Since making her debut as a screenwriter in 1980, filmmaker Nancy Meyers has built an incredible career that’s ensured she’s regarded as one of the most financially successful writers, directors, and producers working in Hollywood today. Born in Philadelphia in 1949, Meyers made her break into the entertainment industry as a production assistant with CBS, The Price Is Right.

She eventually moved to LA, where she quickly found work in the late 1970s as a story editor for the film division of record label Motown. Her big break came in 1980, when one of her scripts was picked up by Warner Bros, becoming the hit comedy Private Benjamin. From there, Nancy Meyers’ creative input led to hit after hit at the box office, and the best Nancy Meyers movies include some of the most memorable comedy movies of the last few decades.

10 The Holiday (2006)

Nancy Meyers Wrote, Directed, And Produced

2006’s The Holiday was the third movie written, directed, and produced by Nancy Meyers, and while it ranks among her best movies, it’s far from her most celebrated work. This is despite having an all-star cast that includes Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Jack Black, too. The romantic comedy focuses on a home exchange between Iris (Winslet) and Amanda (Diaz), who both trade houses for the holiday season, leading both of them to find unexpected romance.

The Holiday is a relatively by-the-numbers romantic comedy, though still makes for heartwarming seasonal viewing during the holiday season. Meyers’ script for The Holiday may not have reinvented the holiday rom-com wheel, but it ticked every box viewers could want incredibly solidly. As is common with the best Nancy Meyers movies, it was also a hit at the box office, over doubling its $85 million budget to land over $205 million globally (via Box Office Mojo).

9 Irreconcilable Differences (1984)

Nancy Meyers Wrote And Was Executive Producer

1984’s Irreconcilable Differences was the second movie in Nancy Meyers’ career as a filmmaker. The 1984 comedy was directed by Charle Shyer, who co-wroter the script alongside Myers, and starred Ryan O’Neal and Shelley Long alongside a young Drew Barrymore in her fourth feature-film appearance as Casey.

The plot of Irreconcilable Differences was incredibly unique. The comedy focused on Barrymore’s Casey as she entered a legal battle to divorce her own parents. It was hilarious throughout thanks to Meyers’ incredible writing ability, though wasn’t anywhere near the success at the box office her later movies would be. The 1984 movie only landed $12 million at the box office internationally, barely breaking even against its $10 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). However, it did lead to Golden Globe nominations for both Shelley Long and Drew Barrymore.

8 Father Of The Bride Part II (1995)

Nancy Meyers Wrote And Produced

While it might not be as highly regarded as the 1991 comedy it’s a sequel to, Father of the Bride Part II is still considered by many to be one of the best Nancy Meyers movies, and a career highlight for two of the filmmakers frequent collaborators - Steve Martin and Diane Keaton. Picking up four years after Father of the Bride, Father of the Bride Part II focuses on Steve Martin’s George as he experiences a series of comedic mishaps as he deals with learning he’s due to become a grandfather.

Nancy Meyers co-wrote the script alongside Charles Shyer, who she worked with on Father of the Bride. Father of the Bride Part II was a box-office success for studio Touchstone Pictures, over doubling its budget of $30 million with a $76 million worldwide gross (via Box Office Mojo). This level of financial success was already becoming a hallmark of Nancy Meyers’ career, and it’s no surprise she found herself in the director's chair for her next film, 1998’s The Parent Trap.

7 What Women Want (2000)

Nancy Meyers Directed And Produced

Nancy Meyers normally directs movies based on scripts she either wrote or co-wrote, but this isn’t always the case - nor do the filmmaker’s abilities suffer when bringing someone else’s story to the big screen. This is proved by 2000’s What Women Want, the only film directed by Nancy Meyers that she didn’t also write the script for.

While critical reviews for the romantic comedy were mixed, audiences fell in love with the fantastical plot of What Women Want, especially with the performances of stars Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt when under Nancy Meyers’ direction. What’s more, the 2000 film was once again a box-office hit for the filmmaker, earning $374 million globally against a budget of $70 million (via Box Office Mojo).

6 It’s Complicated (2009)

Nancy Meyers Wrote, Directed, And Produced

2009’s It’s Complicated builds on creative foundations laid by the likes of 2003’s Something’s Gotta Give, and showcases Nancy Meyers’ incredible abilities to find all the humor lurking in romances later on in life. Starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and frequent Nancy Meyers collaborator Steve Martin, the title of It’s Complicated perfectly sums up the hilarious love triangle that the filmmaker's script brings to the screen.

As far as her abilities as a screenwriter go, It’s Complicated is easily one of the best scripts Nancy Meyers has created - as evidenced by her nomination for the Golden Globe award for Best Screenplay, as well as Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy the same year. While the movie was received well by critics, it also notably wasn’t as successful at the box office as many of Nancy Meyers’ other movies, netting $220 million worldwide against a budget of $ 85 million (via Box Office Mojo).

5 The Intern (2015)

Nancy Meyers Wrote, Directed, And Produced

2015’s The Intern is the 6th movie directed by Nancy Meyers, and the most recent film she helmed. The lighthearted comedy drama may not be as widely known as the likes of Father of the Bride or The Parent Trap, though this doesn’t stop it ranking among the best Nancy Meyers movies, especially given the hilarious performances the filmmaker managed to draw out from stars Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway.

The Intern also stands out among the best Nancy Meyers movies due to it being a workplace comedy - making it something of an anomaly against her wider body of work (which usually deal with family life or romance). Her most recent directorial turn landed an AARP Movies for Grownups award for Best Comedy, as well as a Teen Choice award nomination for Nancy Meyers in the Comedy category.

4 Father Of The Bride (1991)

Nancy Meyers Wrote And Produced

Of all the films made by Nancy Meyers that starred regular collaborator Steve Martin, few are as highly regarded or beloved by viewers as 1991’s Father of the Bride. The romantic comedy focused on Martin as George Banks alongside Diane Keaton (who Meyers, of course, also worked with regularly) as his wife Nina. The lighthearted plot followed George’s various struggles as his daughter, Annie (Kimberly Banks) gets ready for her wedding day.

While not as much of a critical success or awards magnet as some of Nancy Meyers’ other movies, the legacy of Father of the Bride is impossible to deny. The film was also a huge hit at the box office, netting in $129 million against a budget of $20 million (via Box Office Mojo), cementing the reputation of Nancy Meyers as a creator of safe-bet and timeless comedies that all but guarantee high levels of profits for studios.

3 Something’s Gotta Give (2003)

Nancy Meyers Wrote, Directed, And Produced

Many of the best Nancy Meyers movies are those that seen the filmmaker serving as writer, director, and producer, and this is the case with 2003’s Something’s Gotta Give. The early 2000s rom-com was a breath of fresh air for the genre during the decade, as it focused on a later-in-life couple rather than teens or lovers in their 20s. Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton starred, and both received praise for their performances - including a Best Actress Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe win for Keaton.

This, of course, wouldn’t be possible without the incredibly sharp script penned by Nancy Meyers for Something’s Gotta Give. Like many of the filmmaker's projects, Something’s Gotta Give was a phenomenal financial success during its theatrical run too, earning over $265million worldwide against a budget of $80million (via Box Office Mojo).

2 Private Benjamin (1980)

Nancy Meyers Wrote And Produced

Nancy Meyers may have a filmmaking career spanning over four decades, but her debut is still considered by many to be among her best movies. Coming 18 years before she would find herself in the director's chair, Nancy Meyers co-wrote (alongside Charles Shyer and Harvey Miller) and produced 1980’s Private Benjamin. Directed by Howard Zieff and starring Goldie Hawn, Private Benjamin was a box-office hit when it arrived in theaters.

Nancy Meyers’ debut earned over $69 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo), and received multiple accolades. These include Academy Award nominations for Best Actress (Goldie Hawn), Best ing Actress (Eileen Brennan), and Best Screenplay - Writer Directly for the Screen (for Meyers, Shyer, and Miller). While the screenplay Meyers’ co-wrote may have missed out at the Oscars, she and her writer partners did win the same category at the Writers Guild of America Awards the same year.

1 The Parent Trap (1998)

Nancy Meyers Wrote And Directed

While she’s helmed multiple films since, her directorial debut for 1998’s The Parent Trap still remains the best Nancy Meyers movie so far. A remake of the 1961 movie of the same name, Nancy Meyers co-wrote The Parent Trap alongside David Swift and Charles Shyer. The movie is most ed for the then-child star Lindsay Lohan’s performance as twins Hal and Ann, and the many clever tricks used to ensure both sisters could be on-screen at once still defy belief to this day.

Nancy Meyers was praised for this in her capacity as a director, as well as for her work modernizing the plot of the 1960s original for a 1990s audience. While many of Nancy Meyers’ movies remain timeless classics in the eyes of fans, few have a following as consistently strong as The Parent Trap. It’s still considered one of the best live-action movies Disney ever made, and was a career-defining project not only for Meyers but also, of course, star Lindsay Lohan.