Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
G R E A T !!!!, July 17, 1999
By A Customer
Let me start by saying I am a mature adult having lived almost half a century. I have seen many movies and for some unknown reason this one has grabbed me. In the past two months I have watched it at least 20 times and each time found something I had not seen before. Why?! Because this is a FUN movie. If you let yourself forget you are an ADULT and just watch you will find a wonderful story that is funny, romantic, and touching. You laugh, you cry, and if you have one ounce of romance in your body you feel the emotions of Annie and Hallie, their parents Nick and Elizabeth, and the supporting roles such as Martin and Chessy the respective butlers. All of the actors do an excellent job with their chacters. Of particular note is Lindsay Lohan. A dual role is always demanding, but her ability to transititon between the unique differences of Hallie and Annie, both in language and personality, is amazing. She is an ACTRESS in the best sense of the word. I look forward to seeing her time and again in the years to come. (Of note other actresses who played dual roles in Disney films include Haley Mills [The Parent Trap] and Jodie Foster [Freaky Friday]. Pretty good company for a young star.) One other componet is the soundtrack. Songs by Nat "King" Cole, Natalie Cole, Ray Charles, Linda Rondstadt, and others make excellent backdrops to many moments of the movie. In addition the score accentuates the emotions in just the right manner. It is very seldom I feel so positive about a movie. To paraphase Annie (Hallie when she is pretending to be Annie in London) as she speaks about her stuffed animal I "really, really, really" loved The Parent Trap. Do yourself a favor and see it!!!
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69 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Believe it or not, it's even better than the original!, May 30, 2004
When this film was originally released in theatres, I had no desire to see it because I didn't think it could possibly live up to the Hayley Mills version. Years later, I was flipping channels and saw it featured as the Disney movie of the week, and I fell in love with it! This version is even BETTER than the original! So much of the plot mimics the original story (twin girls separated at birth reunite and scheme to get their parents back together), and the small deviations are wonderful, like having one of the twins speak with a British accent (so cute!). Lindsay Lohan is absolutely adorable in her dual role: I don't think I've ever seen a little girl as charming as she is! Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson are a wonderful couple, and Elaine Hendrix is perfect as the girls' evil stepmother-to-be. Fans of the original "Partent Trap" will enjoy seeing Joanna Barnes in her cameo role as Meredith's mother, Vicki: a great tribute to the character she played in the 1961 version of the film). The music in this film is fantastic, and I highly suggest that you purchase the soundtrack in addition to the DVD. However, the one disappointment in this film is that the twin Lindsays don't do a modernized version of "Let's Get Together," which is the song that the twin Hayleys performed for their parents in the original film. in fact, there's no real musical number in this version at all (although they do briefly pay tribute to the classic song). Overall, though, this movie is FABULOUS: I'm still kicking myself for not having gone to see it in the theatre, but I'm thrilled to own the DVD!
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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE...DOUBLE YOUR FUN..., November 20, 2005
I saw this re-make most reluctantly. After all, I thought, how could it compare to the original blockbuster hit of the same name, which starred the adorable British actress, Hayley Mills? Well, to my complete surprise, this film is a winner in its own right. Reprising the dual roles played by Hayley Mills, a young Lindsay Lohan, in her silver screen debut, is surprisingly effective and adorable, making the dual roles her own.
For those of you unfamiliar with the premise of the film, two girls, Hallie Parker and Annie James (Lindsay Lohan), meet at summer camp. They look exactly alike. One lives with her father, while the other lives with her mother. They soon figure out the previously unknown but inescapable fact that they are twins, separated shortly after birth, each of whom lives with one of their biological parents. They both long to know the parent that is missing from their respective lives. So, they concoct a plan that will allow them to do so, leading to a scheme to reunite their estranged parents. They simply switch places, when it comes time to return home. Their reunion scheme is almost derailed, however, when their biological father seems to have romantic designs on someone else.
This comedic caper focuses on the intrigues of the twins as they try to get the potential usurper out of their father's life and re-unite their parents. Lindsay Lohan is simply terrific in the dual roles of Hallie and Annie, infusing a great deal of charm and personality into her portrayal of the twins. Natasha Richardson is wonderful in the role of the mother, Elizabeth James. While she lacks the feistiness of Maureen O'Hara, who originally played the role, Ms. Richardson manages to make the role her own with her low-key charm. Dennis Quaid is terrific as Nick Parker, the handsome, hunky father, who is the besotted prey of a gold digging, scheming, statuesque blonde (Elaine Hendrix). I actually like his performance better than that of Brian Keith, who played this role in the original.
Blonde bombshell Elaine Hendrix is effective as Meredith Blake, the potential wicked step-mother, who quickly sees her own scheme to marry a wealthy husband go up in flames as the twins plot against her. Lisa Ann Walter is simply wonderful as Nick Parker's good-hearted housekeeper, infusing the role with a rich warmth. Simon Kunz is very funny in the role of Martin, the James' butler, creating a memorable character, and Ronnie Stevens is perfectly cast as the maternal grandfather, Charles James.
As to whether or not their mother and father will be re-united, as the twins so desire, watch this film and find out. Although Lindsay Lohan does not sing the popular signature song, "Let's Get Together", which Hayley Mills sang in the original film, the viewer will not be disappointed by this re-make. Disney Studios, which is the studio responsible for both the original and the re-make, has created a terrific little comedic gem in its own right with this film.
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