The Parent Trap (1998 film)

The Parent Trap is a 1998 British-American romantic comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Nancy Meyers, and produced and co-written by Charles Shyer. It is a remake of the 1961 film of the same name and an adaptation of Erich Kästner's German novel Lottie and Lisa (Das doppelte Lottchen). Released on July 29, 1998 in America and on December 11, 1998 in Britain, it is an American and British joint venture.
Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson star as a couple who divorce soon after having identical twin daughters; Lindsay Lohan stars (in her film debut) as both twins, Hallie Parker and Annie James, who are accidentally reunited at summer camp after being separated at birth. David Swift wrote the screenplay for the original 1961 film based on Lottie and Lisa. The story is comparable to that of the 1936 Deanna Durbin film Three Smart Girls. Swift is credited along with Meyers and Shyer as co-writers of the 1998 version. The film received positive reviews.

Plot

In 1986, American Nicholas "Nick" Parker (Dennis Quaid) and Briton Elizabeth "Liz" James (Natasha Richardson) meet, fall in love, and get married during an ocean cruise on the "Queen Elizabeth 2". After the birth of their twin daughters Annie and Hallie (Lindsay Lohan) they get divorced and each take one of the girls. Nick, a wealthy wine grower, raises Hallie in Napa Valley, California and Elizabeth raises Annie in London, England, and becomes a famous and successful wedding gown designer.
11 years and 9 months later in 1998, Nick and Elizabeth unknowingly send their daughters to the same summer camp in Maine. Hallie and Annie, after fighting and being sentenced to isolation until camp is over, discover that they are twin sisters and hatch a plan to meet the parent they never met and bring them back together. Hallie, able to imitate Annie's British accent, goes to London to meet their mother and grandfather. Annie, able to imitate Hallie's American accent, goes to Napa Valley to meet their father. After discovering that their father is on the verge of marrying a child-hating gold-digger named Meredith Blake (Elaine Hendrix) Annie and Hallie decide to waste no time in bringing Nick and Elizabeth back together. Despite the girls' best efforts, they are unable to persuade Nick and Elizabeth to reunite and resort to desperate measures by demanding a three-day family camping trip, refusing to disclose which of them is which until after the trip. Elizabeth tricks Meredith into going on the camping trip in her place. The girls play a number of pranks on Meredith, who becomes outraged and gives Nick an ultimatum; it's either the girls or her. Nick chooses the girls, and breaks off their engagement, realizing the truth about her.
Elizabeth and Annie later board a flight for London, but when they arrive, they find Hallie and Nick waiting for them, having decided that they want to be a family again. Photographs show Nick and Elizabeth getting remarried aboard the "Queen Elizabeth 2", with the girls as bridesmaids.