Information about The Parent Trap (1998 Film)

This article is about the 1998 remake. To see the original, see The Parent Trap (1961 film).

The Parent Trap
Original Theatrical Poster
Directed by	Nancy Meyers
Produced by	Charles Shyer Bruce A. Block (co-producer) Julie B. Crane (associate producer)
Written by	David Swift Nancy Meyers Charles Shyer Erich Kästner (story)
Starring	Dennis Quaid Natasha Richardson Lindsay Lohan
Music by	Alan Silvestri
Cinematography	Dean Cundey
Editing by	Stephen A. Rotter
Distributed by	Buena Vista Distribution
Release date(s)	July 29, 1998
Running time	127 min. (approx.)
Country	United States
Language	English
Gross revenue	$92,108,518 (worldwide)
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

The Parent Trap is a (1998) family film remake of 1961's The Parent Trap. This remake is directed by Nancy Meyers and stars Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson, and features Lindsay Lohan in her feature film debut. The story is based on Erich Kästner's novel Lottie and Lisa (Das Doppelte Lottchen). The plot involves a pair of twins who have been separated at birth and, upon meeting by chance, decide to work together to reunite their divorced parents.

Synopsis

Hallie Parker is an 11 year old girl growing up in the Napa Valley with her father, Nicholas "Nick" Parker, a successful vineyard owner and a viticulturist. Her twin sister, Annie James, is a Londoner living with her wedding-gown-designer mother, Elizabeth "Lizzie" James. Neither knows that the other exists.

By coincidence, Hallie and Annie are both sent to Camp Walden in to spend the summer. At first, the two are fervent rivals who share an allergy to strawberries, great skill at the game of poker, and the ability to produce imaginative mischief. When this mischief, perpetrated against each other, causes the camp supervisors to isolate the two, Hallie and Annie soon discover the secret that had been kept from them. While still exiled from mainstream camp activity, they work on a plan to switch places at the end of summer, so each twin will be able to get to know the parent they were separated from.

The plan is successful. Hallie goes to England, where she meets her mother, befriends her mother's trusted servant Martin (who is a friend of Annie's), and becomes acquainted with her grandfather. Hallie assumes her sister's identity and experiences that which Annie would have experienced.

Annie, who has joined Nick in Napa Valley and assumed Hallie's place, learns that their father plans to soon marry his ambitious young publicist, Meredith Blake, who has designs on his considerable fortune. Annie contacts Hallie to reveal the new situation, forcing both girls to speed up their plan to get their parents to meet.

In London, Hallie reveals her true identity to their mother, Elizabeth, and tells her that Nick wants to meet them at a Californian hotel. In fact, Nick has no idea that Elizabeth is present until they finally cross paths. At the hotel, the entire story is revealed.

Nick and Elizabeth are of the belief that a reunion would be difficult, despite their daughters' efforts to recreate the former attachment between them; therefore they plan to return to their separate homes, each bringing a daughter with them, though both girls will be able to visit either parent. Hallie and Annie disapprove of this plan, and insist that Nick take both of them to the promised annual camping trip. Nick and Elizabeth go along, partly because the twins have refused to reveal which one is Hallie and which one Annie until the trip is complete.

Nick, Hallie, Annie, and Meredith go camping; Meredith at the insistence of Lizzie, who seems to believe that she must henceforth share the role of a mother. Literally behind Nick's back, the twins play tricks on Meredith, taking advantage of her callowness and lack of self-control. Eventually, an enraged and wet Meredith orders Nick to choose between marriage to her and the companionship of his daughters; Nick chooses the latter. The twins are relieved, believing that now their parents are able to reunite; to their dismay, Elizabeth insists that she and Annie return to London.

As soon as Elizabeth and Annie arrive at their home, they are greeted by Nick and Hallie, who had made haste to reach London first. Nick explains to Elizabeth that he had erred in letting her leave him before, and will not do so again. The final credits feature photographs of the second wedding between Nick and Elizabeth, now with the twins in tow. Photographs also appear that feature the marriage between Elizabeth's butler Martin and Nick's caretaker Chessie, both of whom had played supporting roles in the story.

Cast

• Lindsay Lohan as Hallie Parker and Annie James
• Dennis Quaid as Nick Parker
• Natasha Richardson as Elizabeth James
• Elaine Hendrix as Meredith Blake
• Lisa Ann Walter as Jessie
• Polly Holliday as Marva Kulp, Sr.
• Maggie Wheeler as Marva Kulp, Jr.
• Ronnie Stevens as Grandpa Charles James
• Erin Mackey as Hallie/Annie double

Minor role casting

The lost boy who shows up at the girls camp is played by Michael Lohan, Lindsay Lohan's brother. When Hallie arrives in London and meets Martin at the airport, Lindsay Lohan's mother can be seen holding her brother, Dakota. Beside her is Lindsay's other brother Michael and sister Aliana.

Production

The twins in this version are named after director Nancy Meyers's and producer Charles Shyer's daughters Annie Meyers-Shyer and Hallie Meyers-Shyer, both of whom have small parts in the movie. Hallie is playing a girl at camp at the beginning who asks where the Navajo bunk is, and Annie is playing the towel girl at the hotel, who brings Elizabeth the first aid kit.

Soundtrack

The song used in the opening sequence in which glimpses of Elizabeth and Nick's first wedding is seen is Nat King Cole's "L-O-V-E". The song used in the end credits, in which photos of Elizabeth and Nick's second wedding is seen, is his daughter Natalie Cole's "This Will Be (an Everlasting Love)".

The instrumental music featured prominently in the hotel scene where the twins and their parents cross paths serendipitously is "In the Mood", which was previously made famous by the Glenn Miller band.

Response

The movie entered the box office charts at number 2 on 31 July, 1998. It ended up with a U.S. gross of over $66 million^[1] It has made $92,108,518 worldwide^[2]

Versions

A television version of the film, as seen on the Disney Channel, is edited from the theatrical version. The first is when Hallie is piercing Annie's ears, the shot of the needle visibly entering Annie's ear has been cut and replaced with Hallie's reaction shot. Some DVD releases contain this edited version. Another television edit is during the scene when Annie talks with Meredith: Annie's line, "A relationship has to be based on more than just sex" has been removed.

References to original The Parent Trap

As this film is a remake of the 1961 The Parent Trap, it features a number of references to the film it is based on. Among them are:

• The use of the Sherman Brothers song, "Let's Get Together".
• Meredith talks to Reverend Mosby, a character from the original film, on her cell phone. Similarly, Hallie and Annie use Mildred Plotker as cover names.
• Actress Joanna Barnes, who played Vicky in the original film, plays Meredith's mother (also named Vicky) in this film.
• The camp counselors, Marva Kulp Sr. and Jr., are named after Nancy Kulp, who played the younger camp counselor in the original.

This film is pretty much parallel to the original, but with many names and places changed, such as:

• The Mother lives in London, England instead of Boston, Massachusetts, and the Father lives in Napa, California instead of Monterey, California.
• The housekeeper's name is Chessy, instead of Verbena.
• The dog is named Sammy, instead of Andromeda.
• Hallie's horse is named Sprout, where Susan's is Choxley.
• There is no Ranch Foreman in this movie, since the Parkers live near a Vineyard, where the Evers' in the original lived on a ranch. He was replaced by Martin.
• Camp Walden instead of Camp Inch.
• There was no dance at the camp with a boys' camp in this movie.

Pop culture reference

After Hallie arrives in London, she and her mother walk across the street together, on the same street, crosswalk, and with the same cars as the Abbey Road album cover. The song "Here Comes The Sun" (written by George Harrison) plays, the screen even pauses while they are walking across.

External links

• The Parent Trap Double Trouble Edition DVD Review

References

The Parent Trap film series
The Parent Trap The Parent Trap II The Parent Trap III The Parent Trap (1998 film)

•  • [ e] Films directed by Nancy Meyers
The Parent Trap • What Women Want • Something's Gotta Give • The Holiday