Charles “Charlie” Baker (born July 9, 1986) is the second child of the Baker family and the oldest son. He is portrayed by Tom Welling.
Charlie starts out the film as a 17-year-old high school junior who is the star quarterback at Midland High School. He loves playing football, hanging out with his friends, and spending time with his girlfriend Beth. He is also rarely seen without his trademark red Midland baseball cap. Although he is introduced mildly rebellious towards his parents, it is made clear that he is a good kid and loving older brother, especially to Henry (who idolizes him). He is considered a top prospect for an athletic scholarship but tells his father that he is unsure if he even wants to go to college after he reveals that Beth's father had offered him a job at his auto shop once he graduates high school.
When Tom unexpectedly receives an offer from his old friend and football teammate Shake McGuire to coach at his alma mater in his hometown of Evanston, Illinois, Charlie is opposed to it because it would mean moving from his hometown (where he had lived since he was nine). He joins his siblings in their majority voting against the move, but Tom opts to accept the job despite losing the vote. He is forced to join his family in moving and emotionally says goodbye to Beth. He is gifted his father's old car which temporarily eases the tension over the move.
He assumes that he will be able to play quarterback at his new high school, but when he meets Coach Bricker and his assistant coach to sign up for the team, it becomes clear that they already know about his father and view him as having only gotten the position due to his friendship with Shake McGuire. They mock him for coming from rural Illinois and not only move him from offense to defense but demote him to cornerback, telling him not to wear his Midland hat to practice. When he actually starts attending Evanston High, things get even worse, as he is immediately singled out for bullying by the popular kids, including his new teammates. He is extremely self-conscious and rattled by the harassment but comes close to fighting them after they direct their comments to his sister Lorraine, who has to physically get between them to keep things from escalating.
He shows up at Tom's work to talk to him about his school problems but is brushed off after Shake calls him over to speak with sports media. Charlie comes to the conclusion that he and the other kids are his dad's second priority and begins to act out further. The bullying at school escalates to pranks bordering on hazing, and it starts to take its toll on him mentally and emotionally. He becomes sullen and moody towards his siblings (even to Henry) and starts to cut school in order to make drives back to Midland to visit Beth. The absences result in his being kicked off the football team. Tom confronts him after he's informed by the school, and they get into a heated argument and Charlie calls his father out for prioritizing himself and his career over his family.
He storms off just as his mother comes back home from a business trip. When it is the evening he changes his mind and goes back home to discover that Mark has vanished as a result of him feeling unwanted by his siblings. His father for the first time in the move has a moment with Charlie, apologizing and telling Charlie that if he thinks that he only accepted the new job to gain popularity like his buddy Shake McGuire then he is correct. Charlie frantically goes to help the family in finding Mark, and when searching the city they discover that he is on a train bound to leave for Midland. However, the train drives off with Mark forcing the family to spend one night chasing it back to Midland where they reconcile. Later that Christmas Charlie has fully become part of the family and in the epilogue he is the first one to react to the new chandelier crashing to the floor.
In the second film, it is revealed he opted to stay in the area and attend the University of Chicago while working at a garage in the area. He is no longer in a relationship with Beth, and gets into a new relationship with Anne Murtaugh, which his father doesn't approve of, while on a family vacation. It remains unclear if they continued to be serious after the events of the second film.
- His favorite color is green.
- He is a metalhead, listening to Sahara Hotnights while working on his car and keeping posters for the bands Millencolin and Death by Stereo poster on his bedroom wall.
- He is a Chicago Bears fan and has a poster of Brian Urlacher on his bedroom wall.
- The fictional team he played for at Evanston High was The Jaguars.
- The car Tom gifts him is a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass.
- He shares a name with the former governor of Massachusetts elected in 2014 (long after the events of the two films).