IMDb user comments for
The Parent Trap (1998) More at IMDbPro »

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 22:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Index

217 comments in total

---

58 out of 62 people found the following comment useful :-
A Delightful Family Film, 25 August 1999

Author: DanB-4 from Canada

There is only one movie in history that I can name that my wife, my mother and my six-year-old daughter enjoyed equally. This is it.

This is an astonishly effective and pleasant remake of a very good film. It's light, romantic, touching and downright funny. You cannot pour enough accolades on young Lindsay Lohan, who effortlessly plays both twins, and, if you listen closely, juggles four accents. (She changes her Brit accent when she plays her own American alter-ego pretending to be herself in England - if you saw the film, you know what I mean).

Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid with that big, goofy, infectious smile, give the film its romance and maturity, without stepping on the fun-filled kid's plot. This is simple, easy-to-watch family entertainment.

There is also a great editing and effects element. You never once notice a split screen or cheap over-the-shoulder shot when both of Lohan's characters are on-screen - its really quite astounding how seamless it is.

My daughter, after seeing this in the theater, quickly proclaimed this her favourite movie ever. We own the video, and I have watched it with her at least a dozen times without growing tired.

A perfect rental after a bad day, or when you want to have a family movie night. *** out of ****.

---

57 out of 63 people found the following comment useful :-
A delight, 6 October 2001
Author: dtucker86 from Germany

I think that this is the best Walt Disney film that I have seen since The Last Flight Of Noah's Ark. It is a delight from start to finish and every bit as wonderful, perhaps even better then the originial. This ia a welcome return to the good old fashioned clean family films Disney used to make. The soundtrack is wonderful and Lindsey Lohan is a great little actress who plays the two parts very well (I love her British accent). Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson were terrific at playing Brian Keith and Maureen O'Hara's old parts. A young actress named Elaine Hendrix is a great comic villianess. I detested her character and laughed my head off when those girls gave her just what she deserved. Some people might say that this plot is old and clichéd by the standards of today, but it still works. They should release this on a double bill with the original. I hope Disney keeps on making films like this, goes back to "the good old days" so to speak.

---

52 out of 63 people found the following comment useful :-
Wonderful!, 4 July 2003
Author: shrek2004 from Canada

Wonderful remake of the 1961 Hayley Mills film. This film is much more realistic, with better acting. Lindsey Lohan is amazing as both Hallie and Annie--I really did think she was two people, she portrayed the two different charactars fantastically. All the different charactars in this movie are really funny as well, and there are no bad actors. The plot just zips by! I give this movie 10/10.

---

25 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :-
Classic Disney Comedy, 21 September 1998
Author: Steve Baker (s.baker@iig.com.au) from Cairns Australia

School holidays can be deadly for older cinema patrons but sometimes there are films for children that are well worth a visit for adults. Unusually, The Parent Trap is a children's film that can even be recommended for children by the most morally bound parent - although there is a divorce that may need to be explained away. The Parent Trap is cute, sugary and funny - and unashamedly so. The Parent Trap was originally made in 1961 starring Haley Mills as a pair of twins who accidentally meet when they are eleven years old. Their parents divorced when they were babies. They then connive to get their parents back together. This is classic Disney material and the formula can and does work very well indeed in this modern version. Heaven only knows how the special effects are done but I suggest that you just forget about that and settle back and enjoy the film. You won't have any choice anyway. I was convinced that the twins must have been played by real life twins and I'm sure that I won't be the only one to fall for that particular Parent Trap. Young Lindsay Lohan plays the girls, (both of them!) complete with fabulous accents, sunny bright and distinctive personalities, appealing red hair, freckles and a great sense of fun. One of the girls has become a Londoner and one a Californian and the girls also sport very commendable English and American accents, as well as composites of the two accents when the girls switch places. It's also pleasing to see young girls being given the sorts of lightly rebellious antics to frolic with as are usually reserved for young boys. The story begins in a New England summer camp where practical jokes are the go, although the film is careful to keep nastiness well out of the way. It would be hard to accuse Lindsay Lohan's twins of any serious crime in any case. The girls decide to switch places so they can each meet their Mum and Dad. In true Hollywood style both parents are rich and attractive and they of course each have hired help (Lisa Anne Walter and Simon Kunz) who are of course are going to fall in love. But then we must have the wicked stepmother and this is provided by Meredith, a gold digger who's out to score the very rich hand of Dad. She's played with appropriate relish by Sharon Stone look alike Elaine Hendrix. The story really revolves around the parents, played by Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid. We can settle back and wait for the inevitable to happen, because we just know that this is going to be one of those "happily ever after" efforts where Mummy and Daddy will again fall in love and properly become parents for these two very cute and loving girls. But along the way be prepared for some very solid laughs and a wonderfully animated and motivated lizard.

---

24 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
A fun reminiscence; see both versions., 29 July 1998
Author: jhawk from Cambridge, MA

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is definitely worth seeing hand-in-hand with the original version; rent one on video and then go see the other in a theatre. The parallels are quite strong, though, as the world grows smaller, instead of a California/Boston split, it's a California/UK split.

There are some lines of dialogue in common in both films that feel particularly appropriate, and are definitely winning ("like *sisters*" -- "No, [Halley], like *twins*"). The musical throwbacks to "Let's Gets Together" are also quite enjoyable.

Perhaps recognizing that their target audience is not only kids the age of eleven-year-old Annie/Halley (Lindsay Lohan), but fans of Hayley Mills and the original film, a more in-depth rationale is presented for the breakup of the parents, with an appropriate romantic twist.

Additionally, one never ceases to be amazed that some of the old tricks (and quite a few new ones!) work quite well. And, as the trailer says with a twinkle "Introducing...Lindsay Lohan" -- she's a knockout at this.

Apparently Disney wanted to give Hayley Mills a bit part in this film but she was unavailalble...nevertheless, it's a lot of fun.

---

22 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
the best family film of the year! adorable!, 11 July 1999
Author: rose-18 from Connecticut

I have to say, I couldn't stand the original Parent Trap, but maybe that's because I saw this version first. Either way, the new Parent Trap is a great film and the perfect film to see with the family. When I saw it, I knew it would wind up in my family's library, and that it did, as soon it was available. Charming, funny, even romantic. I actually had a few tears at the end! The cast is great, Lindsey Lohan is funny and adorable, just likable, and unlike the original parents, Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson are excellent and seem like great parents. See it with any kids that you care about, everyone in every age category will like this film.

---

24 out of 30 people found the following comment useful :-
Lohan Shines In Debut, 11 August 2004

Author: CitizenCaine from Las Vegas, Nevada

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Lindsay Lohan shines in her debut film: The Parent Trap, a remake, or more accurately, a re-imagining of the 1961 Hayley Mills' film. Lohan stars as the twin girls, who meet each other at summer camp, discover they're sisters living with divorced parents, and scheme to get their parents back together. This time one twin is from London and the other is from wine country in Napa Valley. Lindsay Lohan is full of charm and talent; she is every bit the equal of Hayley Mills in playing the twins. Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson, as the parents, are appealing as well; they have great screen chemistry as parents that never really fell out of love. The supporting roles of the domestics are filled well, and there are several in-joke film references to the first film. The problem with the film is that it is as predictable as it is formulaic, offering us nothing we haven't seen before. Elaine Hendrix, as the fiancé, is funny, but a bit over-the-top in Snidely Whiplash fashion at times. Joanna Barnes, who played this role in the 1961 film, returns as that character's mother this time. The film contains almost laughable turns of plot, which would hardly occur in real life, but it is a family-oriented film. Everything has to come out in the wash. It's interesting to note that the thematic elements concerning divorce do not really have the same negative connotations they most assuredly had in 1961. However, this is really an entertaining showcase for young Lindsay Lohan, a terrific find. This was also the directorial debut for writer Nancy Meyers, who is one to watch. **1/2 of 4 stars.

---

24 out of 32 people found the following comment useful :-
Get caught in this trap, 6 September 2004
Author: Michael Sibley

"The Parent Trap " is good but its star Lindsay Lohan is better as she was able to steal my breath away in dual roles playing Hallie and Annie Parker. Working with such a clever plot, Lohan has almost single handily pulled off one of the best performances of 1998.

Also, what a breath a fresh air to Hollywood as she explodes on the scene as one of the best child actresses I've seen in a long time. The proof is a movie called "The Parent Trap."

Lohan's performance is great but we also must not forget that it stars Dennis Quaid as one of the best actors I've seen. With his versatile talent in film genres such as drama, action, or family, Quaid has the ability to capture my attention for the length of the movie.

"The Parent Trap" is a light hearted film that will allow the mind to flow freely while sitting and relaxing. In addition, the movie was not only clever, but original because Lohan pulled off her role as she knew what she was doing without having to be told what to do. Lohan is a natural talent that should be treasured because she is so good and seen in more films

The supporting cast also fit, which made it that much more enjoyable to watch. Good cast choices all the way around. I suggest that everyone see this film because it is really good clean fun with one of the brightest and youngest stars to hit Hollywood.

Bravo to the cast and crew of "The Parent Trap."

---

22 out of 29 people found the following comment useful :-
Cute remake of a great original, 21 January 1999

Author: Adriane Simo (adriane7@mindspring.com) from chandler, az

This movie was pretty good. It was better than I expected. I especially loved the performance of Natasha Richardson, who is really gorgeous. Dennis Quaid was cute too. Lindsay Lohan was incredible too. My 8 year old sisters loved the original and got the new one and fell in love with it too. They are already reciting it. Rent both versions and enjoy both! They are great!

---

13 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
I was skeptical at first, but this really was an adorable movie, 30 August 1999
Author: SwingKid-11 from New York

Beleive you me was i skeptical of this movie. First of all the original is a highly regarded film in my house. If it's on t.v the world stops for it. And beleive me when I first heard about the remake i was very very angry because hardly ever does a remake even compare to the original. I didn't understand it of course. Especially how a movie like that cold work in the 90's. I mean reality check what court, let alone parents, in the world would decide to split up a pair of twins let each parent have one never let them even know about the other one and never let them see each one ever again? Puh-Leeze. But boy was I ever wrong.

This movie has every bit as much charm as the original and it's ending (I won't give it away) makes much more sence than the original, they-just-get-together-without-talking-any-of-there- problems-out original.

And huge props to Lindsy Lohen on the accents. I am very big on accents and was overwhelmed at how good she was. I see big things for her.

So go see it. It's truly captivating.

---

---

Page 1 of 22:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Add another comment

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Amazon.com summary	Ratings
Awards	Newsgroup reviews	External reviews
Parents Guide	Plot keywords	Main details
Your user comments	Your vote history