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Re: the original Parent Trap movie, some thoughts:
1) Every human being in this film is white. Every single one.
2) This movie CAPTIVATED me as a child, especially a child with divorced parents. But after watching this with 8, we had to make some clarifications:
1) Every human being in this film is white. Every single one.
2) This movie CAPTIVATED me as a child, especially a child with divorced parents. But after watching this with 8, we had to make some clarifications:
8: Is this based on a real story?
Me: I think it is based on a novel. In real life, parents would never split their twins up and not let them know each other. Never, ever, ever. It's cruel.
Him: Also, people who get divorced rarely get back together.
Me: I think it is based on a novel. In real life, parents would never split their twins up and not let them know each other. Never, ever, ever. It's cruel.
Him: Also, people who get divorced rarely get back together.
He was quite concerned with the narrative misleading kids into thinking their parents might get back together. (Oh, Him, with his long-married parents, that's sweet) Which leads me to my next point:
3) As a child, I loved the idea of a magical, secret sister, but I probably loved this film even more, because the parents get back together. Still, my parents remarried other people before I was old enough to fantasize about their reunion. I think...
4) I don't remember realizing as a child how rich these people were. Also, the interior of the California house is absolutely exquisite. Mid-century loveliness.
5) Weird: the idea that the mom used to beat up on the dad when they were married. So weird. Not funny. She punches him and he has a black eye for the last half of the film.
6) A major point of discussion in the film: the mom is old and the fiancé, Vicki, is young, but the actor who plays Vicki looks older than Maureen O'Hara. Maybe it is her ash blonde hair or matronly facial features, idk. Did people viewing this in 1961 think Vicki looked young?
7) The mom character is so concerned about looking old to her ex and I am like: Hello, Maureen...you look amazing!!! I mean, the twins are almost 14, you can't be older than 35...and I wake up this morning, curious how old she was when this film came out...
And according to Wikipedia Maureen O'Hara was born in 1920, so in 1961, she was 41, which is my age, and I am like, goddamnit, how did she have such amazing skin in 1960 without all the technology and sunscreen etc. available in modern times. (sigh)
8) I'm curious...are we to assume the Dad is sleeping with Vicki? Or is that one of the reasons he is so eager to marry her? Is a lot of his frustration sexual frustration? What would they have thought about this in 1961?
9) Finally, is anyone else concerned about what happens after the curtain falls on this story?
8: Ok, I thought it was going to be an actual trap and it wasn't.
Me: the trap comes after the movie, when the parents realize they still hate each other and they fight nonstop...
8: Ok, I thought it was going to be an actual trap and it wasn't.
Me: the trap comes after the movie, when the parents realize they still hate each other and they fight nonstop...
One more thing: the claymation at the beginning of the film is insane! INSANE, I tell you. It returns at the end, and it is nuts!
