|
|||||||||||||||
What most people don't know is that The Parent Trap wound up spawning three made-for TV sequels as well as the 1998 remake featuring Lindsay Lohan. One of these sequels has been included here, along with the original film in The Parent Trap 2-Movie Collection DVD release; bringing both the original classic to families everywhere and introducing many to a film they may be too young to remember or simply never been aware of.
The idea for The Parent Trap came about when a book titled Das Doppelte Lottchen was brought to Walt Disney's attention and he immediately became fascinated with the story. His reaction was immediate...make the film! But what did not come so easily was the way in which the film would be made...how could an entire film be created featuring twins, yet only one actress be utilized to play both sisters? This was a challenge not taken lightly by the studio and it was decided to hit the ground running and figure it out on the way through the filming.
David Swift, an animator for the Disney studios, with little besides television experience was chosen to both write and direct The Parent Trap and is remembered by the cast of this film as one of the best director's they have ever worked with. His careful attention to the script and his empathy for both the actors and the future audience shine through in his work, and the cast excels because of it. Of course, the brightest star in this picture is the little Hayley Mills...who does double the duty in her role of both sides of two separated sisters.
It is just another summer at camp for Sharon and Susan, one a high society Bostonian and the other a rough and tumble girl from the California coast. The pair is shocked when they first meet at the incredible similarities between their appearance, but even more shocked when they learn the truth...that they are actually sisters, growing up apart from one another and never knowing the other existed. The story slowly pieces itself together for them as they realize that their parents split when they were very little, one going away with their mother and the other with their father.
Having spent their young lifetimes wondering about their respective missing parents, and what they were like, a plan is quickly hatched. They will merely switch places and go home to the other's house; ending the mystery of their lost parent for them both. An added bonus? When the secret is finally revealed the parents will eventually have to meet again face to face to reverse the switch, and if the girls have their way, to fall for each other all over again.
Of course, nothing is so easy and when it is discovered that their father has a new woman in his life, one whom he intends to marry, immediate action must be taken to throw a wrench in the works and reunite their family as they hope to see it. Hilarious antics, slapstick comedy and pratfall timing make the story a fun and exciting romp through an otherwise grim situation as we, the audience, root for the girls harebrained scheme!
Hayley Mills turned in an outstanding performance as both twins, but the real magic here is the creative filmmaking. Originally, the idea was to shoot the film as any other, using over the shoulder shots, 3/4 shots, a body double and reverse angles to create the illusion of two girls. But so many instances called for the twins to be on screen at the same time, that a film full of simple illusions was not going to work right. It was decided that in a few instances a "split screen" illusion would be utilized (and practically created just for this film) to place both sisters on screen at the same time.
These "few instances" turned out to look SO good, the script was immediately rewritten to include far more of the processed shots. This wonderful new technique (very similar to our modern day "blue screen") was so successful that it was even used in mundane shots such as a walk in the park with mother and daughter; a park across country inserted behind the leads while they walked a treadmill in the studio! In fact the editing was SO creative and successful that The Parent Trap was up for an Academy Award for Best Editing and actually won that year in the American Cinema Editors awards.
The combination of groundbreaking technical work, passion in the writing and direction, an ensemble of amazing acting talent, and of course some very strong source material made The Parent Trap a perfect fit for the Disney catalog. These same strengths make it a fantastic addition to your DVD collection, and darn near mandatory for those with a family to entertain. But with this collection Disney has given you yet another reason to pick this release up as soon as you can...the addition of a whole other film!
The Parent Trap II was made for and originally broadcast on television in 1986, but still starred Hayley Mills as those lovable sisters we fell for in the first movie. This idea was novel and led to a very interesting story line featuring a fast-forward look at where our Susan and Sharon were now. Sharon is a single mother, with a daughter of her own, Nicki. While at summer school Nicki meets Mary a girl who is being raised by her widowed father; and I am sure you see where this is going. The two hatch a plan to get their parents to hook up, but with Nicki's mom trying to move across country they will need help beyond their means. This help, of course, arrives in the guise of twin Susan, who is immediately put to work in an acting role she hasn't had to play in a long time...her sister.
Confused? Well, don't worry about it... The film takes great care in making sure you "get it" and actually delivers a very warm tale which, while it pales next to its predecessor, still manages to delight nonetheless. It is a pleasure to see the second movie not playing the role of "extra feature" and instead rounding out what now feels like a decent collection. But don't think that because you get two movies, extra features are skimpy. In fact, you get a whole second disc of extras to keep you busy.
"Caught In The Act" is an entertaining and informative making-of featurette which brings just about the entire cast back (including writer/director Swift) to reminisce about the process of making such a great movie. We are also introduced to the lady who played the body double stand-in for whichever twin Hayley Mills was not acting out at the time. Her insights are especially interesting as is the way in which Walt rewarded her for her uncredited role. There are plenty more extra features ranging from a simple music video to a featurette on the songwriters, The Sherman Brothers. Set aside a good hour or more to fully investigate all the goodies presented here for you.
Overall, The Parent Trap 2-Movie Collection is another solid release from Disney's back catalog and is a special treat for those like myself who enjoy the live action films of this great company to their animated works. Whether a fan of the film since your childhood or a new investigator into retro-Disney cinema, you owe it to yourself to grab this one up.
-aaron-
|
|||||||||||||||
