De Niro and Stiller have enjoyed four weeks at the top

The weekend's other new movie, Robert Redford's golfing story The Legend of Bagger Vance, opened at number three with $12m (�8m).

The overall box office takings were up for the fourth consecutive weekend, ending a slump in takings that had begun in the summer.

Charlie's Angels had the second best recorded debut weekend outside the summer blockbuster season.

The record is held by Toy Story II which took $57.4m (�39.6m) over last year's Thanksgiving weekend.

Older age-group

Charlie's Angels the movie is based on the US series that ran from 1976 to 1981.

It stars Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu in the glamorous detective roles made famous by Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith.

The movie was criticised by some reviewers for its thin plot but its camp humour and high-kicking action pulled in the audiences.

Robert Redford's new movie appealed to the over-25s

"This ended up being a movie for everybody," said Jeff Blake of Sony Pictures, the studios which made the movie.

Meet the Parents has proved a huge comedic hit for De Niro, who plays Ben Stiller's father-in-law from hell.

Overall it has taken $116.9m (�80.7m) in the US. It is due to open in the UK on 15 December.

The Legend of Bagger Vance, which also stars Matt Damon, appealed to the over-25s, according to its distributor DreamWorks.

"It's a good opening, but certainly not a great opening," said Jim Tharp, head of distribution for the company.

Rounding out the box office top five were Denzel Washington's Remember the Titans with $7m (�4.8m) at four, and the Blair Witch sequel Book of Shadows at five, with $5.3m (�3.6m).