The movies will be picked at random, and for now, to make it easier on us, we will choose movies that are currently on Disney+.
So without further ado, here is the next movie in the Talking Disney Podcast Movie Night series - “The Parent Trap."
“The Parent Trap” premiered on July 20, 1998, in Los Angeles, California, and was generally released on July 29, 1998. A Walt Disney Pictures production and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Spoiler Warning - There may be spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t seen the film, check it out first. If you have seen it or don’t care about spoilers, then, by all means, click “Read more >>”.
Initially rivals due to their uncanny resemblance and clashing personalities, Annie and Hallie discover they’re sisters after a series of clues—matching birthdays, half a torn photo of their parents, and swapped stories about their single-parent lives. They devise a plan to switch places to meet the parent they’ve never known and, ultimately, reunite their family. Annie, with her polished British accent, heads to California posing as Hallie, while the free-spirited Hallie goes to London pretending to be Annie.
As they adjust to their new lives, the twins uncover obstacles: Nick is engaged to Meredith Blake (Elaine Hendrix), a gold-digging younger woman who has no interest in being a stepmom, while Elizabeth is still single but hesitant to revisit her past. The girls’ scheme unravels when Meredith grows suspicious, prompting them to reveal their true identities to their parents. Nick and Elizabeth are shocked but forced to confront their lingering feelings when the family reunites.
To thwart Meredith’s plans and bring their parents together, Annie and Hallie orchestrate a camping trip, recreating the magic of Nick and Elizabeth’s early romance. Meredith, out of her element, throws a tantrum and exits the picture, leaving Nick and Elizabeth to rediscover their love. By the end, the parents reconcile, remarry aboard a ship (echoing their original wedding), and the twins celebrate their success in reuniting their family in this heartwarming, comedic tale of identity and second chances.
The soundtrack included, "L-O-V-E" by Nat King Cole, "Do You Believe in Magic" by The Lovin' Spoonful, "There She Goes" by The La's, "Top of the World" by Shonen Knife, "Here Comes the Sun" by Bob Khaleel, "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" by Linda Ronstadt, "Soulful Strut" by Young-Holt Unlimited, "Never Let You Go" by Jakaranda, "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood & The Destroyers, "The Happy Club" by Bob Geldof, "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" by Natalie Cole, "Dream Come True" by Ta-Gana, "Groovin" by Pato Banton & The Reggae Revolution, and "Let's Get Together" by Nobody's Angel.
Cast and Crew
Director: Nancy Myers
Writer(s): David Swift, Charles Shyer, and Erich Kästner
Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Elaine Hendrix, Natasha Richardson, Lisa Ann Walter, Polly Holliday, Maggie Emma Thomas, Maggie Wheeler, Joanna Barnes, Courtney Woods, Hallie Meyers-Shyer, Kat Graham, Ronnie Stevens, Dennis Quaid, Simon Kunz, and Michael Lohan
Producer(s): Charles Shyer, Bruce A. Block, and Julie B. Crane
Composer: Alan Silvestri
Cinematographer: Dean Cundey
Editor: Stephen A. Rotter
Casting Director: Ilene Starger
Film Technical Specifications
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Live-Action, Romance | MPAA Rating: PG | Runtime: 2 hours and 9 minutes (129 minutes) | Sound Mix: Dolby Digital | Color: Color (Technicolor) | Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1.
Box Office
Budget: $15,000,000
Opening Weekend (U.S. & Canada): $11,148,497
Gross (U.S. & Canada): $66,308,518
Gross (Worldwide): $92,146,310
Jason's Thoughts
I do not remember seeing this film before, so I was excited when it popped up as our next Talking Disney Podcast Movie night film. I did remember a few scenes but that just could have been in passing or maybe from the trailer? Even with that excitement, my expectations were not very high but at the end of the film, I was pleasantly surprised. I thought Lindsay Lohan was excellent as Hallie Parker and Annie James in her feature film debut. I think her British accent was fairly spot-on for such a young actress. She would go on to star in a couple more Disney feature films, including Freaky Friday (2003), Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004), and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005) which hopefully come up soon in the movie night segment. The rest of the cast was also great, I don't think one bad or forgettable performance in the bunch. For fans of the television series Friends, you may have recognized Janice who had a recurring spot on the show, and Maggie Wheeler who played an assistant at the camp. This new version of 'The Parent Trap' didn't stray to far from the 1961 version and I think was very much respectful of the original and even gave some tiny little nods and references to the original. There were a few slight differences but overall very true to the original. As I mentioned earlier, I was pleasantly surprised and I really enjoyed this film 'The Parent Trap' which gets a score of 92.50 (out of 100) from me.
James' Thoughts
I hadn’t seen this movie before this week and I honestly wasn’t too excited to see it. I have, of course, seen the original, since it seems like my sister had it on all the time when we were kids. Although I grew tired of the original as a kid, I have really learned to love it over the years and I think it’s a great movie. I wasn’t too sure about this version and have never made the effort to watch the remake. I was, however, surprised at how much I enjoyed watching this movie. I think Lindsay Lohan does a great job as do all the other actors/actresses. I really enjoyed the little nods to the original and I thought they did a great job of recreating the fun of the original film. I definitely liked this movie and will watch it again. The original version remains one of my favorites, but I think this one is great as well. On a scale of 0-100, I would give this movie a rating of 91. Watching this gives me hope for Freaky Friday - another movie I enjoyed as a kid but didn’t give a chance to the remake. Since it stars Lindsay also, I will have to give it a chance!
Talking Disney Podcast Score: 91.75
"The Parent Trap" Fun Facts
Actress Joanna Barnes played the wicked girlfriend in the original 1961 version of "The Parent Trap" and plays the mother of the wicked girlfriend in the 1998 version. In the 1998 version the wicked girlfriend's name is Meredith, rather than Vicky like in the original. Joanna Barnes' character, as the mother, in the this version is still named Vicki.
Both the original and remake are exactly two hours and nine minutes long.
Have you seen “The Parent Trap?" What are your thoughts on the movie? Share in the comments below, we'd love to hear them!
"The Parent Trap" Fun Facts
Actress Joanna Barnes played the wicked girlfriend in the original 1961 version of "The Parent Trap" and plays the mother of the wicked girlfriend in the 1998 version. In the 1998 version the wicked girlfriend's name is Meredith, rather than Vicky like in the original. Joanna Barnes' character, as the mother, in the this version is still named Vicki.
Both the original and remake are exactly two hours and nine minutes long.
Have you seen “The Parent Trap?" What are your thoughts on the movie? Share in the comments below, we'd love to hear them!
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