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The parent trap - Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson, Nancy Meyers
Threat advisory: High - High risk of entertaining activities
Movie propaganda
Twice the fun, double the trouble.
What if you spent your whole life wishing for something you didn't know you already had? Hallie Parker and Annie James are about to find out.
Hallie is a cool girl from California. Annie is a fair rose from London. When the two accidentally meet at a summer camp, they think they have nothing in common except... they're identical twins (both played by Lindsay Lohan)!
Now they're up to their freckles in schemes and dreams to switch places, get their parents (Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson) back together and have the family they've always wished for!
This charming, heart-warming and delightfully clever comedy adventure will enchant your entire family.
Based on the 1961 version of The parent trap.
Target demographic movie keyword propaganda
- Film family twin separation divorce relationship comedy adventure identical
Persons of interest
- Lindsay Lohan .... Hallie Parker, Annie James
- Dennis Quaid .... Nick Parker
- Natasha Richardson .... Elizabeth James
- Elaine Hendrix .... Meredith Blake
- Lisa Ann Walter .... Chessy
- Simon Kunz .... Martin
- Polly Holliday .... Marva Kulp Sr
- Maggie Wheeler .... Marva Kulp Jr
- Ronnie Stevens .... Grandpa Charles James
- Erin Mackey .... Hallie/Annie Double
- Joanna Barnes .... Vicki Blake
- Hallie Meyers-Shyer .... Lindsay
- Maggie Emma Thomas .... Zoe
- Courtney Woods .... Nicole
- Katerina Graham .... Jackie
- Erich Kästner .... Author: Das Doppelte Lottchen
- David Swift .... Screenwriter
- Nancy Meyers .... Screenwriter
- Charles Shyer .... Screenwriter
- Nancy Meyers .... Director
Cinematic intelligence sources
- The parent trap official movie site
Intelligence analyst
Special Agent Matti
Theatrical report
I'm a little bit country...
And I'm a little bit rock and roll...
Does anyone else remember The Donny and Marie show? They used to begin a regular section of their weekly show with those lyrics. Marie would sing a soppy country/love song (like Paper roses) and Donny would demolish some pasty white-bread rock song. Of course, now that he's older and desperately needs street cred (does anyone else remember The Osmond Brothers' release of Crazy horses?) he has requested that we in the media call him Don.
Getting very slowly back to the point, it was the contrast between the two girls - Hallie (country California - Napa Valley to be exact) and Annie (citified London) - that brought the above reminiscence to mind. Perhaps I have Alzheimer's.
The parent trap is a quite funny and engaging film, although not particularly challenging (remember, the original was made in the 60s when everyone still wore hats - this is before the Pope destroyed the millinery industry by declaring that women didn't need to wear a hat to church). It toddles along in that slightly offbeat but never quite unnerving way that live-action Disney films so often do. Think That darn cat or Flubber.
The stars of the film are, of course, Lindsay and the effects that allow her to play with herself in a seamless but occasionally contrived manner. The differentiation between the two girls (including accents) is very, very good. (Oh no, another flashback: does anyone out there remember Skateboard, starring Leif Garrett as twin brothers, from when skateboarding was cool the first time around?) Lindsay almost perfectly masters the subtlety needed to pull this role off; there is an occasional blurring of Hallie and Annie in the third quarter of the movie, but it is nothing major and I am renowned for his eagle eye.
Dennis and Natasha are charmingly parental, supporting the drama, comedy and romance of the story well. Elaine Hendrix as the money grubbing evil step-mother to be is a little stereotyped (not to mention two-dimensional) but the character is a plot device, not a real person.
The parent trap is a great family film which the whole family can watch together, although pubescent and adolescent boys might like to make up their own minds.
Media intelligence (DVD)
- Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
- Languages: English, Spanish
- Picture: Widescreen (1.33:1)
- Special features:
- Commentary
- Deleted scene
- Featurettes
- Subtitles: Danish, English, English captions, English closed captions, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
Security censorship classification
G
Surveillance time
128 minutes (2:08 hours)
Not for public release in Australia before date
Film: 10 March 1999
DVD retail: 10 November 2004 - Double pack
DVD retail: 17 August 2005 - Special edition
DVD retail: 25 January 2006 - Special edition
DVD retail: 13 September 2006 - Double pack
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