Charles Shyer
Encyclopedia
Charles Richard Shyer (born October 11, 1951) is an American film director, writer
and producer. Shyer's films are predominantly comedies, often with a romantic-comedy overtone. His films include Private Benjamin
(1980); the critically acclaimed Irreconcilable Differences
(1984); Baby Boom
(1987); Father of the Bride
(1991); and Father of the Bride Part II
(1995), The Parent Trap
(1998), The Affair of the Necklace
(L'Affaire du Collier) (2001) and Alfie
(2004).
, a Jewish production executive and film director. Shyer grew up in the film industry where his father worked with D.W. Griffith and was one of the founders of the Directors Guild of America
. After attending UCLA, he was accepted into the DGA's apprenticeship program, which led to work as an assistant director. However, Shyer's focus was soon diverted to writing and he went to work as an assistant to Garry Marshall
and Jerry Belson
, producers of the TV series The Odd Couple
. He eventually worked his way up to head writer
on the hit series.
, he moved into feature films, getting his first writing credit on Burt Reynolds
Smokey and the Bandit
(1977). The following year, Shyer co-wrote Goin' South
(directed by and starring Jack Nicholson
) and received his first Writers Guild of America
nomination for Best Screenplay for the Walter Matthau
/Glenda Jackson
film "House Calls
" (1978).
In 1979, Shyer teamed up with Nancy Meyers
and Harvey Miller
to write Private Benjamin
, which the team also produced. Contrary to the conventional wisdom at the time, that a female lead with no male star was box office poison, this story of a pampered young woman who joins the Army was a huge hit, grossing in excess of a hundred million dollars worldwide. The screenplay for Private Benjamin won Meyers , Miller and Shyer a Writers Guild of America Award
for Best Original Screenplay and was nominated for an Academy Award in that same category. The films' stars Goldie Hawn
and Eileen Brennan
were also both nominated for Oscars. The film was also nominated for multiple Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress.
Shyer's next project, Irreconcilable Differences
, marked Shyer's directorial debut. Shelley Long
and Ryan O'Neal
played a Hollywood couple whose obsession with success destroys their relationship with their daughter, played by eight-year-old Drew Barrymore
. Critics praised the film's even-handed treatment of both main characters and its sensitive updating of'30's comedy style. Irreconcilable Differences
received multiple Golden Globe nominations, including Best Actress nods for Shelley Long
and Drew Barrymore
.
Like Private Benjamin, Baby Boom
dealt with the role of women in a changing, feminist-influenced world, all in the form of a romantic comedy. Diane Keaton
played J.C. Wiatt, a high-powered executive who unexpectedly finds herself saddled with a baby. Like Rosalind Russell
's Hildy Johnson in His Girl Friday
, the Wiatt character became a film prototype of the contemporary career woman. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe Award
as Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy; and Keaton
was also nominated as Best Actress in the same division.
In 1991, Meyers and Shyer, working from earlier material for the first time, remade the 1950 Vincente Minnelli
classic Father of the Bride
(with Shyer directing). Without drastically changing the emotional core, they deftly updated the film's view of marriage, finding the story's unchanging, universal elements. Steve Martin
won acclaim for his performance of a father "losing" his daughter and his bank account at the same time. Diane Keaton
, Kimberly Williams, and Martin Short
were also singled out for praise for their performances in a film that went on to become a huge worldwide hit.
Meyers and Shyer went on the write, produce, and direct Father of the Bride Part II
, a sequel to their 1991 hit, with all the principal players returning. Touchstone Pictures
' major attraction for the 1995 Christmas season, Father of the Bride, Part II opened number one at the box office and went on to gross in excess of $100 million worldwide.
In 1997, Shyer co-wrote and produced the Meyers-directed remake of The Parent Trap
. Acclaimed for its humorous and stylish updating of the classic the Disney film, The Parent Trap became another instant worldwide hit for the team.
Shyer next tackled a period drama, The Affair of the Necklace
(L'Affaire du Collier), starring Hilary Swank
, Adrien Brody
and Simon Baker
. The film featured lush cinematography, costumes and settings in the Czech Republic
and France, and garnered an Academy-Award nomination for costume designer, Milena Canonero
.
In 2004, Shyer wrote, directed and produced a remake of the 1960s classic, Alfie
, starring Jude Law
, Susan Sarandon
and Sienna Miller
in her first major role.
Shyer's next project is directing and executive producing Eloise in Paris, for HandMade Films
, based on the classic 1950s children's book. He will also write the screenplay with Larry Spencer
and his daughter Hallie Meyers-Shyer. The film will shoot in London, Paris and New York, and production will begin next year. Also upcoming for Shyer is Sweet Little Fifteen for Fox Searchlight, which he will direct and co-write, also with Spencer
.
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and producer. Shyer's films are predominantly comedies, often with a romantic-comedy overtone. His films include Private Benjamin
Private Benjamin
Private Benjamin is a 1980 American comedy film starring Goldie Hawn. The film was one of the biggest box office hits of 1980, and also spawned a short-lived television series. The film is ranked 82 on the American Film Institute's "100 Funniest Movies" poll, and 59 on Bravo's "100 Funniest...
(1980); the critically acclaimed Irreconcilable Differences
Irreconcilable differences
The concept of irreconcilable differences provides a possible ground for divorce in a number of jurisdictions.In Australian family law with no-fault divorce it is the sole ground, adequate proof being that the estranged couple have been separated more than 12 months.In the United States it can be...
(1984); Baby Boom
Baby Boom (film)
Baby Boom is a 1987 comedy film starring Diane Keaton. The film also launched a subsequent television show starring Kate Jackson, running from 1988 to 1989. The original music score was composed by Bill Conti and the cinematography was by William A. Fraker....
(1987); Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride (1991 film)
Father of the Bride is a 1991 American comedy film starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, George Newbern, Martin Short, B.D. Wong and Kieran Culkin. It is a remake of the 1950 movie of the same name...
(1991); and Father of the Bride Part II
Father of the Bride Part II
Father of the Bride Part II is a 1995 comedy film starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton and Martin Short. The movie is a sequel to Father of the Bride and a re-make of the sequel to the original version, Father's Little Dividend.-Synopsis:...
(1995), The Parent Trap
The Parent Trap (1998 film)
The Parent Trap is a remake of the 1961 family film of the same name. It was directed and co-written by Nancy Meyers, and produced and co-written by Charles Shyer. It stars Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson as a couple who divorce soon after marrying, and Lindsay Lohan in a dual role as their...
(1998), The Affair of the Necklace
The Affair of the Necklace
The Affair of the Necklace is a 2001 American historical drama film directed by Charles Shyer. The screenplay by John Sweet is based on what became known as the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, an incident that helped fuel the French populace's disillusionment with the monarchy and, among other...
(L'Affaire du Collier) (2001) and Alfie
Alfie (2004 film)
Alfie is a 2004 British/American comedy-drama film based on the 1966 British film of the same name, starring Jude Law as the title character, originally played by Michael Caine. The film was written, directed and produced by Charles Shyer.-Plot:...
(2004).
Early life
Shyer was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Lois (née Jones) Delaney and Melville ShyerMelville Shyer
Melville J. Shyer was an American film director, writer and producer and one of the founders of the Directors Guild of America. His career spanned over 50 years, during which he worked with Mack Sennett and D. W...
, a Jewish production executive and film director. Shyer grew up in the film industry where his father worked with D.W. Griffith and was one of the founders of the Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
. After attending UCLA, he was accepted into the DGA's apprenticeship program, which led to work as an assistant director. However, Shyer's focus was soon diverted to writing and he went to work as an assistant to Garry Marshall
Garry Marshall
Garry Kent Marshall is an American actor, director, writer and producer. His notable credits include creating Happy Days and The Odd Couple and directing Nothing In Common, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and The Princess Diaries.-Early life:Marshall was born in the New York City...
and Jerry Belson
Jerry Belson
Jerry Belson was a writer, director, and producer of Hollywood films for over forty years.Belson's writing credits include the Steven Spielberg films Always and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, several episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and I Spy...
, producers of the TV series The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...
. He eventually worked his way up to head writer
Head writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...
on the hit series.
Career
After The Odd CoupleThe Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...
, he moved into feature films, getting his first writing credit on Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
Smokey and the Bandit
Smokey and the Bandit
Smokey and the Bandit is a 1977 American film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams, and Mike Henry. It inspired several other trucking films, including two sequels, Smokey and the Bandit II, and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3...
(1977). The following year, Shyer co-wrote Goin' South
Goin' South
Goin' South is an American western-comedy film, directed by and starring Jack Nicholson. The 1978 film also starred Mary Steenburgen in her movie debut and included Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi , Richard Bradford, Veronica Cartwright, Danny DeVito and Ed Begley, Jr.At the beginning, the...
(directed by and starring Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
) and received his first Writers Guild of America
Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
nomination for Best Screenplay for the Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau was an American actor best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon, as well as his role as Coach Buttermaker in the 1976 comedy The Bad News Bears...
/Glenda Jackson
Glenda Jackson
Glenda May Jackson, CBE is a British Labour Party politician and former actress. She has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, and currently represents Hampstead and Kilburn. She previously served as MP for Hampstead and Highgate...
film "House Calls
House Calls
House Calls might refer to:* Housecall, a visit at home from a doctor*House Calls , a 1978 motion picture that starred Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Art Carney and Richard Benjamin...
" (1978).
In 1979, Shyer teamed up with Nancy Meyers
Nancy Meyers
Nancy Jane Meyers is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the writer, producer and director of several big-screen successes, including The Parent Trap , Something's Gotta Give , The Holiday , and It's Complicated...
and Harvey Miller
Harvey Miller
Harvey Miller may refer to:* Harvey R. Miller, New York lawyer* SS Harvey C. Miller, a Liberty ship, see List of Liberty ships: G-Je* A character from the TV show "Baywatch" played by Tom McTigue* The main character of the film The Caddy-See also:...
to write Private Benjamin
Private Benjamin
Private Benjamin is a 1980 American comedy film starring Goldie Hawn. The film was one of the biggest box office hits of 1980, and also spawned a short-lived television series. The film is ranked 82 on the American Film Institute's "100 Funniest Movies" poll, and 59 on Bravo's "100 Funniest...
, which the team also produced. Contrary to the conventional wisdom at the time, that a female lead with no male star was box office poison, this story of a pampered young woman who joins the Army was a huge hit, grossing in excess of a hundred million dollars worldwide. The screenplay for Private Benjamin won Meyers , Miller and Shyer a Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
for Best Original Screenplay and was nominated for an Academy Award in that same category. The films' stars Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, film director, producer, and occasional singer. Hawn is known for her roles in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Private Benjamin, Foul Play, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Cactus Flower, for which she won the 1969...
and Eileen Brennan
Eileen Brennan
Eileen Brennan is an American actress of film, television, and theater. Brennan is best known for her role as Doreen Lewis in Private Benjamin for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She reprised the role in the TV adaption and won a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy...
were also both nominated for Oscars. The film was also nominated for multiple Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress.
Shyer's next project, Irreconcilable Differences
Irreconcilable differences
The concept of irreconcilable differences provides a possible ground for divorce in a number of jurisdictions.In Australian family law with no-fault divorce it is the sole ground, adequate proof being that the estranged couple have been separated more than 12 months.In the United States it can be...
, marked Shyer's directorial debut. Shelley Long
Shelley Long
Shelley Lee Long is an American actress best known for her role as Diane Chambers on the sitcom Cheers, for which she won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress and two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress...
and Ryan O'Neal
Ryan O'Neal
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
played a Hollywood couple whose obsession with success destroys their relationship with their daughter, played by eight-year-old Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
. Critics praised the film's even-handed treatment of both main characters and its sensitive updating of'30's comedy style. Irreconcilable Differences
Irreconcilable differences
The concept of irreconcilable differences provides a possible ground for divorce in a number of jurisdictions.In Australian family law with no-fault divorce it is the sole ground, adequate proof being that the estranged couple have been separated more than 12 months.In the United States it can be...
received multiple Golden Globe nominations, including Best Actress nods for Shelley Long
Shelley Long
Shelley Lee Long is an American actress best known for her role as Diane Chambers on the sitcom Cheers, for which she won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress and two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress...
and Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
.
Like Private Benjamin, Baby Boom
Baby Boom (film)
Baby Boom is a 1987 comedy film starring Diane Keaton. The film also launched a subsequent television show starring Kate Jackson, running from 1988 to 1989. The original music score was composed by Bill Conti and the cinematography was by William A. Fraker....
dealt with the role of women in a changing, feminist-influenced world, all in the form of a romantic comedy. Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
played J.C. Wiatt, a high-powered executive who unexpectedly finds herself saddled with a baby. Like Rosalind Russell
Rosalind Russell
Rosalind Russell was an American actress of stage and screen, perhaps best known for her role as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday, as well as the role of Mame Dennis in the film Auntie Mame...
's Hildy Johnson in His Girl Friday
His Girl Friday
His Girl Friday is a 1940 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, an adaptation by Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur of the play The Front Page by Hecht and MacArthur...
, the Wiatt character became a film prototype of the contemporary career woman. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
as Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy; and Keaton
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
was also nominated as Best Actress in the same division.
In 1991, Meyers and Shyer, working from earlier material for the first time, remade the 1950 Vincente Minnelli
Vincente Minnelli
Vincente Minnelli was an American stage director and film director, famous for directing such classic movie musicals as Meet Me in St. Louis, The Band Wagon, and An American in Paris. In addition to having directed some of the most famous and well-remembered musicals of his time, Minnelli made...
classic Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride may refer to the following:*Father of the Bride , starring Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, and Elizabeth Taylor*Father of the Bride , remake of the 1950 film, starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton and Martin Short...
(with Shyer directing). Without drastically changing the emotional core, they deftly updated the film's view of marriage, finding the story's unchanging, universal elements. Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
won acclaim for his performance of a father "losing" his daughter and his bank account at the same time. Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
, Kimberly Williams, and Martin Short
Martin Short
Martin Hayter Short, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, writer, singer and producer. He is best-known for his comedy work, particularly on the TV programs SCTV and Saturday Night Live...
were also singled out for praise for their performances in a film that went on to become a huge worldwide hit.
Meyers and Shyer went on the write, produce, and direct Father of the Bride Part II
Father of the Bride Part II
Father of the Bride Part II is a 1995 comedy film starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton and Martin Short. The movie is a sequel to Father of the Bride and a re-make of the sequel to the original version, Father's Little Dividend.-Synopsis:...
, a sequel to their 1991 hit, with all the principal players returning. Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
' major attraction for the 1995 Christmas season, Father of the Bride, Part II opened number one at the box office and went on to gross in excess of $100 million worldwide.
In 1997, Shyer co-wrote and produced the Meyers-directed remake of The Parent Trap
The Parent Trap (1998 film)
The Parent Trap is a remake of the 1961 family film of the same name. It was directed and co-written by Nancy Meyers, and produced and co-written by Charles Shyer. It stars Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson as a couple who divorce soon after marrying, and Lindsay Lohan in a dual role as their...
. Acclaimed for its humorous and stylish updating of the classic the Disney film, The Parent Trap became another instant worldwide hit for the team.
Shyer next tackled a period drama, The Affair of the Necklace
The Affair of the Necklace
The Affair of the Necklace is a 2001 American historical drama film directed by Charles Shyer. The screenplay by John Sweet is based on what became known as the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, an incident that helped fuel the French populace's disillusionment with the monarchy and, among other...
(L'Affaire du Collier), starring Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank is an American actress. Swank's film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid , as Julie Pierce, the first female protégé of sensei Mr. Miyagi...
, Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody is an American actor and film producer. He received widespread recognition and acclaim after starring in Roman Polanski's The Pianist . Winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2003 at age 29, he is the youngest actor to do so...
and Simon Baker
Simon Baker
Simon Baker is an Australian actor. Since 2008, he has starred in the CBS television series The Mentalist.-Early life:...
. The film featured lush cinematography, costumes and settings in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and France, and garnered an Academy-Award nomination for costume designer, Milena Canonero
Milena Canonero
Milena Canonero is an Italian costume designer, working both for films and stage productions. She has won three Academy Awards for Best Costume design, and been nominated for it eight times.-Career:...
.
In 2004, Shyer wrote, directed and produced a remake of the 1960s classic, Alfie
Alfie
Alfie is a 1966 British film directed by Lewis Gilbert, starring Michael Caine. It is an adaptation by Bill Naughton of his own novel and play of the same name. The film was released by Paramount Pictures....
, starring Jude Law
Jude Law
David Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
, Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
and Sienna Miller
Sienna Miller
Sienna Rose Diana Miller is a British-American actress, model, and fashion designer, best known for her roles in Layer Cake, Alfie, Factory Girl, The Edge of Love and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. In 2007, the London Film Criticsnamed her British Actress of the Year for Interview...
in her first major role.
Shyer's next project is directing and executive producing Eloise in Paris, for HandMade Films
Handmade Films
HandMade Films is a British film production and distribution company. Through a series of sales, and acquisitions, the company now known as Handmade Plc owns all the rights and assets of the original HandMade Films Ltd...
, based on the classic 1950s children's book. He will also write the screenplay with Larry Spencer
Larry Spencer
Larry Spencer is a Baptist pastor in Canada, and former Member of Parliament for the Saskatchewan riding of Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre. He is currently serving as interim national president of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada....
and his daughter Hallie Meyers-Shyer. The film will shoot in London, Paris and New York, and production will begin next year. Also upcoming for Shyer is Sweet Little Fifteen for Fox Searchlight, which he will direct and co-write, also with Spencer
Larry Spencer
Larry Spencer is a Baptist pastor in Canada, and former Member of Parliament for the Saskatchewan riding of Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre. He is currently serving as interim national president of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada....
.
Projects in development
- Sweet Little 15 - Writer, Director (attached)
- Eloise in Paris - Writer (screenplay), Director, Executive Producer
Films
- Smokey and the BanditSmokey and the BanditSmokey and the Bandit is a 1977 American film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams, and Mike Henry. It inspired several other trucking films, including two sequels, Smokey and the Bandit II, and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3...
(with James Lee BarrettJames Lee BarrettJames Lee Barrett was an American producer, screenwriter, and writer.Barrett, along with Peter Udell and Phillip Rose won the 1975 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Shenandoah, which was based on his 1965 film by the same name, which starred James Stewart.Other notable works written by...
and Alan Mandel) (1977) - House Calls (with Julius J. EpsteinJulius J. EpsteinJulius J. Epstein was an American screenwriter, who had a long career, best remembered for the adaptation - in partnership with his twin brother, Philip, and others - of the unproduced play Everybody Comes to Rick's that became the screenplay for the film Casablanca , for which its team of writers...
and Alan Mandel) (1978) - Goin' SouthGoin' SouthGoin' South is an American western-comedy film, directed by and starring Jack Nicholson. The 1978 film also starred Mary Steenburgen in her movie debut and included Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi , Richard Bradford, Veronica Cartwright, Danny DeVito and Ed Begley, Jr.At the beginning, the...
(with John Herman Shaner, Al Ramrus and Alan Mandel) (1978) - Private BenjaminPrivate BenjaminPrivate Benjamin is a 1980 American comedy film starring Goldie Hawn. The film was one of the biggest box office hits of 1980, and also spawned a short-lived television series. The film is ranked 82 on the American Film Institute's "100 Funniest Movies" poll, and 59 on Bravo's "100 Funniest...
(with Nancy MeyersNancy MeyersNancy Jane Meyers is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the writer, producer and director of several big-screen successes, including The Parent Trap , Something's Gotta Give , The Holiday , and It's Complicated...
and Harvey MillerHarvey MillerHarvey Miller may refer to:* Harvey R. Miller, New York lawyer* SS Harvey C. Miller, a Liberty ship, see List of Liberty ships: G-Je* A character from the TV show "Baywatch" played by Tom McTigue* The main character of the film The Caddy-See also:...
) (1980) - Irreconcilable DifferencesIrreconcilable differencesThe concept of irreconcilable differences provides a possible ground for divorce in a number of jurisdictions.In Australian family law with no-fault divorce it is the sole ground, adequate proof being that the estranged couple have been separated more than 12 months.In the United States it can be...
(with Nancy MeyersNancy MeyersNancy Jane Meyers is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the writer, producer and director of several big-screen successes, including The Parent Trap , Something's Gotta Give , The Holiday , and It's Complicated...
) (1984) (also Director) - ProtocolProtocol (film)Protocol is a 1984 comedy film that starred Goldie Hawn and Chris Sarandon. The screenplay was by Buck Henry and it was directed by Herbert Ross....
(with Nancy MeyersNancy MeyersNancy Jane Meyers is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the writer, producer and director of several big-screen successes, including The Parent Trap , Something's Gotta Give , The Holiday , and It's Complicated...
and Harvey MillerHarvey MillerHarvey Miller may refer to:* Harvey R. Miller, New York lawyer* SS Harvey C. Miller, a Liberty ship, see List of Liberty ships: G-Je* A character from the TV show "Baywatch" played by Tom McTigue* The main character of the film The Caddy-See also:...
) (1984) - Jumpin' Jack FlashJumpin' Jack Flash (film)Jumpin' Jack Flash is a 1986 spy comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, Carol Kane, John Wood, Annie Potts, and Jonathan Pryce...
(with Nancy MeyersNancy MeyersNancy Jane Meyers is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the writer, producer and director of several big-screen successes, including The Parent Trap , Something's Gotta Give , The Holiday , and It's Complicated...
, David FranzoniDavid FranzoniDavid Harold Franzoni is an American screenwriter. His best known screenplays include King Arthur, Gladiator, Amistad, and Jumpin' Jack Flash....
and Chris ThompsonChris ThompsonChris Thompson, also known as Chris Hamlet Thompson is an English singer and guitarist known both for his work with Manfred Mann's Earth Band and for his solo accomplishments.- Biography :...
) (1986) (as J.W. Meville) - Baby BoomBaby Boom (film)Baby Boom is a 1987 comedy film starring Diane Keaton. The film also launched a subsequent television show starring Kate Jackson, running from 1988 to 1989. The original music score was composed by Bill Conti and the cinematography was by William A. Fraker....
(with Nancy MeyersNancy MeyersNancy Jane Meyers is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the writer, producer and director of several big-screen successes, including The Parent Trap , Something's Gotta Give , The Holiday , and It's Complicated...
) (1987) (also Director) - Father of the BrideFather of the BrideFather of the Bride may refer to the following:*Father of the Bride , starring Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, and Elizabeth Taylor*Father of the Bride , remake of the 1950 film, starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton and Martin Short...
(with Nancy MeyersNancy MeyersNancy Jane Meyers is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the writer, producer and director of several big-screen successes, including The Parent Trap , Something's Gotta Give , The Holiday , and It's Complicated...
) (1991) (also Director) - Once Upon a Crime... (with Nancy MeyersNancy MeyersNancy Jane Meyers is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the writer, producer and director of several big-screen successes, including The Parent Trap , Something's Gotta Give , The Holiday , and It's Complicated...
and Steve KlugerSteve KlugerSteve Kluger is an American author and playwright.Kluger's writing is noted for its baseball, gay, and historical themes....
) (1992) - I Love Trouble (with Nancy MeyersNancy MeyersNancy Jane Meyers is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the writer, producer and director of several big-screen successes, including The Parent Trap , Something's Gotta Give , The Holiday , and It's Complicated...
) (1994) (also Director) - Father of the Bride Part IIFather of the Bride Part IIFather of the Bride Part II is a 1995 comedy film starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton and Martin Short. The movie is a sequel to Father of the Bride and a re-make of the sequel to the original version, Father's Little Dividend.-Synopsis:...
(with Nancy MeyersNancy MeyersNancy Jane Meyers is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the writer, producer and director of several big-screen successes, including The Parent Trap , Something's Gotta Give , The Holiday , and It's Complicated...
) (1995) (also Director) - The Parent TrapThe Parent Trap (1998 film)The Parent Trap is a remake of the 1961 family film of the same name. It was directed and co-written by Nancy Meyers, and produced and co-written by Charles Shyer. It stars Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson as a couple who divorce soon after marrying, and Lindsay Lohan in a dual role as their...
(with Nancy MeyersNancy MeyersNancy Jane Meyers is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the writer, producer and director of several big-screen successes, including The Parent Trap , Something's Gotta Give , The Holiday , and It's Complicated...
)(also Producer) (1998) - The Affair of the NecklaceThe Affair of the NecklaceThe Affair of the Necklace is a 2001 American historical drama film directed by Charles Shyer. The screenplay by John Sweet is based on what became known as the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, an incident that helped fuel the French populace's disillusionment with the monarchy and, among other...
(2001) (Director/Producer) - AlfieAlfie (2004 film)Alfie is a 2004 British/American comedy-drama film based on the 1966 British film of the same name, starring Jude Law as the title character, originally played by Michael Caine. The film was written, directed and produced by Charles Shyer.-Plot:...
(2004) (Writer/Director/Producer) - Eloise in Paris (2012) (Writer/Director/Executive Producer)
- [(Ieri Oggi Domani ("Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" (2011) (Writer/Director)
Television
- The Mothers-In-LawThe Mothers-in-LawThe Mothers-in-Law is an American sitcom starring Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard as two matriarchs who were friends and next-door neighbors whose children's elopement rendered them in-laws. The show aired on NBC from September 1967 to April 1969; it was produced by Desi Arnaz after the dissolutions...
(1967) (Assistant Producer) - Getting Together (1971)
- The Partridge FamilyThe Partridge FamilyThe Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
(1971) - Cops (1973)
- Lady Luck (1973)
- Happy Days (1974)
- The Odd CoupleThe Odd Couple (TV series)The Odd Couple is a television situation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to July 4, 1975 on ABC. It starred Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison. It was based upon the play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon.Felix and Oscar are two divorced men....
(1975) - Private BenjaminPrivate BenjaminPrivate Benjamin is a 1980 American comedy film starring Goldie Hawn. The film was one of the biggest box office hits of 1980, and also spawned a short-lived television series. The film is ranked 82 on the American Film Institute's "100 Funniest Movies" poll, and 59 on Bravo's "100 Funniest...
(1981) - Baby BoomBaby Boom (TV series)Baby Boom is an American sitcom series starring Kate Jackson. The series is based on the 1987 film Baby Boom. The pilot premiered September 10, 1988 on NBC, and the series began on November 2, 1988.-Cast:*Kate Jackson as J. C...
(1988) - Him and Us (TV movie) - Director (2006)