Rob Reiner Casts Annette Bening In The Third Act

People forget what a high batting percentage Rob Reiner has. There aren't many directors than lay claim to at least five home runners. This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally… and A Few Good Men are all beloved classics, to say nothing of other “lesser works” like “Ghosts Of Mississippi, Misery and The American President. He may have cooled off a bit over the years, but there's always the sense going into a Reiner film that you might be about to watch something special. His newest has the pedigree to make that hope a reality.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Annette Bening, fresh off her Academy Award nomination for The Kids Are All Right, has just decided to make Reiner's next her follow-up. She joins Morgan Freeman who's already boarded in the story of a mother who finds love through the help of an aging western writer who moved to a small town in an attempt to rediscover his craft. The film is called The Third Act, and it'll begin shooting in May.

I have no doubt this will be at least a decent movie. It seems sacrilegious to think these three could combine for something worse, but if writer Guy Thomas' story has any chops, this could be an award season contender down the road.