“The Parent Trap”- Is It A Hit or A Miss?

This Disney remake is about divorce and reconciliation. It sure is a complicated story, which has been made into a fanciful tale. The entire movie revolves around two parents being deceitful to their children and keeping one child’s identity from the other secret. Each twin is also kept from the other parent for eleven years. Although a lot of trouble could have been saved if the twins had been introduced to one another instead of trying to hide their existence from each other. It sure seems a bizarre idea to do so!

Credits: The Parent Trap

The movie is a remake of 1961’s “The Parent Trap” The twin girls are kept on separate continents, but fate still manages to unite them, and the fun begins when both twin girls meet at a summer camp and decide to switch places. The girls reconcile with their parents and make some lives miserable while they are at it. The urgency of their plan is fueled by their father falling for a young and charismatic woman.

What Parents Need to Know

The movie is funny. It has a heartfelt, happy, and warm ending, but there are some scenes that parents might not be comfortable with their children watching. Wine is consumed in several scenes; the mother even gets slightly drunk in one scene. There is a girl’s quite embarrassing naked dive into a lake, and some viewers rated the movie as violent.

Credits: The Parent Trap

Children might find it disturbing to learn about divorce. As it is difficult to accept that it is possible for parents to split up. But it is ok to talk to children about it and explain it to them without them having to learn it from someone else whom you might not trust.

Altogether, the movie is not suitable for children under the age of ten unless you are comfortable answering some uncomfortable and awkward questions.

Who Played the Twins?

In the remake of this romantic comedy, the character of the twins was played by Lindsay Lohan. In case you are wondering if Lindsay Lohan has an actual twin. The answer to that is, of course, no. A trick of photography methods was used so that Lindsay Lohan could play both twins. She has undoubtedly played the two roles so well that it feels as if another actress has stepped in for the other role. Although it was her first-ever movie, she still managed to add a lot of charm to her character. She was aged 12 when she starred in The Parent Trap. She was called ‘the soul of the movie’ by critics who credited her for performing better than “Hayley Mills” –Who played the twins in the original movie. Lindsay Lohan was very adept at playing the two different personalities of the twins.

Was the Disney Remake a Success?

Lindsay Lohan’s performance earned much praise, as her charismatic acting uplifted her characters. The remake received positive reviews from both audiences and critics. And at the box office, The Parent Trap grossed $92.1 million, whereas the budget was $15 million. The film was a success as it was rated number 2 at the box office behind Saving Private Ryan.

The Connections Between the Original and the Remake Film

Several connections exist between the original (1961) and the remake (1998) movies. Both of them are precisely 2 hours and 9 minutes long. The Stafford Hotel is named after a boy that Susan talks to at a dance in the 1961 movie and there are bunk houses named Arapahoe in both movies. Lohan can also be heard singing “Let’s Get Together” as she walks into the elevator. This song is from the original movie.

The Twin Girls Are Named After Nancy Meyer’s Own Daughters

The twins in the Disney remake version of “The Parent Trap” are named after the daughters of Nancy Meyers – The Director, and Charles Shyer -The Producer. The daughters, Hallie Meyers-Shyer and Annie Meyers-Shyer, also have small parts in the film. Hallie’s role is of a girl at the camp, and Annie’s role is of the girl who brings the first aid kit for Elizabeth at the hotel. Hallie’s character is named Lindsay in the movie.