The Parent Trap is a 1998 remake of 1961's family film of the same name. It stars Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson as Nick Parker and Elizabeth James, a couple who divorce soon after marrying, and Lindsay Lohan in a double role as their twin daughters Hallie and Annie, who are accidentally reunited after being separated at birth.
This remake is directed by Nancy Meyers. Both films are based on Erich Kästner's novel Lottie and Lisa (Das Doppelte Lottchen).
Synopsis
Nick and Elizabeth met and married each other during an ocean cruise on the QE2. Elizabeth gave birth to twin daughters, but the couple divorced and lost contact with each other, each parent raising one of the twins without telling her about her sister. Nick raised Hallie in the Napa Valley and became a wealthy wine grower, while Elizabeth raised Annie in London and became a famous wedding gown designer.
After the ocean cruise and onboard wedding ceremony, the story jumps ahead to a summer in which Nick and Elizabeth coincidentally enroll their daughters in the same summer camp. Annie and Hallie, who are now eleven years old, first meet at the end of a fencing match, when they remove their masks and see that they look alike. A comical hostility between the two girls leads to a prank war that ends when the camp counselors fall into one of Hallie's traps and isolate the twins from the other girls.
Living together, the girls discover that they were born on the same day and they each have half of a torn wedding photograph of their parents. Realizing they are twins, the girls hatch a plan to meet their previously unknown parents: Each girl will train her twin to impersonate her, and they will switch places at the end of the summer.
When camp is over, the plan succeeds: Hallie goes to London, where she meets her mother, her grandfather, and the James family's butler Martin (Kunz). Annie goes to California, where she meets her father, the Parker family's housekeeper Chessy (Walter), their dog Sammy, and Nick's fiancée, a young gold digger named Meredith (Hendrix). Distressed by Meredith's deviousness, Annie telephones Hallie and persuades her to bring Elizabeth to California to break up the engagement. Meanwhile, the girls' identities are discovered and their newfound family members welcome them.
In order to bring Nick and Elizabeth together, Annie, Hallie, Grandpa, Chessy, and Martin conspire to have them meet at a hotel by arranging for Nick to meet Meredith's parents and by not telling Elizabeth about Meredith. Nervous about meeting Nick, Elizabeth asks Martin to accompany her and Hallie. After a few comical events at the hotel, Nick and Elizabeth see each other and are told the real purpose of their visit: With the help of Martin, Chessy, and Grandpa, the twins have arranged a candlelit dinner for Nick and Elizabeth on a yacht decorated to recreate their first meeting. At dinner, Elizabeth mentions that Nick did not follow her after she left him. They make plans for the twins to spend holidays together, but decide against resuming their relationship.
Hallie and Annie dislike this idea, and they force their parents to take them camping by refusing to reveal which twin is which. After Elizabeth persuades Nick and the girls to take Meredith instead of herself, the twins play tricks on Meredith, who insists that Nick choose between her and his daughters. Nick chooses the twins, and Meredith breaks off the engagement.
After Meredith leaves, Nick shows Elizabeth his wine collection, which includes the wine they drank at their wedding. Elizabeth is touched by this gesture at first, but has a change of heart and returns to London with Annie. However, when Elizabeth and Annie get home, they find Hallie and Nick waiting for them, having flown there on the Concorde. Elizabeth is fearful of remarrying, but she yields to Nick's confidence, and Annie and Hallie look on happily as Nick and Elizabeth embrace. The final credits feature photographs of Nick and Elizabeth's second wedding, also aboard the QE2, with the twins as bridesmaids and Martin presenting Chessy with an engagement ring.
Cast
Minor roles: The lost boy who shows up at the girls camp is played by Michael Lohan Jr., Lindsay Lohan's younger brother. When Hallie arrives in London and meets Martin at the airport, Lindsay Lohan's mother, Dina Lohan, can be seen holding her little brother, Dakota Lohan. By her is Lindsay's younger sister Aliana.
Production
Filming took place from July to December 1997 at various locations in California and London, England. The outside of the Stafford Hotel was filmed in front of the Administration Building on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. The production of this film also took place at the Staglin Family Vineyard in Napa County. The camp scenes were filmed at Camp Merrowvista in New Hampshire.
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 plays a girl at camp at the beginning who asks where the Navajo bunk is, and Annie plays the towel girl at the hotel, who brings Elizabeth the first aid kit.
Naomi Watts, an unknown at the time, was heavily considered for the role of Meredith Blake before eventually losing out to Elaine Hendrix.
When Nick introduces Annie (pretending to be Hallie) to Meredith, the reveal of Meredith was not shot in slow motion; that was how Elaine Hendrix raised her head herself.
Lindsay Lohan had to have her ears pierced especially for her role in this film.
Music
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.
When Hallie shows up at Annie's poker game at Camp Walden, the music used is "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood and the Destroyers.
Soundtrack
| The Parent Trap |
| Soundtrack by Various |
| Released |
July 28, 1998 |
| Label |
Hollywood Records |
- L-O-V-E - Nat King Cole
- Do You Believe In Magic - The Lovin' Spoonful
- There She Goes - The La's
- Top Of The World - Shonen Knife
- Here Comes the Sun - Bob "Bronx Style" Khaleel
- I Love You For Sentimental Reasons - Linda Ronstadt
- Soulful Strut - Young Holt Unlimited
- Never Let You Go - Jakaranda
- Bad To The Bone - George Thorogood & The Destroyers
- The Happy Club - Bob Geldof
- Suite From The Parent Trap - Alan Silvestri
- This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) - Natalie Cole
- Dream Come True - Ta-Gana
- Groovin' - Pato Banton & The Reggae Revolutation
- Let's Get Together - Nobody's Angel
Film Score
- The Disney Logo
- Suite From The Parent Trap
- Annie And Martin
- Shake Hands, Girls
- Like Twins
- Changes
- Hallie Meets Mom
- Annie Meets Dad
- Vineyard Suite
- I Am Annie
- Dad's Getting Married
- Hallie Breaks The News
- You'll Kill In It
- Table For Two
- She's Gone
- Where Dreams Have No End
- We Actually Did It
- Finale
Response
The film was met with generally positive reviews, holding a 78%[2] on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie entered the box office charts at number 2 on July 31, 1998. It ended up with a U.S. gross of over $66 million[3] It has made $92,108,518 worldwide[4]
The film debuted on United Lands television (The Family Film Channel) on October 4, 1999, and had 5.43 million viewers.
Versions
A television version of the film, as seen on the Disney Channel and ABC Family, is edited from the theatrical version. The first edit is in the scene where Hallie is piercing Annie's ears: the shot of the needle visibly entering Annie's ear has been cut. The BBFC also edited this version in the UK version, for under-age girls trying to ear pierce themselves. In Italy, this scene wasn't deleted. Some DVD releases contain this edited version. Another edit is during the scene when Annie talks with Meredith: Annie's line, "But, if you ask me, marriage is supposed to be based on something more than just sex, right?" and when Annie looks at her father's house, she shouts,"Oh my god! Oh my God!" have been removed. Also, the scene when Hallie takes the sip of English wine (as a taste test), and telling everyone else at the table she is more familiar with, and prefers, California wine has been removed and/or shortened as well. Not all television broadcasts of the film contain these edits. "Oh my god!" would under BBFC rules makes a film rating become a 12 or 12A.
Deleted scenes
The scene slots between Hallie and Martin meeting at Heathrow Airport, and Hallie meeting her mother and grandfather. Hallie is in a limo and they come across Buckingham Palace. She gets out and tries to get one of the guards to move. The guards then crowd around in formation as the Queen exits Buckingham Palace in a car. The window rolls down and Hallie speaks to the Queen, getting confused with 'Your Highness' or 'Your Majesty' or whether to curtsy. The Queen promises not to tell a soul and moves off. Director Nancy Meyers had a difficult time getting the uniforms, location, and an actress to play the Queen. Although the scene is shot well, the scene was deleted due to pacing problems.
Another deleted scene appears in the trailer that debuted in 1998. The scene shows Annie standing out on the deck of her vineyard-estate house. She sees a shooting star and sings the rhyme "Starlight, Starbright." Hallie appears standing outside her window, too.
In the original draft of the script, many scenes have been altered or deleted. An extended ear-piercing scene is in. While putting the needle through Annie's ear, Hallie screams and passes out. Annie smacks Hallie in the face, trying to wake her up. Hallie asks, "Are you bleeding to death?" Annie tells her no and shows Hallie the needle again. Hallie passes out again. Continuity Photos of this scene exists so it can be assumed some filming took place
There is a girl in Annie's cabin that has shoulder-length hair and gets syrup poured on her when Hallie and her friends set a trap in their cabins. This girl was named Crosby in the original draft and gets tricked by Hallie, pretending to be Annie, to kiss her.
An extended scene, Elizabeth delves further into why she and Nick didn't stay together long. She says, "I tried living in California, He tried living in London..." Hallie replies, "So you broke up?" Elizabeth tells Hallie that they were the best thing about the whole situation and they continue to stroll down the streets of London.
There is a part where Annie and Hallie are both in their respective stalls taking a bath and Hallie's soap goes over to Annie's stall. As Annie hands the soap back to Hallie, they both feel electrified. Continuity Photos of this scene exists so it can be assumed some filming took place
There is an extended ending at the end where Hallie tells Annie: "You guys are going to love living in California." To that Annie replies: "California? You guys are going to love living in London" Hallie then replies London? In the front yard Sammy is barking to the poodle next door as Martin and Chessy are kissing and Grandfather is getting home.
It is unknown if the scenes above were filmed.
The Parent Trap — references to the 1961 version
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 a "Reverend Mosby," named after a character in the original film.
- Some of the dialogue is almost identical to the 1961 movie
- Hallie and Annie use Mildred Plotker as cover names.
- Actress Joanna Barnes, who played Vicky (a character like Meredith) 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.
- The use of the sugar and water mosquito repellent which the twins give Meredith was also given to Vicky in the original film.
- The use of clapping two sticks together to scare away mountain lions even though there aren't any is taken from the '61 film.
Pop culture reference
After Hallie arrives in London, she and her mother walk across the street together, on the same street, zebra crossing, 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.
When the camp counselors are leading Hallie and Annie to the isolation cabin, the music playing over the scene is the march from The Great Escape.
In numerous scenes, the girls refer to Meredith as Cruella De Vil.
References
External links
