The Parent Trap

December 23, 2006 - 12-year-old Lindsay Lohan burst onto the Hollywood scene in this 1998 remake of the 1961 original. The character names have been changed, but Lohan takes over the roles originated by Hayley Mills. Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson are the parents who get trapped.

In her first big-screen role, Lohan does double duty as twins Hallie Parker and Annie James. Hallie lives with her dad (Quaid) in California's wine country; Annie lives with her mom (Richardson) in London. For some totally unbelievable reason, neither twin knows about the other until they meet at summer camp and put one and one together.

Before leaving camp, the newly-acquainted sisters hatch a plot to switch lives so that each can get to know the parent she didn't know she had. They also plot to get their parents back together. The plan has to work fast, though, because dad is set to marry another woman in just two weeks!

Overall review: ** Contrived, but cute. Lohan does very well playing both roles and switching between British and American accents. Quaid and Richardson are likeable and the supporting cast is fine. Elaine Hendrix (the Physics teacher from Joan of Arcadia) plays the gold-digging fiancée. And, in a bit of stunt casting, Joanna Barnes has a small role as her mother. Barnes appeared in the original film as, I believe, one of the women who runs the camp.