The Parent Trap

Separated shortly after birth when their parents split up, identical twins Hallie Parker and Annie James grow up unaware of one another, one raised in California and the other in London. At summer camp they unexpectedly bump into each other, realize they're sisters, and devise a plan to switch lives hoping to bring their estranged mother and father back together. Adopting new routines and social circles sparks a string of comic mishaps, secret schemes, and tender moments as each girl tests a different home and parental role. They trade accents, habits, and wardrobes, their bond strengthens, and their ideas about family begin to shift, all while the film keeps things light and stops short of revealing the outcome, and sibling rivalry scenes.

Nancy Meyers directed this 1998 remake of the 1961 Disney film originally written by David Swift, with a screenplay by Meyers and Charles Shyer. Starring Lindsay Lohan in her breakout double role, it was released by Walt Disney Pictures worldwide.

The Parent Trap did solid business for a family romantic comedy, drawing sizable audiences at release and maintaining steady ticket sales through positive word of mouth. It proved commercially reliable, helping solidify Disney's late 1990s lineup of family releases.

Lohan's dual performance became her calling card and helped cement the movie as a go-to family classic for the era. Camp sequences, the mistaken-identity setup, and the visual of the twins together turned into enduring pop culture touchpoints, inspiring home viewings, TV reruns, and seasonal rewatching among new generations and nostalgia.

Critics praised Lohan's charisma and the film's playful tone, reflected in a user score near 7.2 out of 10. Reviewers noted themes of family reconnection, identity swapping, and the practical realities of blended households, all presented with warmth and humor rather than heavy sentimentality. Critics praised its supporting cast and timing.