack of willingness to hit back when attacked, go on offense, create a narrative about his opponent, or go big on policy. He allows this oleaginous, overbearing d*k-in-a-box, (looks like Mitch McConnell, sounds like Ted Cruz) right-wing crank, Senator Rumson, to attack him using what else, but GOP-culture-war garbage.
Shepherd’s aides vociferously encourage him to respond. But he—like Democratic leaders looking at polling on crime and immigration and cowering instead of countering—thinks what people believe is sacrosanct. Who is he to argue with them? It’s not like you can persuade people and change poll numbers, right?
Finally, President Shepherd gets it, catches a whiff of the verbal beatdown he must dropship on Rumson, and just comes out firing, messaging, counter-messaging, and fully takes apart his Ultra-MAGA opponent in the exact way Democrats should every day:
Reporter: Robyn, will the President ever respond to Senator Rumson’s question about being a member of the American Civil Liberties Union?
President Shepherd: Yes, he will. Good morning. [Members of the White House Press Corps begin to rise] It’s alright. Please keep your seats. Good morning.
For the last couple of months, Senator Rumson has suggested that being President of this country was, to a certain extent, about character. And although I’ve not been willing to engage in his attacks on me, I have been here three years and three days, and I can tell you without hesitation: Being President of this country is entirely about character.
For the record, yes, I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU, but the more important question is “Why aren’t you, Bob?” Now this is an organization whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question, why would a senator, his party’s most powerful spokesman and a candidate for President, choose to reject upholding the constitution? Now if you can answer that question, folks, then you’re smarter than I am, because I didn’t understand it until a few hours ago.
America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You’ve gotta want it bad, ‘cause it’s gonna put up a fight. It’s gonna say, “You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.”
You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms.
Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.
I’ve known Bob Rumson for years. And I’ve been operating under the assumption that the reason Bob devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn’t get it. Well, I was wrong. Bob’s problem isn’t that he doesn’t get it. Bob’s problem is that he can’t sell it!
We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who’s to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections.
You gather a group of middle age, middle class, middle income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family, and American values and character, and you wave an old photo of the President’s girlfriend and you scream about patriotism. You tell them she’s to blame for their lot in life. And you go on television and you call her a whore.
Sydney Ellen Wade has done nothing to you, Bob. She has done nothing but put herself through school, represent the interests of public school teachers, and lobby for the safety of our natural resources. You want a character debate, Bob? You better stick with me, ‘cause Sydney Ellen Wade is way out of your league.
I’ve loved two women in my life. I lost one to cancer. And I lost the other ‘cause I was so busy keeping my job, I forgot to do my job. Well, that ends right now.
Tomorrow morning the White House is sending a bill to Congress for its consideration. It’s White House Resolution 455, an energy bill requiring a twenty percent reduction of the emission of fossil fuels over the next ten years. It is by far the most aggressive stride ever taken in the fight to reverse the effects of global warming.
The other piece of legislation is the crime bill. As of today, it no longer exists. I’m throwing it out. I’m throwing it out and writing a law that makes sense. You cannot address crime prevention without getting rid of assault weapons and hand guns. I consider them a threat to national security, and I will go door to door if I have to, but I’m gonna convince Americans that I’m right, and I’m gonna get the guns.
We’ve got serious problems, and we need serious people. And if you want to talk about character, Bob, you’d better come at me with more than a burning flag and a membership card. If you want to talk about character and American values, fine. Just tell me where and when, and I’ll show up. This a time for serious people, Bob, and your fifteen minutes are up.
My name is Andrew Shepherd, and I AM the President.
Reiner gave us both of these gifts 30 years ago. Perhaps, as he rests in peace after a life of service and accomplishment, we can accept them now. RIP Rob and Michele Singer Reiner. Let’s honor all that they were by implementing what they were telling us in these two all-time great movie monologues, and take our damn democracy back.
If we can no longer lean on Rob Reiner, maybe we can lean on the message he was so passionately seeking to convey.
I agree 💯% !!