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Richard Chew

Richard Chew

Editor, also producer · Born June 28, 1940 (86) · Los Angeles, California, USA

Oscar winner · 2 BAFTA Awards

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.

Born
June 28, 1940 (86)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Editor, also producer
Titles
31 on MovieCove · 35 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 42% in 30 days

What are Richard Chew's films like?

Across their 31 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 84th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies

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

share of theme weight
Self
28%
Bonds
28%
Morality
15%
Survival
13%
Society
7%
Power
6%
Ideas
2%
Self-worth8 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 31 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 14 · Serious 8 · Dark 9

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 19 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 4

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 9 · Charged 18 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 15 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 7

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 17 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 11 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 12

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 24 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
15
Tense
12
Hopeful
15
Joyful
8
Romantic
9
Other
30

How their films linger

Hopeful16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • 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).

Also on these channels

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)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Public(2018)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Way(2010)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Runaways(2010)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Bobby(2006)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The New World(2005)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • First Daughter(2004)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • I Am Sam(2001)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Shanghai Noon(2000)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Hope Floats(1998)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • That Thing You Do!(1996)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Waiting to Exhale(1995)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Tall Tale(1995)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • My Crazy Life(1993)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • My Life(1993)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Singles(1992)

    Editor · Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Late for Dinner(1991)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Men Don't Leave(1990)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Clean and Sober(1988)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise(1987)

    Associate Producer · Editor

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Streets of Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Editor

  • Where the River Runs Black(1986)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Creator(1985)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Real Genius(1985)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Risky Business(1983)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • My Favorite Year(1982)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Other Side of Victory(1979)

    Editor

  • When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?(1979)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Goin' South(1978)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope(1977)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest(1975)

    Supervising Film Editor

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Conversation(1974)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Music School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Editor

  • Imogen Cunningham, photographer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Editor

  • The Redwoods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Cinematographer · Editor

Career shape

A full career of 35 titles from 1967 to 2019.

Biggest box office

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

$775M worldwide

Highest rated

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Producing1 of 35: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleCinematography1 of 35: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleEditing35 of 35: 33 only editing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score72nd

By decade

1960s1 · crew1970s8 · crew1980s8 · crew1990s9 · crew2000s5 · crew2010s4 · crew

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.

WinNomination
  1. 1979
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film Editing
  2. 1978
    • Oscar, won · Best Film Editing
  3. 1977
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Film Editing
  4. 1976
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Film Editing
  5. 1975
    • 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.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Reach · how many have seen their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Midcredits score across 30 titles, by percentile

  • 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

Most divisive · editor

When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? (1979)

63rd percentile spread · 14% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · editor

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

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.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore14 titles11–53 · median 29 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity22 titles19–51 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity16 titles18–81 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs14 titles26–68 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense14 titles13–55 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

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

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers