I Watched The Parent Trap For The First Time As A Dad, And There’s One Thing That Just Doesn’t Make Any Sense

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My family and I love to have movie nights on Friday when we have the time. We make the living room cozy, grab some snacks, and watch a classic film. Last weekend, we decided to watch the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, a movie neither my wife nor I had seen since childhood. It was enjoyable, but something really bothered me about it!

I’m not focusing on the plot holes or inconsistencies in the summer camp scenes, or how quickly the girls picked up perfect English and American accents. Instead, I’m thinking about the agreement their parents made when they divorced, and how they divided everything up.

How Could You Split Up Your Kids Like That?

If you haven’t seen The Parent Trap recently (or ever!), the story centers around identical twins Hallie and Annie (both played by Lindsay Lohan in the 1998 movie). For the first eleven years of their lives, they don’t know either of their parents and are completely unaware that they have a twin sister. This sets up a funny story with plenty of humorous scenes, but I couldn’t help overthinking the sad reality behind it.

Look, I get the idea of dividing up possessions – movies, art, even pets. But children? That’s just…wrong. Honestly, the thought of willingly walking away from your kid and being okay with them existing somewhere without you is something I just can’t wrap my head around. It’s deeply disturbing, and frankly, I’m struggling to understand how anyone could justify that.

Keeping such a big secret from a child can really damage their trust in you. While it’s a lighthearted Disney story, it still portrays some seriously flawed parenting.

I Mean, No Contact Whatsoever Is Bonkers

I understand Nick and Liz wanted to provide stability for their daughters by avoiding constant moves between countries. But I really struggle to understand how they could completely cut off contact, act like their child didn’t exist, and never even check in. It’s just unbelievable!

I struggle with my kids being home all the time during breaks, but I really miss them when they’re away. The idea of going eleven years without any contact with them is unthinkable. While expecting them to stay in touch might be a lot to ask, even simple letters sharing little updates – like Hallie being good at poker or Annie’s love for Oreos and peanut butter – would have been nice. Any communication at all, even through family or caregivers, would have been better than nothing.

Looking back, I didn’t really appreciate the themes of parenting when I first saw this movie in 1998 – I was just a kid! Now, as an adult, it resonates much more. Overall, it’s a fantastic Nancy Meyers film and one of the most enjoyable things I’ve watched on Disney+ recently.

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2026-01-26 04:11