Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
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.
The Parent Trap is a charming, well-regarded family comedy with a clever central conceit — twins separated at birth scheming to reunite their parents. Hayley Mills is delightful in the dual role, earning solid marks for acting, while the plot is entertaining and briskly paced even if it relies on broad comedic contrivance. Cinematography is competent but unremarkable for its era, standard studio-era Disney fare. Novelty gets a mild boost for the memorable twin-switching premise and Mills's winning double performance, though the film itself is not especially daring in craft or tone. The ending delivers satisfying warmth but wraps up predictably. A beloved crowd-pleaser that holds up, but not a groundbreaking achievement in any single dimension.