THE PARENT TRAP

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: abuse of deity, mild innuendo

Rated:

Love lasts a lifetime, even in the midst of problematic lives. A shipboard romance and hasty marriage lend way to a sudden divorce and two charming girls named Hallie and Annie (Lindsay Lohan). The twins, who have never met and know nothing of each other's existence, both wind up going to the same summer camp. Annie is the Londonite, the high-class society girl, and Hallie the down-to-earth California poker player. Their first introduction throws sparks... bad ones and the girls are placed in isolation for their mischief.

Discovering that they are in fact twins, they begin to scheme together to bring their parents together again. Nick Parker (Randy Quaid) and Elizabeth James (Natasha Richardson) go together about as well as oil and water in the social circles... Elizabeth is a famous wedding designer and Nick the humble but wealthy vineyard owner. But the girls are convinced that they are both still in love after their hasty and unthought divorce. Out of their plans they decide to switch places temporarily and get to know the alternate parent... thus Annie must undertake dramatic changes and Hallie must perfect her accent and be able to fool the well-meaning and often humorous British butler Martin.

Hallie arrives in London to be spellbound by her mother's charming personality and her grandfather's warmth. Martin proves a formidable if loving counterpart to her hasty transformation into her sister's somewhat stuffy personality. However Annie is not as fortunate. Not only does she evoke some slight hint if suspicion in the house staff but she arrives to find her father captivated by his saleswoman, Meredith (Elaine Hendrix). The blonde beauty has her hooks in deep and it will take some fast thinking to prevent the inevitable wedding bells that toll for the future.

This quirky but fun remake of the Halley Mills version plays mildly off the original but is networked with a grand scheme of new ideas and personable characters. The minor players are perhaps some of the most likable, in the non-stuffy Martin (Simon Kunz) and the empathetic housekeeper Chessy (Lisa Ann Walter). Several points I found more to my liking... namely that the parents do not fight whenever they meet; and there is a definite feeling that if they do get back together, their marriage will last this time. Meredith plays out the perfect ideal of an "evil stepmother figure" with her biting remarks and telling glances. A cameo by the original "baddie" as Meredith's mother Vikki, along with several comical throwbacks to the original production make The Parent Trap not only a lot of fun but a memorable ride in time. However..

The film does have a few problems, namely the amount of alcohol that appears in the two-hour production. Nick owns a vineyard so it's natural they would tibble in wine a great deal. Elizabeth becomes "zonked" on the plane ride from London to California. The girls bet on a poker game. There's also some "mischief" that could be potentially dangerous, adhering to the old rule "Don't try this at home!" Some mild language (mainly the never-ending "Oh, my God!" uttered by the eleven-year-olds) and a few innuendos. 

The most offensive scene to me is played out for comic laughs when Martin intent on "going for a dip" walks out in a Speedo. Needless to say, it doesn't cover much and although we only see him now and again in that particular scene, it's nevertheless embarrassing and unnecessary. With enough cinematic mischief to satisfy any child and a huge helping of romance for us sentimental adults, The Parent Trap is overall a winner -- if a slightly misguided one. You'll never look at twins the same way again.

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