The 1998 remake of the 1961 movie The Parent Trap is a nostalgic favorite thanks to Lindsay Lohan brilliantly playing the roles of both Hallie Parker and Annie James. It's a lot of fun watching Hallie and Annie come up with what seems to be a perfect, foolproof plan, although of course they meet many obstacles along the way.
While this movie was released in the late 90's and a lot has changed since then, this still feels like a sweet, moving story about family, identity, happiness, and love, making it a movie that has definitely aged well and can be watched anytime.
Hallie And Annie's Bond
When Hallie and Annie learn that they're actually twins who have never known about each other, they have a master plan: they should switch places and get their parents to fall madly and deeply in love again. While characters switch places in holiday movies and it has become a common and popular trope, there's something special and charming about this storyline here,
Hallie and Annie bond right away and they genuinely like and understand each other, which is one timeless part of The Parent Trap. If they didn't have a connection that felt so real and like it could actually happen, this movie wouldn't work at all.
The Peanut Butter And Oreos Scene
Fans still remember the moment when Annie and Hallie realize that they're twins. For them, it's not just the fact that they look totally alike, but also the fact that they have a quirky eating habit: they love to dip Oreo cookies in peanut butter.
The movie wouldn't feel the same without this iconic and classic scene, and it's a fan favorite. It's fair to say that many people began eating the same sweet snack after watching it for the first time.
The Twins' Plot To Reunite Their Parents
The main storyline of this movie is, of course, Hallie and Annie's quest to get Nick and Elizabeth married again. This is not only relatable as every child of divorce has this same hope and dream, but it's still a plotline that carries the movie and feels compelling.
No matter how many times someone watches The Parent Trap, it's always going to be moving watching Elizabeth and Nick find each other and realize that they lost too many years. Their love story is full of wrong decisions and heightened emotions, as they share one of the worst fights they ever had when Liz threw a hairdryer in Nick's direction. Fans want them to fall back in love as much as their children do, which propels the whole movie.
Meredith's Snobby Character
When looking at The Parent Trap characters, Meredith Blake stands out, and she takes the "evil stepmother" trope one step further as it seems like happiness is totally impossible for her.
Annie and Hallie can't stand her immediately and it's hilarious watching them play pranks on her and try to drive her as far away as possible. Whether Meredith is hiding her true evil nature from Nick or faking a smile, she's a comedic force in this movie that is still memorable.
Martin And Chessy's Quirky Personalities
Annie and Hallie are adorable and make audiences laugh, but some other characters still stand out and make the movie feel fresh, even now.
Annie's butler Martin and Hallie's nanny Cheesy are both incredibly kind, intelligent, and devoted to the families that they work for. They have also become family at this point thanks to their connection to the twins. These characters keep the movie interesting and it's heartwarming when they fall in love themselves, which feels natural and meant to be.
The Depiction Of The Twins' Two Different Worlds
The Parent Trap stands out among many movies about twins because Hallie and Annie do come from different worlds and they dress differently, too, which makes it easy to tell them apart.
Annie lives a prim and proper life in England with her elegant mom Elizabeth, favoring adorable outfits and headbands, and Hallie lives a more free-spirited existence in California. Both are richly drawn settings that are enjoyable to watch.
Families Keeping Secrets
While a couple getting divorced and each taking one child is a bit extreme, and it seems awful that Hallie and Annie don't know about each other until they get to camp, the movie does have a relatable message about how families shouldn't keep things hidden from each other.
Nick and Elizabeth had to have thought that their daughters would find out the truth eventually, and it also seems strange that they didn't seem to think this plan through at all. But despite this confusing aspect, the movie still holds up as everyone can relate to having something that they don't want to share with their kids or other relatives.
Chessy's Discovery About The Switch
It feels inevitable that at least one person will realize that Hallie and Annie have swapped places, and it's great that it's Chessy who can tell that Annie is pretending to be Hallie.
This discovery still holds up as it proves how close Hallie and Chessy are and that Chessy is like a parent to her. If something is off or wrong, Chessy is going to be able to tell. It feels right that Chessy would realize that Annie is used to living a fancier, more formal lifestyle and that she has a hard time pretending to be her more casual twin.
Hallie And Annie's Pranks At Camp
There are several versions of The Parent Trap, and the 1998 one shines thanks to the camp setting that makes up a portion of the movie. When many people watched this movie as a child, chances are they wished that they could also be a camper here and even discover a long-lost twin as well.
At first, Hallie and Annie hate each other and play tons of pranks on the other person, and while this is definitely immature, this adds an element of fun and games to the movie. These scenes are still entertaining and light-hearted even all these years later.
The Script
Nancy Meyers co-wrote The Parent Trap screenplay and the movie has so many iconic lines that are still funny today.
Fans recall when Annie tells Hallie at camp, "I know how to fence and you don't. Or, I have class and you don't. Take your pick." It's also really sweet when Hallie, pretending to be Annie, asks Elizabeth, "Doesn't designing all these wedding dresses ever make you think about getting married again; or at least make you think about the 'f' word?" In this case, "the f word" is "her father." The script still makes fans smile even when hearing these lines in 2021, making it a classic.