The Parent Trap
By Nell Minow,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Delightful remake is great for the whole family.
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The Parent Trap
Community Reviews
Based on 39 parent reviews
A cute remake with some questionable content
Rating is wrong
What's the Story?
This remake of 1961's THE PARENT TRAP stars Lindsay Lohan as both Hallie and Annie, twin girls separated at birth who meet up at summer camp and decide to switch places. Their father, Nick (Dennis Quaid), owns a vineyard, and their mother, Elizabeth (Natasha Richardson), designs wedding gowns. Meredith (Elaine Hendrix), their dad's scheming girlfriend, hopes to marry Nick for his money -- so Hallie and Annie set out to get their parents back together, and while they're at it, make life miserable for Meredith.
Is It Any Good?
This is a delightful remake of the Hayley Mills classic. Lohan is utterly adorable and does a masterful job of creating two separate characters, each of whom spends a large part of the movie impersonating the other. But divorced parents should make sure that their children have no illusions of a reconciliation, and all parents should make sure that while it may be charming for the children in the movie to manipulate their parents, it isn't appropriate for real life.
Kids who enjoy this version will get a kick out of comparing it to the original. Make sure that they notice Joanna Barnes, who plays Vicki (the fiancee) in the original, playing Vicki (the fiancee's mother) in the remake.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about divorce. How does this movie portray divorce? Is it realistic? Parents may want to reassure kids if they're distressed by the fact that the parents split up the twins and made no attempt to see the child they gave up.
How does this movie compare to the original? Why are some remakes good, while others pale in comparison to the original?
Movie Details
- In theaters: January 1, 1999
- On DVD or streaming: June 1, 2004
- Cast: Dennis Quaid , Lindsay Lohan , Natasha Richardson
- Director: Nancy Meyers
- Inclusion Information: Female directors, Female actors
- Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Book Characters
- Run time: 127 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: some mild mischief
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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