Movie · 1998 · Comedy, Family, Romance · 2h 8m · PG · English
Curator score: 6.5/10 (1.3M ratings)
Twice the Fun, Double the Trouble.
Overview
Hallie Parker and Annie James are identical twins who were separated at a young age due to their parents' divorce. Unbeknownst to their parents, the girls are sent to the same summer camp, where they meet, discover the truth about their relationship, and come up with a plan to switch places in an effort to reunite their mother and father.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.5/10
IMDb: 6.7/10
Letterboxd: 3.80/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Metacritic: 63
TMDB: 7.2/10
Director
Nancy Meyers
Production
Walt Disney Pictures, The Meyers/Shyer Company
Cast
Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson, Elaine Hendrix, Lisa Ann Walter, Simon Kunz, Polly Holliday, Maggie Wheeler, Ronnie Stevens, Erin Mackey, Joanna Barnes, Hallie Meyers-Shyer, Maggie Emma Thomas, Courtney Woods, Kat Graham, Michael Lohan Jr., Rachel Sullivan, Katie DeShan, Brighton Hertford, Jennifer Lin
Where to watch
Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, high-spirited family comedy with real charm, strong star chemistry, and a crowd-pleasing premise that still works because it balances wish fulfillment with emotional warmth. It’s especially appealing if you like clever kid-led schemes, light romance, and polished 90s studio filmmaking.
Best for
families looking for an easy all-ages watch
fans of twin-switcheroo and mistaken-identity stories
viewers who enjoy warm, upscale rom-com energy
people who like nostalgic 90s kids' movies with heart
Skip if
you want subtle realism or emotional restraint
you dislike broad family comedy and heightened plotting
you prefer adult drama over sentimental reconciliation stories
you are bothered by implausible premise-driven storytelling
Overview
The Parent Trap is one of those rare remakes that feels less like a retread than a perfectly tuned piece of studio entertainment. Nancy Meyers gives the movie a polished, sunlit surface, but the real engine is Lindsay Lohan’s double performance, which sells both the comedy and the emotional logic of two sisters discovering each other for the first time.
Worth noting
What keeps it from becoming pure sugar is the movie’s knack for making the family fantasy feel personal. Beneath the camp pranks and elaborate deception, it’s about loneliness, loyalty, and the fantasy of repairing a broken home. The adult characters are broad, but the film knows exactly how to make them lovable, exasperating, and just romantic enough.
Bottom line
It’s also a very specific kind of 90s comfort movie: expensive-looking, breezy, and slightly absurd in a way that never feels cynical. If you want a clean, funny, nostalgic family film with genuine charm and a strong emotional payoff, this is an easy yes.
Top Letterboxd reviews
sarah (5★) · 12393 likes
you’re telling me martin and chessy fall in love when they’re both clearly gay??
mulaney (4.5★) · 11281 likes
"you're gonna adopt meredith! that is so sweet, dad." YOOOOO
Leah 🥀 (4.5★) · 9995 likes
i really thought that the mom was princess diana for my entire childhood
Lucy (4.5★) · 6621 likes
these asshole parents really snapped and looked right at their newborn babies and said “OK THAT’S IT! you take a twin and i take a twin and we NEVER SPEAK AGAIN.... our daughters will just have to live without their twin sister AND one of their parents and shall not even know of their existence.... it’s a very rational plan and not evil in the slightest” the double lindsay lohans probably had the FATTEST therapy bills because of them
☆ sophie ☆ (4.5★) · 5808 likes
Hallie: How old are you? Annie: I’ll be 12 on October 11thHallie: *coughs* so will I! Annie: Your birthday is on October 11th? How weird is that! Hallie: Extremely
YOU HAVE THE SAME FUCKING FACE AHHHHH!