The Parent Trap

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 ****.

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 The Parent Trap was originally made in 1961 starring Haley Mills as a pair of twins who accidentally meet when they are eleven years old.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.

At first I was a bit freaked out because Lindsay Lohan wasn't Hayley Mills, but from the moment the twins discovered they were twins, I was hooked.

I can't apply enough positive adjectives toward this movie. It was touching to see each one-on-one family reunion, as they just kept coming. It was funny and witty, and I laughed unexpectedly at several points. And it was romantic: although this isn't typically classified as a romantic comedy due to its family orientation, it's perhaps one of the most romantic movies I've ever seen, set up by the aforementioned reunions. It was even heartwarming, and a bit nostalgic, to see the child star, so vibrant and carefree, back before she, well, "matured" into a young adult and its associated questionable behavior.

In all, this movie was perfectly cast, even down to the bad girl, and it far exceeded my expectations. Now I want to go back and watch the original again.

This is one of those rare cases where a terrific movie is equaled by its remake. Hayley Mills carried the dual roles of twins learning of each other's existence and concocting a plot to reunite their divorced parents splendidly in the '60's version, and Lindsay Lohan showed wonderful comedic talent at an early age in this delightful remake.

It's a Disney flick, so the comedy is family slapstick variety as you would expect. The evil stepmother-to-be is over-the-top evil (even called Cruella De Ville by one of the girls), and she's a character you love to hate. The obvious chemistry of the parents (Randy Quaid and Natasha Richardson) is great, and begs a question which is never answered to satisfaction, "Why did they split up in the first place?" Everything in the film symbolically shows that they were made for each other: even their respective maid and butler take a shine to each other.

The fx and editing to stand Lohan's two characters together is magnificently done; it really looks like two actresses. No split screens, backs of heads of fake-looking "doubles" etc. to distract you from the movie. Lohan skillfully contrasts the American/British accents and mannerisms of the two girls; you know and believe which twin she is at any given moment.

Well directed, well acted and fun. I'll even forgive the film makers for ripping off the stranded-in-the-lake scene from "Meatballs." The closing credit snapshots provide a sweet epilogue to tie up loose ends.

Good family oriented comedy worth a rental.

This movie is so sweet it should have a warning label for diabetics. Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid play divorced parents who more than a decade later are not sure why they divorced. Instead of opting for joint custody, each of them opted for sole custody of one of their twin daughters. The girls grow up never knowing because their parents never said they had an identical twin sibling. When the twins meet in camp and discover who they are, the plot is set in motion.

Richardson and Quaid are wonderful as the likable parents, still very much in love, even after a decade apart. But, the star of this picture and the one on whom the story turns is Lohan. She is bright, perky, adorable, and completely convincing as both Hallie and Annie. If she isn't, this movie falls apart fast. But, not to worry. Lovable Lindsay makes not a single false step.

She is so good, I found myself thinking about the actress, not the character, feeling a twinge of sadness that Lindsay was not more like Hallie and Annie. This is a wonderful movie, almost too sweet at times. It had me in tears at all the right moments: when the twins meet, when they learn they are sisters, when the parents discover they've switched places, and when the parents inevitably reconcile. First rate family entertainment thanks to a star performance from a very young, very talented Lohan.