Kiefer Sutherland recalls Rob Reiner's bold move directing Jack Nicholson's iconic moment in A Few Good Men

Kiefer Sutherland has described an extraordinary moment from the 1992 courtroom drama A Few Good Men, in which Jack Nicholson delivers one of Hollywood’s most enduring lines during a tense exchange with Tom Cruise’s Lt. Kaffee. In the CBS News special Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life, Sutherland recalls that Nicholson delivered the scene in a single, breathtaking take. After the take, director Rob Reiner reportedly whispered to Nicholson, asking whether he wanted to do another, and Nicholson agreed. According to Sutherland, the second take was also extraordinary, a testament to the intensity of the moment and the control Reiner exercised behind the camera.

Reiner’s approach on that day reportedly left an impression on the entire cast and crew. The filmmaker’s satisfaction with the performance was so complete that, in the same interview snippets featured in the program, he is described as sending everyone home early. What had been scheduled as a full, all-day shoot concluded with the decision to wrap up sooner than planned, a moment Sutherland characterizes as emblematic of Reiner’s confidence and leadership during a pivotal sequence in the film, which cast Nicholson as Colonel Nathan R. Jessup, Cruise as Kaffee, and Demi Moore as Lt. Commander Galloway.

The CBS News special, which centers on Rob Reiner’s life and legacy, includes new emotional interviews with a slate of notable colleagues and friends. Alongside Sutherland, the program features conversations with Albert Brooks, Annette Bening, Kathy Bates, Michael Douglas, Jerry O’Connell and Mandy Patinkin, offering a broad portrait of Reiner’s influence across decades of American cinema. The project arrives as the industry and fans look back on Reiner’s extensive body of work—from early triumphs in comedies to landmark dramas—while celebrating the director’s enduring impact on film and television.

The timing of the program takes on a somber note in light of a tragic development tied to the Reiner family. Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were fatally stabbed in their Los Angeles home on December 14. Their son, Nick Reiner, 32, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths and appeared in court on December 17 wearing a blue suicide-prevention smock and restraints. He is being held in solitary confinement at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, under suicide watch and required to wear anti-suicide restraints while custody proceedings continue. Authorities have described the murders as occurring just hours after the couple attended Conan O’Brien’s holiday party the night before.

The Reiners’ children—Jake, 34, and Romy, 28, in addition to Nick—released a statement expressing unimaginable pain but gratitude for the outpouring of condolences from friends, fans and colleagues. They described their parents as not only loving guardians but best friends, and they asked for privacy as they process the loss. The family and their representatives emphasized that their focus remains on supporting one another during this difficult time.

The professional legacy of Rob Reiner remains central to the retrospective. Beyond A Few Good Men, Reiner directed or produced a string of culturally resonant films, including This Is Spinal Tap (his directorial debut), Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally..., Misery, and The American President. The upcoming special seeks to place those achievements in the broader arc of his life, highlighting the curiosity, collaboration and leadership that defined his work as a director, actor and producer, as well as his contributions to the entertainment industry and popular culture.

As the industry continues to reflect on Reiner’s career and the personal tragedy that has touched his family, the CBS News program offers a portrait that blends on-set anecdotes from iconic productions with a broader meditation on the man behind the camera. The combination of intimate recollections from colleagues and a public reckoning with the events of December 14 provides viewers with a nuanced look at the pressures and rewards of a life spent at the center of American storytelling. The special airing this weekend invites audiences to consider how a filmmaker’s creative instincts can shape a moment in cinema while life outside the studio can unfold in profoundly unforeseen ways.