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At an all-girl summer camp, eleven-year-old Hallie Parker (Lindsay Lohan) meets Annie James (also Lohan), who looks exactly like her and is the same age. Although a rivalry initially breaks out as the pair play pranks on each other, they develop a bond and soon realise they are identical twin sisters who were separated when they were babies. Hallie lives in Napa Valley with her father, Nick (Dennis Quaid), while Annie lives in London with her mother, Elizabeth (Natasha Richardson). Since Hallie has never met her mother and Annie has not met her father, and they share a mutual interest in getting their parents back together, they hatch a plan to switch places and push for Nick and Elizabeth to reconcile. Annie pretends to be Hallie as Nick takes her to Napa Valley, where she discovers that the gold-digging Meredith Blake (Elaine Hendrix) is engaged to marry her father in a matter of weeks. Meanwhile, Hallie pretends to be Annie as she spends time in London with her mother while endeavouring to reunite Elizabeth with Nick. Meredith's presence complicates the plan, leading to radical action between the sisters.
At the helm of The Parent Trap is Nancy Meyers, a veteran comedy screenwriter (Father of the Bride, Once Upon a Crime...) who would later direct films like Something's Gotta Give and The Holiday. Meyers was making her directorial debut here, but the picture is astonishingly slick and competent, boasting the talents of several talented creatives, from cinematographer Dean Cundey (Jurassic Park, Apollo 13) to composer Alan Silvestri (Back to the Future, Predator). Meyers even packs the movie with joyous songs that perfectly accompany Silvestri's music, from the timeless "Bad to the Bone" to Bob Khaleel's rendition of "Here Comes the Sun." Additionally, through the use of body doubles and seamless split-screens using motion-controlled cameras, Lohan believably plays both Hallie and Annie, and the illusion never falters. You easily forget the gimmick and accept that there are two Lindsay Lohans.
As with most of Meyers's films, The Parent Trap is a touch too long at a beefy two hours, and the narrative is not exactly surprising, but it's easy to go along for the ride. Meyers wrote the screenplay with her husband, Charles Shyer (director and co-writer of 1991's Father of the Bride), to update the story for the 1990s. However, the writer-director of 1961's The Parent Trap, David Swift, also receives a credit because the narrative so closely resembles the original film. Although remakes are often useless, especially if there's no narrative reinvention, 1998's The Parent Trap more than justifies its existence with the charming cast and witty, disarming sense of humour. Meyers finds a distinct cinematic voice for this iteration, and it's significantly better and more agreeable than most contemporary family movies.
Despite all the contrivances at the centre of the story, Meyers elevates The Parent Trap with her superb execution of the material, making it easy to care about the story and characters. The moment that Hallie and Annie realise they are twins is incredibly touching, and it is equally heartwarming to watch Nick and Elizabeth as they reunite with the daughter they have not seen for over a decade. These moments do not feel manipulative or false, as the acting thoroughly sells it, while Silvestri's poignant score adds another layer of emotion. Likewise, Nick's effort to win Elizabeth back in the finale undeniably works because you want to see them end up together, regardless of how predictable the outcome is.
The Parent Trap was Lohan's film debut after a few television appearances, and the actress is remarkable here in the tricky dual role. She espouses a wholly convincing British accent to play Annie, while she also believably plays an American pretending to be English, and a British girl pretending to be American - virtually four characters in one movie. It's easy to see why the talented Lohan went on to star in several more iconic cult movies, including Freaky Friday and Mean Girls. Thankfully, the other cast members are equally appealing, including Dennis Quaid (Innerspace, DragonHeart) as Nick, and the late Natasha Richardson (The Handmaid's Tale) as Elizabeth. Elaine Hendrix is also easy to despise as the stereotypical "evil stepmother" figure, while Simon Kunz is hilarious as Elizabeth and Annie's butler, Martin.
In 2018, rumours circulated of another The Parent Trap remake for Disney+, but it thankfully has not yet come to pass. (Judging by the quality of Home Sweet Home Alone, nothing good can come from a D+ remake.) There were also sequel talks, but with the tragic passing of Natasha Richardson in 2009, it seems impossible to make a satisfying follow-up at this point. 1998's The Parent Trap remains an enjoyable product of its time, a breezy and amicable rom-com that does not need any further remakes or sequels to tarnish it.
7.8/10
