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Charles Shyer

Charles Shyer

Writer, director and producer, also actor · Died December 27, 2024, aged 83 · Los Angeles, California, USA

Charles Richard Shyer (October 11, 1941 – December 27, 2024) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Shyer's films are predominantly comedies, often with a romantic-comedy overtone. His writing and directing credits include Private Benjamin (1980), Irreconcilable Differences (1984), Baby Boom (1987), Father of the Bride (1991), Father of the Bride Part II (1995), The Parent Trap (1998), The Affair of the Necklace (2001), Alfie (2004), The Noel Diary (2022), and Best. Christmas. Ever! (2023).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 11, 1941
Died
December 27, 2024 (aged 83)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Writer, director and producer, also actor
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 26 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 45% in 30 days

What are Charles Shyer's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
43%
Self
28%
Morality
14%
Society
7%
Power
4%
Survival
3%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 14 · Serious 4 · Dark 1

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 14 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 10 · Charged 8 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 10 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 1

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 12

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 14 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 17 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
12
Warm
10
Thrilling
5
Absurd
6
Melancholic
4
Other
17

How their films linger

Feel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Charles Shyer's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Subscription and free streaming for Charles Shyer's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

26 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Best. Christmas. Ever!(2023)

    Executive Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • The Noel Diary(2022)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Executive Producer

  • Woven(2016)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Him and Us (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Alfie(2004)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Affair of the Necklace(2001)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Parent Trap(1998)

    Producer · Screenplay · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Father of the Bride Part II(1995)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • I Love Trouble(1994)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Once Upon a Crime...(1992)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Father of the Bride(1991)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Baby Boom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · Creator · Writer

  • Baby Boom(1987)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Jumpin' Jack Flash(1986)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Protocol(1984)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Irreconcilable Differences(1984)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Private Benjamin(1980)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Goin' South(1978)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • House Calls(1978)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Smokey and the Bandit(1977)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Happy Days(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Getting Together (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Barefoot in the Park (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

  • The Odd Couple(1970)

    Show 114 episodes · Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Baby Boom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Original Film Writer

Career shape

A full career of 25 titles, 24 of them dated from 1970 to 2023.

Biggest box office

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

$127M worldwide

Highest rated

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

Midcredits 82nd

Most popular right now

The Parent Trap (1998)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing11 of 25: 1 only directing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thWriting22 of 25: 10 only writing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score48thProducing7 of 25: 1 only producing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score46thOther crew2 of 25: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

25 titles, 13 with more than one role — writing and directing overlap on 9 of them.

By decade

1970s7 · crew1980s6 · crew1990s5 · crew2000s3 · crew2020s3 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Charles Shyer's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 46th percentile, the median of all 18; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 20 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · producer

Woven (2016)

91st percentile spread · 40% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer, producer

The Odd Couple (1970)

Midcredits 87th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 56/100 and the plot and story 42/100 in their films, across 18 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Charles Shyer's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles3–39 · median 13 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles23–50 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity9 titles11–62 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs9 titles26–38 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles4–23 · median 13 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Charles Shyer work with?

People who share at least 2 of Charles Shyer's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Nancy Meyers shares the most, 11.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles