This is one of those remakes where I like both movies. If made to choose, I would rate the Haley Mills original over the Lindsay Lohan remake — but there are sections of the remake that are definitely better done than the original.
Watching the opening credits of the Haley Mills version of The Parent Trap, Betsy noted “that is something they don’t do much anymore — tell the story of the plot in the credits.” It is a really cute stop-motion animation, which gets reprised at the end. Movies don’t take the same sort of efforts with the credits very much anymore. We have more elaborate technology, so we have some more elaborate credits, but that isn’t the same thing as well done.
Besides Haley Mills, the original also starred Maureen O’Hara — and you can’t make a bad movie if she is in it. She just looks good, and has such presence. But what I had forgotten was her singing voice. The one scene where she is humming “their song” and then starts singing, shows how musical her voice is. Some of that melodiousness comes through her speech too, which is what made her such a great actress.
The newer movie also has a nice opening credits — which is also reprised in the closing credits with some additional plot point wraps. The featuring of the song LOVE as they show scenes of their courtship and wedding on the QE2 12 years before … weaves a lot of plot points that develop throughout the movie.
The two movies start with long scenes of the “twins” at camp. The newer movie has Halley commenting to a couple of other girls “who are you? Lucy and Ethel?” — which is a reference to the I Love Lucy Show. It is a really good show, but almost anachronistic — how many modern people watching the movie would know about Lucille Ball? Probably more than I would think.
The second movie did a better job in the camp scenes of having the situation escalate into a rivalry instead of suddenly being rivals — which is how the first movie feels. Lindsay Lohan is better at handling two distinct accents than Haley Mills was.
Continuing my second movie preferences, I liked Chelsea as housekeeper better than Verbena by a bit. Adding Martin as butler was fine too, but he is more comic relief than an essential character.
Both movies have the one twin demonstrate a skill that she shouldn’t have as the twin she is impersonating. In the first movie it is piano playing. The remake has her speaking French. Both work well, but I think the French had a more natural feel to it.
I like the father in the second movie a bit better also. He is portrayed as more intentional in the decisions he makes, rather than being manipulated by the women around him.
My recommendation: watch both movies; don’t miss out on either one.
At The Rainbow 