[FilmReview]TheParentTrap(1961)7.3/10

NottheLindsayLohan1998remakebuttheoriginalDisneybonanzastarringHayleyMills,re-teamedwithdirectorDavidSwiftfromherbreakoutPOLLYANNA(1960)oneyearprior,itisawholesomefamilyjewelthatcanappealtokidsandadultsalike.But,thereisacatchhere,inordertopullofftheidenticaltwinsseparatedatbirthpremise,alogicalreasonbehindtheirparents’seeminglycrueldecisionofkeepingalidonthetruthasiftheynevergiveatossaboutanotherhalfofthetwins,mustbepropounded,onlytheresultisnotquitesatisfactory,temperamentalincongruityisaway-too-facileoccasionoftheirfailedmarriage,especiallybothparentsleadawell-to-doandrespectablelife,respectively,severingtheirconsanguineoustieisnotsomethingoftheirilk’sdisposition.Anyway,enoughofthisreviewer’scavilingabouttheset-up,14-year-oldtwinsSharonMcKendrickandSusanEvers(Mills,withthehelpofSusanHenningasherbodydouble),meetforthefirsttimeinthesummercamp,afterlatchingontothefact(inacabinnamedSerendipity!),theydecidetoswitchplaces,SharonvisitsCaliforniatostaywithherfatherMitchEvers(Keith),whileSusanishottotrottomeethermotherMaggieMcKendrick(O’Hara)inBoston,byimpersonatingeachother.Theirtricksworkwonderfullytowarmthecockleofone’sheart,belatedunionlardedwithheartfeltembracesandaffections,onlyMitch’shousekeeperVerbena(Merkel,havingaballwithherhilarioustight-lippedloquaciousness,butnotwithoutastuteness)sensessomethingiffywhenSusan’sdogrefusestoapproachSharon.Buttimeisrunningoutforthetwinswhoarespoilingforgettingtheirparentsbacktogether,asMitchisbewitchedbyasultrygolddiggerVickyRobinson(Barnes),andsoontheywilltietheknot.Thehurdleisinevitably,stemmedfromaman’sinanity,itdoesn’tneedakeeneyetodiscernthemotiveofVickyandhermother(Watkins,sportingaperfecthagvoice),andtruthtobetold,amagnificentMaureenO’HaraissimplyoutoftheleagueofabunglingDavidKeith(althoughhehasaterrificcomicbenttomakeMitchsomewhatmorethantolerable,baranincredulouspratfallthatistooslapdashforDisney’sstandard).AfterSusanlettingonthewholeswitchscheme,sheandMaggieblowinatMitch’sdomicile,andthegirlswilldoanythingtosabotagetheirfather’spendingwedding,butitisMaggie’sguilethatdoesthetrick,andtherestisparforthecourse.Butassoonasthegirls’appearancesareunified(bywayofasimplehaircutinthecamp),theirdisparatepersonalitiesbuiltebullientlyinthefirsthalf-hour(Millsproffersaconvincingyetverysubtledualpersonaeindeed)alsoharmonizeintoasameness,forshizzletheirparentscannottellthemapart,sodoestheaudience,quiteamissteptoerasetheirindividualityandthezippycity-versus-ranchupbringingclashatthatstage,plus,encouragingplayingelaborate-lookingpranksmightpartiallyandinsidiouslyincubatetheheinousbullyculturewhichwouldhavebeenrampantfordecadesandthensome.Inanutshell,fromRichardandRobertSherman’schirpytitularsongaccompaniedbyitsdaintyopeningcreditsandtitlecardsscenes(twochubbyCupidssharingakissstealsmyheart),toitsseamlessconstructionoftwoMillsinthesameframe,THEPARENTTRAPprovestobeadelightfulconfectionwhenDisneyisverymuchinitswinsomewheelhouse.referentialentries:Swift’sPOLLYANNA(1960,7.2/10);BryanForbes’WHISTLEDOWNTHEWIND(1961,7.9/10)本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。