Richard Franklin Chew is an American film editor, best known for his Academy Award-winning work on Star Wars, alongside Paul Hirsch and Marcia Lucas. Other notable films include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Risky Business, Waiting to Exhale, That Thing You Do!, and I Am Sam.
Biography from TMDB.
- June 28, 1940 (86)
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Editor, also producer
- 31 on MovieCove · 35 credits in all
What are Richard Chew's films like?
Across their 31 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 30
A split, not a type: Light 14 · Serious 8 · Dark 9
A split, not a type: Grounded 19 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 4
Gentle 9 · Charged 18 · Intense 4
A split, not a type: Steady 15 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 2
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 7
A split, not a type: Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 2
Casual 17 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 2
A split, not a type: Easy watch 11 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 12
Resolved 24 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 2
Moods and endings
- Happy13
- Bittersweet15
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous1
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 Richard Chew's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 31 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).
- The Conversation (1974) · editor · free
- I Am Sam (2001) · editor · free
- Real Genius (1985) · editor · free
- I'll Find You (2019) · editor · free
- My Life (1993) · editor · free
- Singles (1992) · producer, editor · free
- Bobby (2006) · editor · free
- The Runaways (2010) · editor · free
- Men Don't Leave (1990) · editor · free
- Where the River Runs Black (1986) · editor · free
- Creator (1985) · editor · free
Subscription and free streaming for Richard Chew'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
35 credits, 31 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
I'll Find You(2019)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
The Public(2018)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
The Way(2010)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
The Runaways(2010)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Bobby(2006)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
The New World(2005)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
First Daughter(2004)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
I Am Sam(2001)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Shanghai Noon(2000)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Hope Floats(1998)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
That Thing You Do!(1996)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Waiting to Exhale(1995)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Tall Tale(1995)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
My Crazy Life(1993)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
My Life(1993)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Singles(1992)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Late for Dinner(1991)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Men Don't Leave(1990)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Clean and Sober(1988)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Streets of Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Creator(1985)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Real Genius(1985)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Risky Business(1983)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
My Favorite Year(1982)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Goin' South(1978)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
The Conversation(1974)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
The Music School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Imogen Cunningham, photographer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
The Redwoods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Career shape
A full career of 35 titles from 1967 to 2019.
Biggest box office
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
Highest rated
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
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.
Awards
an Oscar and 2 BAFTA Awards from 5 major nominations, 1975–1979.
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film Editing
- Oscar, won · Best Film Editing
- BAFTA Award, won · Best Film Editing
- Oscar, nominated · Best Film Editing
- BAFTA Award, won · Best Film Editing
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Richard Chew's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of the 30 of 31 with a score; across their 31 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up9
- 50th to 74th16
- 25th to 49th3
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
18 of their 30 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved7
- Crowd Pleaser18
- Mixed5
Reviewers score the pacing 48/100 in their films, across 30 reviewed titles; fans 56, detractors 29. The element that speaks to their work as an editor.
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 Richard Chew's work okay for kids?
Across up to 22 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs lighter than most films.
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 Richard Chew work with?
People who share at least 2 of Richard Chew's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Emilio Estevez shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Emilio EstevezShared titles: The Public (2018), The Way (2010), Bobby (2006)See all 3 shared titles with Emilio Estevez
- Forest WhitakerShared titles: First Daughter (2004), Hope Floats (1998), Waiting to Exhale (1995)See all 3 shared titles with Forest Whitaker
- Martha CoolidgeShared titles: I'll Find You (2019), Real Genius (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Martha Coolidge
- Paul BrickmanShared titles: Men Don't Leave (1990), Risky Business (1983)See all 2 shared titles with Paul Brickman
Actors
- Michael KeatonShared titles: First Daughter (2004), My Life (1993), Clean and Sober (1988)See all 3 shared titles with Michael Keaton
- Christian SlaterShared titles: The Public (2018), Bobby (2006)See all 2 shared titles with Christian Slater
- Jacob VargasShared titles: The Public (2018), My Crazy Life (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Jacob Vargas
- Dakota FanningShared titles: The Runaways (2010), I Am Sam (2001)See all 2 shared titles with Dakota Fanning
Composers and cinematographers
- Juan Miguel AzpirozShared titles: The Public (2018), The Way (2010)See all 2 shared titles with Juan Miguel Azpiroz
- Tyler BatesShared titles: The Public (2018), The Way (2010)See all 2 shared titles with Tyler Bates
- James HornerShared titles: The New World (2005), Where the River Runs Black (1986)See all 2 shared titles with James Horner
- Toyomichi KuritaShared titles: First Daughter (2004), Waiting to Exhale (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Toyomichi Kurita
Producers
- Lisa NiedenthalShared titles: The Public (2018), The Way (2010), Bobby (2006)See all 3 shared titles with Lisa Niedenthal
- Joe RothShared titles: Tall Tale (1995), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987), Where the River Runs Black (1986)See all 3 shared titles with Joe Roth
- Fred RoosShared titles: I'll Find You (2019), The Conversation (1974)See all 2 shared titles with Fred Roos
- Art LinsonShared titles: The Runaways (2010), Singles (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Art Linson
