The Parent Trap - Tumblr Posts
TJ MIKELOGAN’S HALLOWEEN 2023 EVENT + DAY 30:
Take a piece of media that isn’t horror and make it horror — The Parent Trap (1998)
mine is definitely either metropolis, twister, the good dinosaur, or nosferatu
STUDENT EXCHANGE (Dir: Mollie Miller, 1987).
A lightweight teen comedy from Walt Disney Television. Originally screened in two parts on ABC's The Disney Sunday Movie series.
Greeley High School students Carole and Neil are top of the class academically but bottom of the heap socially. Passing themselves of as foreign exchange students in a bid to be noticed, they are a hit with fellow pupils, less so with the school principal. Predictably, things get a little out of hand and the pair are soon wishing they were their old selves again.
Inexplicably, identity switch movies were something of a Disney Sunday Movie staple in the 1980s. The previous season had presented Young Again (Steven Hilliard Stern, 1986), Double Switch (David Greenwalt, 1987) and Double Agent (Michael Vejar, 1987) while the current series also offered Rock 'n' Roll Mom (Michael Schultz, 1988) and 14 Going on 30 (Paul Schneider, 1988). Meanwhile The Disney Channel was churning out a seemingly endless series of sequels to Disney's original switheroo comedy The Parent Trap (David Swift, 1961).
There is little in Student Exchange that is particularly original and nothing that really makes it stand out among the plethora of teenage wish fulfillment movies. Mollie Miller's direction is solid and the performances are fine, although the production cannot quite shake the feeling of an extended TV episode.
It also suffers from a message that is slightly muddled. While it is undoubtedly important to be yourself, Student Exchange makes it seem a lot more fun to be the popular kid and get the girl/boy of your dreams.
Viveka Davis and Todd Field are likeable leads, but perhaps of more interest to modern audiences is the supporting cast. A post-Bionic Woman Lindsay Wagner, pre-fame Heather Graham and pre-infamy O J Simpson all put in appearances.
Student Exchange is a pleasant enough nostalgia trip. Teens and tweens of the late 80s may get more out of it than anybody else. But i don't see why younger audiences wouldn't enjoy it too; essentially it is a modern day Disney Channel movie in 1980s clothing. It is predictable and formulaic but also good-natured fun.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of Student Exchange!
THE PARENT TRAP (Dir: David Swift, 1961).
Hayley Mills' second movie for Walt Disney is also arguably her best for the studio. Indeed, nearly 60 years after release it remains one of the studio’s most popular and well regarded live action features.
Based upon Erich Kästner’s German language novel 'Das Doppelte Lottchen' (Lisa and Lottie) The Parent Trap tells the story of identical twin sisters Susan and Sharon (both played by Mills) who are separated at birth by their divorced parents. Thirteen years later they meet at summer camp and decided to switch places on their folks, knowing that they would have to meet up again in order to switch them back and hopefully reconcile their romance. So Susan heads to Boston to meet mom (Maureen O'Hara), while Sharon jets off to stay with dad (Brian Keith) at his sprawling California ranch. With unfortunate timing dad is just about to wed gold digging platinum blonde Vicky (Joanna Barnes), with whom he is besotted, forcing the twins to plot ever more elaborate schemes to 'submarine' Vicky and save their parents marriage.
While its plot is far fetched to say the least, the movie is executed with such skill and warmth that disbelief happily takes a vacation.
Maureen O’Hara was never lovelier than she is here and Brian Keith was never more lovably oafish. Of course the real star is Mills in her duel role as the twins. Her deft performance displays genuine charisma and expert comedy timing in what is only her third screen appearance.
Save for the odd bit of obvious back project, the pre-digital effects are excellent; the movie would be far less effective if they were not. The trick photography that allows two Hayleys to appear on screen together is astonishing and completely believable.
Perhaps The Parent Trap’s greatest achievement is that it works as a sophisticated romcom for adult audiences just as well as it does a slapstick comedy for kids. If you have never seen The Parent Trap or haven’t seen in a while, I highly recommend giving it a watch. It is a comedy gem whose warmth and charm is hard to resist!
Check out my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of The Parent Trap! Link below.
FREAKY FRIDAY (Dir: Mark Waters, 2003).
Walt Disney Pictures’ Freaky Friday is, to date, the studios’ third of four screen adaptations of Mary Rodgers’ popular 1972 comic novel.
Here a trip to a Chinese restaurant and a mysterious fortune cookie is the catalyst for switching the mind and bodies of overbearing middle age mother Dr Tess Goldman (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her rebellious, rock chick teenage daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan). Unfortunately the switch coincides with Tess' marriage rehearsal and Anna's band Pink Slip's chance to audition for a performance slot at House of Blues.
Read the full review on my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME! Link below.
1/? Films - The Parent Trap (1998)
“And I suppose you just expect me to go weak at the knees, and fall into your arms and cry hysterically…. And… and, you and I just picking up where we left off and growing old together… … C’mon Nick what do you expect? To live happily ever after?“
“Yes. To all of the above. Except you don’t have to cry hysterically.”
“Oh, yes I do.”
My stupid brain and I have decided that I wanna do a Miraxus parent trap au. I’ve got most of the characters set I just don’t know who Laxus’s love interest is gonna be. I need help smh 😔
“Here’s what’s going on, buddy. The day we get married is the day I ship those brats off to Switzerland, get the picture? It’s me or them - take your pick.” THE PARENT TRAP (1998)
So if your Mom is my Mom and my Dad is your Dad… and we’re both born on October 11th, then you and I are… like… sisters. Sisters? Hallie, we’re like twins! The Parent Trap (1998) Dir. Nancy Meyers
Okey,so 4 more weeks untill the summer break,so...I've decided to write a " The Parent Trap " kind of story with Joseph,because I will have more time then. What do you guys think?
THE PARENT TRAP (1998) dir. Nancy Meyers
“I think we should switch places. When camp’s over, I leave as you and go back to London and you leave as me and go to California.”
