Mis Movie Critic: The Parent Trap
Welcome to Mis Movie Critic, a column where I offer my opinion on popular movies. I love movies but am in no way a professional critic.
For my very first column of Mis Movie Critic, I decided it would be important to review a movie I think almost everyone has seen, which is “The Parent Trap.”
Don’t confuse this with the original “Parent Trap” as I’ll be talking about the one with Lindsay Lohan. This movie was directed by Nancy Meyers and released in 1998 before I was born, yet, I’ve watched it since I was a kid. I always go back to this film, considering it one of my comfort films.
I love everything about this film. If someone asked me what I would change about this movie to make it better, I wouldn’t have an answer. The best thing is there are so many different settings within the film.
First, we start by seeing Annie and Hallie meet at Camp Walden; then the film goes back and forth between London and Napa Valley, a hotel in California for Nick Parker’s wedding, back to Napa Valley for a camping trip, and then, lastly, back in London where Hallie and Nick Parker chase after Annie and Elizabeth James.
Since there are so many settings in this film, it’s hard to determine which part is my favorite. If I had to pick a favorite moment, it would be in the beginning at Camp Walden where Annie and Hallie meet for the first time because I love the camp feel.
When I was a kid, I would get this feeling of nostalgia while watching this scene. This part of the movie is fun for viewers because it’s entertaining to watch the kids make friends and partake in camp activities, pull pranks on each other, get in trouble, and become sad when saying goodbye to each other. It reminds me of how I used to interact with my friends during the summer time.
This movie is well organized and makes sense. At the end of the day, the point of this movie is about relationships. We watch Annie and Hallie’s relationship evolve; at first they hate each other and, once they discover they’re sisters, they build a bond. Then Nick and Elizabeth set the scene for them to possibly get back together in the end.
The music in this movie is a classic part of the film that most people are able to recognize. The most noteable song is “L-O-V-E” by Nat “King” Cole which plays at the very beginning of the film where it shows the marriage of Nick and Elizabeth on the boat. This song is a reflection of the movie. Hallie and Annie find love for each other, as well as for their parent they had never met. Nick and Elizabeth find love for each other after not speaking or seeing each other after many years, and even Chessy and Martin fall in love after meeting.
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes rate this film at 86%. They are tough raters, so 86% is a good rating. Critics agree this film has aged well and is a likable movie. To my surprise, the audience score it a 70%. Most times, the audience rates a movie higher than the critics so I wasn’t expecting to see this. The consensus among most viewers is that it’s a classic in most homes but it’s predictable.
My hope is that readers of this column set aside time from their busy schedules to watch this film that is a classic in many households. You won’t regret it! This film is entertaining, heartwarming and very well organized; it’s one of the best family movies of all time.