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The Parent Trap

1961 2h 9m
Comedy Family Romance
MOVIEVIBE Rating
7.0/10
445 reviews
Your Rating
The Parent Trap

Two identical twin sisters, separated at birth by their parents' divorce, are reunited years later at a summer camp, where they scheme to bring their parents back together. The girls, one of whom has been living with their mother and the other with their father, switch places after camp and go to work on their plan, the first objective being to scare off a gold-digger pursuing their father.

"Caught in a merry marital mix-up!"

Top Billed Cast

Hayley Mills
Hayley Mills
Susan Evers / Sharon McKendrick
Maureen O'Hara
Maureen O'Hara
Margaret 'Maggie' McKendrick
Brian Keith
Brian Keith
Mitch Evers
Charles Ruggles
Charles Ruggles
Charles McKendrick
Cathleen Nesbitt
Cathleen Nesbitt
Louise McKendrick
Una Merkel
Una Merkel
Verbena
Joanna Barnes
Joanna Barnes
Vicky Robinson
Linda Watkins
Linda Watkins
Edna Robinson

Detailed Critic & Audience Reviews

R r96sk Verified TMDB Critic
2020-07-01

I've always heard of this, and its later remake, but never got around to watching it. I have now and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Hayley Mills, just like in <em>'Pollyanna'</em>, is infectious so you can't help but like her character(s). She does a respectable job playing two parts here, the camera work and editing in that regard is exceptionally good - I didn't notice any major issues with the special effects or body double(s).

Brian Keith and Maureen O'Hara portray the parents of Mills' Sharon/Susan, both adding positive elements with their performances. I like the dynamic between the two,...

K Kamurai Verified TMDB Critic
2020-07-10

Good watch, probably won't watch again, but can recommend if you've seen any other Parent Trap and not this one.

This holds up surprisingly well: Hayley Mills did an excellent job playing both of the girls. I questioned it once, but I honestly thought it was two different people during the movie.

That might explain why so much of the movie looked like green screen even though they established it was a real scene by interacting with it. It is also surprising how much 1961 green screen looks like modern 2020 "true motion" with a almost fake looking background.

Yes, it is quite a gimmi...

C CinemaSerf Verified TMDB Critic
2022-06-18

Hayley Mills is pretty skilful in this spirited effort from David Swift. She plays posh sister "Sharon" and not so posh sibling "Susan" who meet at one of those summer camps that parents offload their unwanted children to during the long holidays. Needless to say, they cannot stand one another and after causing havoc for just about everyone else, are forced into isolation. It is during this confinement that things start to thaw between them and they realise they are twins - separated at birth when their parents divorced. They concoct a cunning wheeze - the wrong sister will go home to the wron...