If you need an introduction to Rob Reiner, it's likely that you haven't seen very many films. The multitalented Director, Actor, and Activist has been making films for years, most of which are prime examples of their respective genre's. He essentially invented the "mockumentary" with "This Is Spinal Tap," made the perfect drama in "A Few Good Men," the ultimate fantasy film with "The Princess Bride," the brilliant coming of age film "Stand By Me," and too many others to count.

Reiner was kind enough to sit down with ConversantLife for a 1 on 1 interview to talk about his newest film "Flipped," family systems, and the importance of connecting with others.

Christopher Faris: I like to think about how film and therapy can inter-connect.  This is a great film for that, especially with communication, other perspectives, etc.

Madeline Carroll is the star of Rob Reiner’s newest film “Flipped” which has been out since the beginning of August.  In addition to “Flipped” she has also starred in “The Spy Next Door” with Jackie Chan and “Swing Vote” with Kevin Costner.  Carroll is as endearing in person as she is on screen, quick with jokes, humor, and kindness.  Below you can read her thoughts on working with Rob Reiner, horror films, and how she is involved in justice related issues.

Christopher Faris: What was it about “Flipped” that drew you to it initially?

Madeline Carroll: Just the script basically. The script kind of spoke for itself. The people who were telling me about it were so excited about it, and I was wondering why they were so excited about it?  Then I read it and I was like, I get why they are so excited about it.  I just loved it, I thought it was so nice.  It was really a breath of fresh air because everything I had been getting was either too dirty, or too this or too that.  It was really cool to be able to play Juli Baker.  I just loved the script!  I went and I auditioned for Rob Reiner and I think I was the first girl that they saw.  Later on that day I had found out that I had gotten it, and it was a dream come true.

Coming of age films are a favorite of mine.  There is a certain quality to this genre that reaches me unlike any other.   Children know blunt emotion at its simplest and most raw – happy, sad, angry, nervous – while adults attach more convoluted subcategories to these feelings.  Seeing kids experience these feelings on screen takes us back to our own childhoods to when we first felt them.  A good coming age film will remind us and make us feel those feelings again.

In Rob Reiner’s latest film “Flipped” (adapted from the book of the same name), Juli Baker and Bryce Loski describe their journey to and from first love with one another.  The uniqueness of the film is that each section of is replayed so that each character narrates their male and female point of view of the same scenario.  The effect provides an original take on the traditional romantic film.  What one character saw as love, the other was narrating as annoyance. When one character describes passion, the other sees crazy.