(Minor spoilers if you haven’t watched it yet!)
It’s the summer of 1998. You head to summer camp in Maine, get caught up in loads of mischief with another girl, only to find out that she’s your long-lost twin sister. That is the case of preteen girls Hallie Parker and Annie James, supposed only children.
22 years ago, Disney released a remake of the 1961 romantic comedy film “The Parent Trap.” Both the original and the remake are based on Erich Kästner’s 1949 novel Lottie and Lisa (Das doppelte Lottchen in German).
Starring Natasha Richardson as Elizabeth “Lizzie” James, Dennis Quaid as Nicholas “Nick” Parker, and introducing Lindsay Lohan (in a dual role), it focuses on Hallie and Annie’s attempts to get their divorced parents back together after almost 12 years apart. Throughout the twins’ lives, they resided in separate continents - Hallie in the United States with their father (and nanny Chessy), and Annie in the UK with their mother and grandfather (and butler Martin).
When they are 11 years old, they meet by chance in Camp Walden for Girls. Initially, they can’t stand each other, as they are continuously pulling pranks that affect the other girls in the camp. From having the loser of a poker game dive into the lake naked to beds placed on the cabin roof (with the UK flag also placed), it all culminates to the twins being forced to move to the Isolation Cabin as punishment. Fortunately, it serves as the beginning of their realization that they’re sisters, and the following plot to make their family whole once again - switching places.
Of course, you can’t expect the viewer to watch this scene without them feeling a little freaked out. How would they deal with living in another country until the time comes for their divorced parents to reunite? What about having to change up their appearances, from getting a haircut to an ear piercing? Luckily, with a little bit of pain, they are able to successfully pull off each other’s looks and personality. There’s even a scene where each twin teaches the other the nuts and bolts of their family and house. Hallie teaches Annie about her life in Napa Valley (represent!), while Annie teaches Hallie about hers in London. By the time camp ends, they are ready to put their plot in full force. Just one step closer until they meet the parent they never saw before after 11 years. There will be some detours along the way, including 26-year-old San Franciscan publicist Meredith Blake, portrayed by Elaine Hendrix. The rest plays out from there.
All scheming aside, I really liked the song choice during this first part of the movie. Shonen Knife’s “Top of the World” which represents Camp Walden’s adventurous, imaginative vibe as chaos ensues during the first day, especially in the cafeteria. As the movie shows vintage photos of athletic teams, along with their trophies, it just gives you a nostalgic feeling.
Stepping back to the prologue of the film, you may recognize Nat King Cole’s “L-O-V-E” playing in the background during Elizabeth and Nick’s wedding aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2. This song is perfect for setting the stage because it’s all about falling and being in love to the point of marriage. If you’re a hopeless romantic wanting to be in love, this is definitely your song. Fun fact: in 2018, Ariana Grande sang most of the chorus in a game of Elle’s “Song Association,” but she didn’t get a point for it. She did mention the movie!
I have to say that in addition to “There She Goes” by The La’s playing when “Annie” arrives home (you can find it in the WP October playlist!), my second favorite song that was chosen as background music is Bob Khaleel’s cover of “Here Comes The Sun.” Even though the crew couldn’t play the original by The Beatles, potentially due to copyright, the film did a great job of paying homage to the band by having Elizabeth and “Annie” cross Abbey Road (pictured). The cars are almost in the same position as in the album cover! If you catch it, there’s a still shot for about two seconds, as if the cameramen are remaking the cover. Can we just appreciate the effort they made to resemble the aesthetics of the original work?
Speaking of aesthetics, “The Parent Trap” masters the craft of making its various locations look attractive. The dining room aboard QE2 is just one grand gesture to its guests, including newlywed couples. Camp Walden is similar to your typical summer camp, with the girls (and occasionally boys) looking for adventure in Maine. The urban sophistication of London’s streets (with packed curbs) is at its best, especially with the wedding gown studio. The views of Napa Valley’s vineyards atop hills are surreal, as most of us already know from driving along Highway 29. Even the homes of Hallie and Annie represent the personality of each location.
Places aside, can we also talk about the characters’ style? It does an amazing job representing each one’s personality! Annie’s choice of clothing shows off her poise and maturity, while Hallie’s shows her liveliness and carefree attitude. Lohan’s outfits are basically stylish. Of course, we can’t forget about the adults. It’s clear that Annie got her fashion sense from their mother, as she often wears classy clothing, from dresses to pajamas. The same is true with Hallie and their father, as they will often be seen decked out in denim jeans and plaid flannels. Minimalism and the attempt to try a new style is evident in Meredith, as she tries on a new type of outfit in one of the movie’s later scenes. Martin has your typical butler vibes with the suit and tie. Chessy, on the other hand, wears clothing similar to Hallie and Nick’s, even though she is the former’s nanny.
Of course, we have to talk a little bit about Meredith. In the movie, she is an antagonist, shown as a gold digger only marrying Nick for his money. According to many Twitter users who have watched it when they were younger, looking back at it, she wasn’t as bad as they thought. She used to be thought of as the “lowest, most awful creature that ever walked the planet,” now she is seen as an icon who was just trying to “secure the bag before 30,” according to @kernieflakes on Twitter. Sooner or later, we’ll all relate to her in some way. Hendrix did an amazing job portraying her.
The one other character who I would somewhat critique is Nick. He seems to be more oblivious to the strange things happening around his world, including having Annie in his care instead of Hallie. I would agree with Elizabeth that he can sometimes drive people nuts because of his antics (in a scene where she explains the reason why they divorced). However, I do like the fact that he cares about his family and will do anything to keep them whole, even though he was planning to marry someone else throughout most of the movie. Quaid did a great job portraying him nonetheless.
Finally, the last character/cast member shoutout goes to Natasha Richardson, and as mentioned earlier, she portrays Elizabeth, the classy mother of the twins. Character-wise, she knows when to get to business, but she also has a very soft heart. When knowing that she loved Hallie throughout her entire life, even without actually seeing her, it actually made me cry inside. When you see Richardson acting in this, you can actually feel her emotions as if they’re your own. The love Elizabeth had for the people in her life is endless. Still can’t believe it’s been 11 years since Richardson died… may she rest in peace.
“The Parent Trap” is definitely one of the most timeless movies you can ever watch. The fashion, song choice, plot, and characters make watching it all the more worthwhile. You can think of multiple scenes in one setting as chapters. Definitely a must-watch if you want to look through old-ish movies during a chilly day. You can watch it on Disney+ and Freeform. Here is a playlist with most of the songs from the movie.
PS: take your guess as to who’s Hallie and who’s Annie!
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