Don Rhymer obit

Screenwriter Don Rhymer dies at 51

Credits include 'Big Momma's House,' animated 'Rio' 

He was not on the list.

Don Rhymer, a screenwriter behind animated films including “Rio” and feature comedies including the “Big Momma’s House” franchise and “The Santa Clause 2,” died of cancer in Los Angeles on Nov. 28. He was 51.

Rhymer penned Sony Pictures Animation’s “Surf’s Up” before contributing to Twentieth Century Fox Animation’s 2011 hit “Rio.” His final credit will come on the “Rio” sequel, penned with Carlos Saldanha and to be released in 2014.

Rhymer penned 2000 Martin Lawrence comedy vehicle “Big Momma’s House” with Darryl Quarles as well as 2006 sequel “Big Momma’s House 2” and received story credit on 2011’s “Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.”

He was also one of the screenwriters on the 2005 feature adaptation of “The Honeymooners” that starred Cedric the Entertainer and the 2006 Christmas comedy “Deck the Halls” starring Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick.

Rhymer started in television, penning episodes of the Valerie Harper sitcom “Valerie” in the late 1980s. He was co-producer of the brief animated series “Fish Police.” He subsequently wrote episodes of Burt Reynolds vehicle “Evening Shade” and “Hearts Afire,” both from Linda Bloodworth-Thomason.

“Big Momma’s House” was his first feature credit.

Rhymer was born in Union, S.C., and majored in English and communications at James Madison U. in Virginia.

He documented his long battle with cancer in the blog “Let’s Radiate Don.”

 

Filmography

Year     Name            Writer            Producer         Note

1989    McGee and Me!            Yes            No            1 episode as writer

1989    Coach            Yes            No            2 episodes as writer

1990    Bagdad Café     Yes            No      

1991-93            Evening Shade   Yes            No            8 episodes

1992    Fish Police   Yes            Yes            Co-producer (6 episodes)

1993    Banner Times   Yes            No            Television film

1993-94            Hearts Afire     Yes            Yes            Co-executive producer and writer (4 episodes)

1995    Past the Bleacher            Yes            Yes            Television film

1996            Carpool           Yes            No      

1997            Chicago Sons  Yes            No      

1997    Under Wraps  Yes            Yes            Television film, executive producer

1997    Fired Up       Yes            No            1 episode as writer

1998            Caroline in the City            Yes            No            1 episode as writer

2000    Big Momma's House  Yes            No      

2002    The Santa Clause 2            Yes            No      

2004    Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London            Yes            No      

2005    The Honeymooners            Yes            No

2006    Big Momma's House 2            Yes            No      

2006    Deck The Halls            Yes            No      

2007    Surf's Up       Yes            No      

2011    Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son      Yes            No      

2011    Rio            Yes            No      

2014    Rio 2            Yes            No            Posthumous release; dedicated to his memory

2017            Ferdinand        Yes            No            Posthumous release