TL;DR: The Parent Trap (1998) is the rare remake that actually surpasses the original. It’s a 90s time capsule featuring Lindsay Lohan at the absolute top of her game, playing both Hallie Parker and Annie James. While the premise is objectively "parenting malpractice" (splitting up twins at birth and never telling them?), the movie handles it with enough charm, Oreos, and peanut butter to make it a family favorite. It’s perfect for ages 7+, sparking great conversations about divorce, blended families, and why we don't try to "trap" people into relationships.
Watch it on Disney+ Check out our guide to 90s nostalgia movies
If you grew up in the 90s, you know this story by heart. For the uninitiated: Hallie Parker (a cool, vine-yard-dwelling Californian) and Annie James (a sophisticated, London-bred proper girl) meet at summer camp. After a legendary prank war, they realize they are long-lost identical twins. Their parents, Nick (Dennis Quaid) and Elizabeth (Natasha Richardson), divorced shortly after their birth and—in a move that would definitely result in a viral Reddit thread today—decided to each take one twin and never speak of the other again.
The girls decide to switch places to meet the parent they never knew and, eventually, "trap" their parents back into a romance. Standing in their way is Meredith Blake, the 26-year-old publicist who wants to marry Nick for his money (and who has become a weirdly iconic "girlboss" meme for adults in recent years).
It’s easy to dismiss this as just another Disney movie, but Nancy Meyers (the director) knows how to create an aesthetic. The Napa Valley vineyard, the London townhouse, the 90s preppy fashion—it’s all "brilliant beyond brilliant."
- Lindsay Lohan’s Performance: Before the tabloids and the "mean girls" era, Lohan was a genuine prodigy. Her ability to switch between a convincing British accent and a California drawl while acting against a green screen (or a double) is still impressive.
- The Soundtrack: From "L-O-V-E" to "Bad to the Bone," the music is perfection.
- The Emotional Core: Despite the wacky "switching places" trope, the longing the girls feel for their missing parent is genuinely moving. Natasha Richardson as Elizabeth James is the epitome of grace, making the "mom" half of the story feel grounded and real.
As an intentional parent, you’re going to watch this and think: Wait, they did what?
The central conflict of the movie is that two adults were so bad at communicating that they literally divided their children like assets in a bankruptcy settlement. Nick and Elizabeth are charming, wealthy, and beautiful, but they are also incredibly selfish. They deprived their daughters of a sister and a parent for 11 years because they couldn't make a long-distance relationship work or have a civil conversation.
When you’re watching this with your kids, they might not catch the gravity of that, but it’s a great entry point for talking about how adults make mistakes. It’s also a good time to clarify that in the real world, divorce and custody don't usually involve secret twins.
Recommended Age: 7+
- Language: Very mild. A few uses of "shut up" or "jerk."
- Substances: There is a fair amount of social drinking. Nick owns a vineyard, and Elizabeth drinks wine to cope with the shock of seeing her ex. It’s presented as sophisticated adult behavior, typical of a PG movie from that era.
- Themes: The "evil stepmother" trope is strong here. Meredith Blake is skinny, young, and hates kids. If your family is navigating a blended family situation, you might want to talk about how step-parents aren't actually villains trying to send you to boarding school in Switzerland.
- The "Trap": The girls use a lot of deception. They lie to their parents, their nannies, and their grandparents. While it’s played for laughs and has a "happy" ending, it’s worth noting that in real life, manipulative schemes usually backfire.
If you spend any time on TikTok or Instagram, you’ve probably seen the "Meredith Blake was right" revisionist history. Adults today look at a 26-year-old woman who wanted to marry a hot vineyard owner and realize she was basically living her best life until two 11-year-olds started putting lizards on her head.
While the movie wants us to hate her, she’s a great example of a "one-dimensional villain." Use this to talk to your kids about perspective. How would this movie look if it were told from Meredith’s point of view? (Probably like a horror movie where she’s being gaslit by twins).
If you’re looking to move past just "that was a fun movie," here are some conversation starters for the car ride or the dinner table:
- On Honesty: "Hallie and Annie lied for a long time to get what they wanted. Do you think the 'happy ending' justified the lies? What would have happened if they just told the truth at camp?"
- On Family Structure: "The parents in this movie made a very strange choice to separate the twins. Why do you think they did that? How do you think the girls felt when they realized they’d been lied to their whole lives?"
- On Conflict: "When Nick and Elizabeth saw each other again, they were very nervous. How do people in our family handle seeing someone they’ve had a fight with?"
If the 90s girl-power vibes or the twin-swap trope hit the spot, here are some solid follow-ups:
- The OG. It’s slower, but Hayley Mills is a legend. It’s fun to compare the two and see how "cool" has changed over 40 years.
- Another Lohan classic. This one deals with a mother-daughter body swap. It’s arguably even better for sparking conversations about empathy and "walking in someone else's shoes."
- The Mary-Kate and Ashley version of this trope. It’s more "brain rot" than the Lohan version (sorry, Olsen fans), but if your kids are into the "lookalike strangers" vibe, this is their jam.
- Ages 12+. If you have older kids who loved Lohan in The Parent Trap, this is the natural progression. It moves from family dynamics to the brutal world of high school social hierarchies.
- For a modern, very "Netflix-y" version of the swap, this Vanessa Hudgens movie is harmless, sugary fun.
The Parent Trap (1998) is a classic for a reason. It manages to be funny, stylish, and sweet without being overly cynical. Yes, the parents are questionable, and the "evil stepmother" trope is dated, but the core message about the unbreakable bond between sisters (and the hope that families can heal) still resonates.
It’s a safe bet for a Friday night movie marathon. Just be prepared for your kids to ask for Oreos and peanut butter—and maybe keep an eye on them if they start whispering in the corner with their siblings. They might be planning a trip to London you didn't authorize.
- Check the "Wise Score": Head over to the The Parent Trap media page to see how our community rates its educational value versus pure entertainment.
- Plan a Double Feature: Pair it with Freaky Friday for a "Lohan through the years" weekend.
- Chat with us: Not sure if your 6-year-old is ready for the "evil stepmother" drama?
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