Charles Shyer Movies and Career Information

Charles Richard Shyer (born October 11, 1941) is an American film director, writer and producer. Influenced by the classic films of the 1930s and 1940s, he attempts to achieve a blend of that classic Hollywood style with a contemporary social perspective in his work. Shyer's films are predominantly comedies, often with a romantic-comedy sensibility. His hits 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). Shyer was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Lois (née Jones) Delaney and Melville Shyer, a 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