Nancy Meyers

Nancy inspires a tremendous amount of hope in me, she defies conventional wisdom that women re over - both societally and professionally - past a certain age. I root for her in a way I do for all women who are trying to sledgehammer a hole into the wall of an audience and an output that's almost exclusively male-dominated.

Callie Khouri, Director of Thelma and Louise, New York Times, 2009

You can't start a new year without the release of a new rom com film and for 2010 that film is, It's Complicated which stars Meryl Streep and Alex Baldwin. This delightful romance flick is about a divorced couple who find themselves drawn to each other and embark on a torrid affair. It's Complicated is directed by Nancy Meyers who has a raft of successful films under her belt such as Something's Gotta Give, The Holiday, What Women Want and The Parent Trap. She also wrote and produced Father of the Bride, I Love Trouble, Baby Boom and Private Benjamin. Nancy Meyers' movies are a breath of fresh air in Hollywood as they tend to be about mature and affluent professional women who juggle careers and family so it is no surprise that she is regarded as one of the most powerful in Hollywood.  Her female characters are funny, clever, warm and ambitious and the type of lady who does not need a man to make her life complete. In a culture where youth and looks dominate this is quite fundamental. Critics have described her work as dipping into the bourgeois mainstream with the wannabee Oprah happy ending but bitch as they want, nothing can detract from Meyers excellent writing skills and well rounded characters.

The petite yet determined 60 year old grew up in the comfortable surroundings of Drexel Hill in Philadelphia, the younger of two daughters to a Jewish couple. Her childhood was blissfully happy with family and friends in abundance. In fact the close relationship that Annie played by Kimberley Williams-Paisley in Father of the Bride has with her Dad, played by Steve Martin is not too different from the one Nancy had with hers. In 1972 she graduated from American University with a degree in journalism and then promptly landed a job in public televison in Philadelphia. Six months later she moved to LA six and got a job as a production assistant on The Price is Right. which she did for two years before leaving to kick start her writing career. In 1978 she met Charles Shyer who went on to become her partner in business and life. The duo were together for 20 years and married for three, in an union that produced several hit films and two daughters. Films such as Private Benjamin, Father of the Bride and Parent Trap were just a few that they worked on before they split in 1998.

Nancy Meyers lives in Pacific Pallisades with her two daughters.

It's Complicated is released on 8th January, check out the trailer below.