''The Parent Trap'' is a 1998 American

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film directed and co-written by

Nancy Meyers Nancy Jane Meyers (born December 8, 1949) is an American filmmaker. She has written, produced, and directed many critically and commercially successful films including ''Private Benjamin (1980 film), Private Benjamin'' (1980), ''Irreconcilable D ...

, and produced and co-written by

Charles Shyer Charles Richard Shyer (born October 11, 1941) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. Shyer's films are predominantly comedies, often with a romantic-comedy overtone. His films include '' Private Benjamin'' (1980), ''Irreconcila ...

. It is a

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...

of the 1961 film of the same name and an adaptation of

Erich Kästner Emil Erich Kästner (; 23 February 1899 – 29 July 1974) was a German writer, poet, screenwriter and satirist, known primarily for his humorous, socially astute poems and for children's books including '' Emil and the Detectives''. He received ...

's 1949 German novel ''

Lisa and Lottie ''Lisa and Lottie'' (original German title: ''Das doppelte Lottchen'', "The Double Lottie") (published since 2014 in the United Kingdom and Australia as ''The Parent Trap'') is a 1949 German novel by Erich Kästner, about twin girls separated in i ...

'' (''Das doppelte Lottchen'').

Dennis Quaid Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor known for a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the late 1970s, some of his notable credits include ''Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The ...

and

Natasha Richardson Natasha Jane Richardson (11 May 1963 – 18 March 2009) was an English actress of stage and screen. A member of the Redgrave family, Richardson was the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and director/producer Tony Richardson and the granddaugh ...

star as a divorced couple who separated shortly after their identical twin daughters' birth;

Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...

stars (in her film debut) as both twins, Hallie Parker and Annie James, who are fortuitously reunited at summer camp after being separated at birth. David Swift wrote the screenplay for the original 1961 film based on ''Lottie and Lisa''. Swift is credited along with Meyers and Shyer as co-writers of the 1998 version. ''The Parent Trap'' was theatrically released in the United States on July 29, 1998 and was a box-office hit, grossing $92.1 million against a $15 million budget. It received positive reviews from critics, with Lohan's performance in particular earning high praise.

Plot

In 1986, Nick Parker and Elizabeth James meet on the ''

Queen Elizabeth 2 ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' (''QE2'') is a retired British ocean liner converted into a floating hotel. Originally built for the Cunard Line, the ship, named as the second ship named ''Queen Elizabeth'', was operated by Cunard as both a transatlantic ...

'', fall in love and get married. Soon, Elizabeth gives birth to twins named Hallie and Annie. Shortly after the twins' birth, Nick and Elizabeth divorce with Nick being given custody over Hallie and raising her in California where he owns his own vineyard. Meanwhile, Elizabeth raises Annie in London where she works as a wedding gown designer. 11 years and 9 months later in the year 1998, the twins are coincidentally sent to the same summer camp where they form an intense rivalry. When Hallie and her friends perform a dangerous prank on Annie's cabin, Hallie and Annie are sent to the isolation cabin where they begin to bond over some of their common interests. When they realize each has a divorced parent, they show one another a photograph of the parents with whom they have never met and discover they are twins who were separated at birth. They decide to switch places to get their parents to meet again and get back together; each girl trains the other to be like her. In London, Hallie happily meets Elizabeth, the family butler Martin and her maternal grandfather. She learns that Elizabeth and Nick met on a cruise line and fell in love. Meanwhile, in California, Annie meets Nick and their family nanny, Chessy. Much to her dismay, she learns that Nick has fallen in love with a young woman named Meredith Blake who only has an interest in Nick's fortune. Annie phones Hallie and attempts to persuade her to bring their mother to California to try and break up Nick and Meredith but Hallie refuses. Chessy, meanwhile, has noticed that "Hallie" has changed a lot; Annie reveals her identity, but Chessy keeps this a secret. Nick informs Annie that he is marrying Meredith, much to Annie's dismay. In a phone conversation, Annie informs Hallie of the upcoming wedding between Nick and Meredith. However, Hallie is discovered by her grandfather, who forces her to tell her mother that she is in fact Hallie, not Annie. Elizabeth and Hallie decide that they need to travel to California to agree on joint custody of the twins between each parent. Annie and Hallie both arrange with Martin and Chessy for a meeting between Nick and Elizabeth at the Stafford Hotel in California, although only Elizabeth is aware of this. Elizabeth and Nick are reunited and Nick happily realizes that he has had Annie with him since the camp. Elizabeth also meets Meredith and learns that she and Nick will be getting married. Annie and Hallie attempt to recreate the night where their parents met by arranging dinner on a yacht. The two discuss their breakup, which occurred with Elizabeth running off, after a fight, although she secretly hoped Nick would go after her, which he didn't. Nick and Elizabeth agree that Hallie will go to London over Christmas and Annie will spend Easter in California, but decide against resuming their relationship, with Elizabeth planning to fly back to London with Annie the next day. However, the twins refuse to reveal which one is which unless the four of them go on a camping trip together. Elizabeth insists that Meredith go in her place, wanting her to get to know the girls before she marries Nick. The girls play a series of pranks on Meredith, including putting a lizard on her head and filling her insect repellant with sugar and water. When the girls place her mattress on a lake, Meredith is furious and vows to get rid of them, demanding that Nick chooses between her and them. Finally seeing Meredith's true nature, Nick chooses the girls over her, causing dismayed Meredith to break off the engagement and call off the wedding. On returning home, Nick is somewhat relieved to be free of Meredith. He shows Elizabeth his wine collection which includes wine they drank at their wedding. The two realize they are still in love, but decide to go their separate ways with the twin they have custody of. Elizabeth and Annie arrive back in London. They are stunned to find Nick and Hallie, who flew to London via

Concorde The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Studies started in 1954, and France an ...

. Nick reveals he didn't want to make the same mistake of not going after her again. The two finally kiss, signifying their intention to resume their marriage. The end credits show photographs from their wedding which also takes place on the QE2 with Hallie and Annie as bridesmaids and Chessy and Martin getting engaged.

Cast and characters

as Hallie Parker and Annie James, eleven-year-old twin sisters who were separated after birth. Following their parents' divorce, they were raised separately with no knowledge of each other's existence — until they meet at

summer camp A summer camp or sleepaway camp is a supervised program for children conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as ''campers''. Summer school is usually a part of the academ ...

by chance.

Erin Mackey Erin Ashley Mackey (born June 19, 1986) is an American stage actress and singer, known for playing the role of Glinda in the Chicago, Los Angeles, Broadway, and Second National Tour productions of the musical '' Wicked''. She was also a double i ...

was Lohan's acting double for the scenes where the twins appear together. *

as Nicholas "Nick" Parker, Annie and Hallie's father, a wealthy American vineyard owner. *

as Elizabeth "Liz" James, Annie and Hallie's mother, a famous British wedding gown designer. *

Elaine Hendrix Katherine Elaine Hendrix (born December 28, 1970) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in ''Superstar'', ''Romy and Michele's High School Reunion'', the 1995 ''Get Smart'' series, the 1998 remake of '' The Parent Trap'', ''Dynasty' ...

as Meredith Blake, a 26-year-old

publicist A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a company, a brand, or public figure – especially a celebrity – or for a work such as a book, film, or album. Publicists are public relations specialists who ...

who is planning to marry Nick for his money. * Lisa Ann Walter as Chessy, Nick's housekeeper and Hallie's nanny. She has long considered herself rather awkward and thus not overly desirable to eligible bachelors, but then she meets Martin, and the two are mutually smitten. She also discovers that "Hallie" is actually Annie after noticing her strange behavior. *

Simon Kunz Simon Charles Kunz (born 15 October 1962) is an actor on stage and screen. Early life He attended Latymer Upper School, then completed a degree in Theatre Studies at the University of Warwick. Career He appeared in '' The Parent Trap'' as Ma ...

as Martin, the James family's butler, who falls in love with Chessy. *

Polly Holliday Polly Dean Holliday (born July 2, 1937) is a retired American actress who has appeared on stage, television and in film. She is best known for her portrayal of sassy waitress Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry on the 1970s sitcom '' Alice'', which ...

as Marva Kulp Sr., the owner and director of Camp Walden. *

Maggie Wheeler Margaret Emily Wheeler (née Jakobson) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Janice on the television sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004), and Anita on ''Ellen'' (1994–1996). Early life Wheeler was born Margaret Emily Jakobso ...

as Marva Kulp Jr., Marva Sr.'s daughter and assistant. * Ronnie Stevens as Charles James, Elizabeth's wealthy father and Annie and Hallie's maternal grandfather. After he catches Hallie on the phone with Annie, she tells him about switching places. *

Joanna Barnes Joanna Barnes (November 15, 1934 – April 29, 2022) was an American actress and writer. Early life and education Barnes was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the eldest daughter of John Pindar Barnes and Alice Weston Mutch. She had two younger ...

as Vicki Blake, Meredith's mother. *

Hallie Meyers-Shyer Hallie Meyers-Shyer (born July 26, 1987) is an American actress and filmmaker. Early life Meyers-Shyer was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of filmmakers Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer. She has an older sister, Annie. Meyers-Shy ...

as Lindsay * J. Patrick McCormack as Les Blake, Meredith's father.

Kat Graham Katerina Alexandre Hartford Graham (born September 5, 1989) is an American actress, singer and dancer (now distributing music under the stage name Toro Gato). She is widely known for her role as Bonnie Bennett on The CW supernatural drama seri ...

played Jackie, a friend of Annie at Camp Walden.

Vendela Kirsebom Vendela Maria Kirsebom (born 12 January 1967) is a Norwegian-Swedish model, television host, and actress. Early life Kirsebom was born in Stockholm, Sweden, to a Norwegian mother and a Turkish father. At the age of 13, she was discovered in ...

appears as a model during a photoshoot sequence at Elizabeth James' studio. Meyers and Shyer's daughters

and Annie Meyers-Shyer make appearances in the film, credited as Lindsay and Towel Girl, respectively. Lohan's brother Michael (credited as Lost Boy At Camp) plays a boy at Camp Walden who did not realize he was going to an all-girls camp. Lohan's mother, Dina, and other siblings Aliana and Cody, all appear in uncredited cameos at the airport in London. The film's cinematographer

Dean Cundey Dean Raymond Cundey, A.S.C. (born March 12, 1946) is an American cinematographer and film director. He is known for his collaborations with John Carpenter, Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, as well as his extensive work in the horror genre, ...

appears in an uncredited cameo as the captain of the ''Queen Elizabeth 2'', who marries Nick and Elizabeth at the beginning of the film.

Jeannette Charles Jeannette Charles (born 15 October 1927) is a retired British actress who has often portrayed Queen Elizabeth II due to her resemblance to the monarch. Biography Charles appeared as an actress in repertory theatre in her twenties, but had diffi ...

portrayed

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

in a deleted scene in which she and Hallie meet.

Production

Casting

More than 1,500 young actresses submitted audition tapes for the dual roles of Hallie and Annie. Director Nancy Meyers was looking for "a little

Diane Keaton Diane Keaton ('' née'' Hall, born January 5, 1946) is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over six decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Gl ...

" to play the parts. Before Lohan was cast in the roles, actresses

Scarlett Johansson Scarlett Ingrid Johansson (; born November 22, 1984) is an American actress. The world's highest-paid actress in 2018 and 2019, she has featured multiple times on the ''Forbes'' Celebrity 100 list. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 100 ...

Mara Wilson Mara Elizabeth Wilson (born July 24, 1987) is an American actress and writer. She rose to prominence as a child for playing Natalie Hillard in the film ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' (1993) and went on to play Susan Walker in ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (199 ...

Michelle Trachtenberg Michelle Trachtenberg (; born October 11, 1985) is an American actress and model. Trachtenberg began her career at age three, appearing in a number of commercials, films, and television series as a child. Her starring role on the Nickelodeon tel ...

, and

Jena Malone Jena Laine Malone (; born November 21, 1984) is an American actress, musician, and photographer. Known for her roles in both independent films and mainstream blockbuster features, she has received numerous accolades, including nominations for a ...

all either auditioned or were considered for the roles, with Malone turning the roles down multiple times.

Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...

started on July 15, 1997, in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, and continued in Napa Valley AVA,

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, Lake Arrowhead, and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

to December 17, 1997. Camp Walden was filmed on location at Camp Seely in

Crestline, California Crestline is a census-designated place in the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County, California, USA. The population was 10,770 at the 2010 census, up from 10,218 at the 2000 census. Geography Crestline is located at . According to t ...

. Parker Knoll, the vineyard and residence of the Parker family in the film, was shot on location in

Rutherford, California Rutherford is a census-designated place (CDP) in Napa County, California, United States. The population was 164 at the 2010 census. Rutherford is located in the Rutherford AVA (American Viticultural Area) which is located in the larger Napa Valle ...

at Staglin Family Vineyard. The exterior of the fictional Stafford Hotel was shot at The Langham Huntington in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...

and the

Administration Building, Treasure Island The Administration Building, Treasure Island, on Treasure Island, California, is a Moderne style building designed by William Peyton Day and George William Kelham. It has also been known as Building 1, as Command Naval Base San Francisco Headqu ...

in San Francisco, while the interior and pool scenes were shot at the Ritz Carlton in

Marina Del Rey, California Marina del Rey (Spanish for "Marina of the King") is an unincorporated seaside community in Los Angeles County, California, with an eponymous harbor that is a major boating and water recreation destination of the greater Los Angeles area. The p ...

Connections to the 1961 film

There are several connections between this film and the original 1961 version: * The characters Marva Kulp Sr. and Marva Kulp Jr. are named after

Nancy Kulp Nancy Jane Kulp (August 28, 1921 – February 3, 1991) was an American character actress and comedienne best known as Miss Jane Hathaway on the CBS television series ''The Beverly Hillbillies''. Early life Kulp was born to Robert Tilden and Mar ...

, the actress who played a camp counsellor in the 1961 film, Miss Grunecker. * Both versions of the film feature product placement by

Nabisco Nabisco (, abbreviated from the earlier name National Biscuit Company) is an American manufacturer of cookies and snacks headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey. The company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Mondelēz International. Nabisco's ...

. In the 1998 film,

Oreo Oreo () (stylized as OREO) is a brand of sandwich cookie consisting of two biscuits or cookie pieces with a sweet creme filling. It was introduced by Nabisco on March 6, 1912, and through a series of corporate acquisitions, mergers and split ...

s are featured, while in the 1961 film,

Fig Newtons Newtons are a Nabisco-trademarked version of a pastry filled with sweet fruit paste. "Fig Newtons" are the most popular variety (fig rolls filled with fig paste). They are produced by an extrusion process. Their distinctive shape is a character ...

are featured. * During the poolside scene where Annie and Meredith meet for the first time, Meredith speaks on the phone with someone named Reverend Mosby, who was a character in the 1961 film played by

Leo G. Carroll Leo Gratten Carroll (25 October 1886 – 16 October 1972) was an English actor. In a career of more than forty years, he appeared in six Hitchcock films including ''Spellbound'', '' Strangers on a Train'' and ''North by Northwest'' and in thre ...

. * Joanna Barnes appears in both films, playing Vicky Robinson in the 1961 film, and Vicki Blake in the 1998 version. * The Stafford Hotel is named after a boy in the 1961 film that accepts the boy's camp invitation to the dance at the beginning of the film. * Right before Hallie meets Meredith for the first time, she can be heard singing a few bars of " Let's Get Together", a song from the 1961 version originally sung by Hayley Mills. * There are bunk houses named Arapahoe in both films. * Hallie (as Annie) "smells" her grandfather, saying he smells of peppermint and pipe tobacco. Susan (as Sharon) does the same in the 1961 film.

Music

The song used in the opening sequence in which glimpses of Nick and Elizabeth's first wedding are seen is

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

's "

L-O-V-E "L-O-V-E" is a song written by Bert Kaempfert and Milt Gabler, recorded by Nat King Cole for his 1965 studio album '' L-O-V-E''. Composition and background The song was composed by Bert Kaempfert with lyrics by Milt Gabler, and produced by Lee ...

". The song used in the end credits, in which photos of Nick and Elizabeth's second wedding are seen, is his daughter

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

's "

This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) "This Will Be" is a song written by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy, arranged by Richard Evans and performed by American singer Natalie Cole. Often appended with "(An Everlasting Love)" but not released as such, this was Cole's debut single, releas ...

". The instrumental music featured prominently in the hotel scene where the girls and their parents cross paths serendipitously is "

In the Mood "In the Mood" is a popular big band-era jazz standard recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. "In the Mood" is based on the composition "Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was released by E ...

", which was previously made famous by the

Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...

band. The song "Let's Get Together" is also quoted over the Walt Disney Pictures logo, and at the end of

Alan Silvestri Alan Anthony Silvestri (born March 26, 1950) is an American composer and conductor of film and television scores. He has been associated with director Robert Zemeckis since 1984, composing music for all of his feature films including the ''Ba ...

's closing credits suite. When Hallie shows up at Annie's poker game at Camp Walden, the music used is "

Bad to the Bone "Bad to the Bone" is a song by American blues rock band George Thorogood and the Destroyers, released in 1982 on the album of the same name by EMI America Records. The song adapts the hook and lyrics of Muddy Waters' 1955 song " Mannish Boy". ...

" by George Thorogood and the Destroyers. The tune playing as Hallie and Annie are making their way up to the Isolation Cabin is the main theme from " The Great Escape" by Elmer Bernstein. The song coming from the radio in Meredith's car as she pulls up to the Parker's home is "

Parents Just Don't Understand "Parents Just Don't Understand" is the second single from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's second studio album, '' He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper''. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance at the 1989 Grammy Awards, one of the two so ...

" by

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince were an American hip hop duo from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of rapper Will Smith (the Fresh Prince) and disc jockey Jeff Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff). Active full time from 1986 to 1994 and occasion ...

. The background song heard in the campfire scene is " How Bizarre" by the music group OMC. The song playing as Annie, Elizabeth, and Martin say goodbye to Hallie, Nick and Chessy toward the end of the film is "

Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" is a popular jazz song with lyrics and music by Cole Porter. Part of the Great American Songbook, it was published by Chappell & Company and introduced by Nan Wynn and Jere McMahon in 1944 in Billy Rose's musical revue ...

", performed by

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

Betty Carter Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative inter ...

Soundtrack

Film score

Notes

: 1.Not featured in the motion picture.

Reception

Box office

The film premiered in Los Angeles on July 20, 1998. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $11,148,497 in 2,247 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #2 at the box office, behind ''

Saving Private Ryan ''Saving Private Ryan'' is a 1998 American epic war film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. Set during the Battle of Normandy in World War II, the film is known for its graphic portrayal of war, especially its depictio ...

''. By the end of its run, ''The Parent Trap'' grossed $66,308,518 domestically and $25,800,000 internationally, totaling $92,108,518 worldwide. The film was released in the United Kingdom on December 11, 1998, and opened on #3, behind ''

Rush Hour A rush hour (American English, British English) or peak hour (Australian English) is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice every weekday: on ...

'' and ''

The Mask of Zorro ''The Mask of Zorro'' is a 1998 American swashbuckler film based on the character of the masked vigilante Zorro created by Johnston McCulley. It was directed by Martin Campbell and stars Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jone ...

''.

Critical response

The review aggregator website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

reported an 86% approval rating with an average rating of 6.8/10 based on 51 reviews. The website's consensus states: "Writer-director Nancy Meyers takes the winning formula of the 1961 original and gives it an amiable modern spin, while young star Lindsay Lohan shines in her breakout role."

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

gave the film a score of 64/100, based on reviews from 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune''. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted a series of movie review programs on television from 1975 until his d ...

and

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

each gave the film three stars. Critic

Kenneth Turan Kenneth Turan (; born October 27, 1946) is an American retired film critic, author, and lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California. He was a film critic for the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1991 ...

called Lohan "the soul of this film as much as Hayley Mills was of the original", going on to say that "she is more adept than her predecessor at creating two distinct personalities".Alt URL
/ref> Lohan won a

Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

for best performance in a feature film. In a 2021 interview, star of the original film

Hayley Mills Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born 18 April 1946) is an English actress. The daughter of Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, and younger sister of actress Juliet Mills, she began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising ...

said, "It was so like the one I did, and yet not. But I thought it was really good." She also praised Lohan's performance, calling her "excellent".

Accolades

Home media

''The Parent Trap'' was originally released on VHS in the United States on December 8, 1998. A ''20th Anniversary Edition'' Blu-ray was released as a Disney Movie Club Exclusive on April 24, 2018. The film was also available as a launch title on

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...

Remake

*On February 21, 2018, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' revealed that remakes of several films are in development as exclusive content for

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

's streaming service

with one of those projects named in the announcement as ''The Parent Trap''. * Malayalam TV series Kasthooriman Season 2 is a loose adaptation of the movie.

Reunion

On July 20, 2020,

Katie Couric Katherine Anne Couric ( ; born January 7, 1957) is an American journalist and presenter. She is founder of Katie Couric Media, a multimedia news and production company. She also publishes a daily newsletter, ''Wake Up Call''. From 2013 to 2017, ...

moderated a virtual cast reunion through her

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

account for the film's 22nd anniversary.

, Lisa Ann Walter,

and

all participated in the video chat. A charity fundraising effort during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the reunion special helped raise money for chef

José Andrés José Ramón Andrés Puerta (born 13 July 1969) is a Spanish chef, and founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-profit devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. A Spanish-born and raised cook, he is often credited with br ...

' non-profit organization

World Central Kitchen World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a not-for-profit non-governmental organization devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. Founded in 2010 by chef José Andrés, the organization prepared food in Haiti following its devastati ...

. Quaid then released an extended version of the reunion on his podcast ''The Dennissance'' on the following day.

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Parent Trap (1998 film), The 1998 films 1998 children's films 1998 directorial debut films 1998 romantic comedy films 1990s children's comedy films American children's comedy films American romantic comedy films Comedy of remarriage films Disney film remakes 1990s English-language films Remakes of American films Films about families Films about fashion designers Films about pranks Films about summer camps Films about twin sisters Films about weddings Films based on German novels Films based on Lottie and Lisa Films directed by Nancy Meyers Films scored by Alan Silvestri Films set in London Films set in Maine Films set in the San Francisco Bay Area Films shot in California Films shot in London Films shot in Los Angeles Films shot in San Francisco Films with screenplays by Charles Shyer Films with screenplays by Nancy Meyers 5 Walt Disney Pictures films Twins in American films Films about mother–daughter relationships Films about father–daughter relationships 1990s American films