inkblot11 Review of The Parent Trap II

The Parent Trap II (1986 TV Movie)

If you loved the original 1960's film, you will probably like this one, too

[6/10 · 2 June 2008]

In the original Parent Trap, as everyone knows, Sharon (Hayley Mills) and Susan (also Hayley Mills) were separated at birth by divorcing parents. They met years later at summer camp, wanted to stay close and hatched a plan to get their parents back together again. Now, in the sequel, Sharon (a grown-up Hayley Mills) is also a divorced single mother to Nicole, a pre-teen gal with a good imagination. As it happens, Sharon's ex has remarried and moved on, but Sharon doesn't have the courage to date yet, devoting all of her time to her job and to Nicole. It is Sharon's plan to move to New York City, from Tampa, for a what she sees as a better job opportunity. But Nicole, who has just met a wonderful new friend, Mary, at summer school, does not want to leave Florida. Therefore, Nicole and Mary decide to hatch some matchmaking plans themselves. After all, Mary's father, Bill, is a handsome widower who seems a good match for Sharon. The two little girls even telephone Sharon's twin, Susan (also Hayley Mills), a married Californian, to come to Florida, where she will pose as Sharon and "flirt" with Bill, getting his attention. Can such a plan, er, trap, work? As a youngster in the early sixties, there were few films I enjoyed more than the Parent Trap. Mills was a talented and beautiful young star and the film had considerable "girl power", making it a wonderful choice for my three sisters and myself. Therefore, when I walked into the supermarket and saw a combination DVD of the original and the sequel I never knew existed, I plunked down my ten dollars. It was money well spent. No, the second film is not as worthy as the original but it is still delightful and fun. Mills is quite nice as the "getting-back-on-my-feet" single mother and as the sunnier twin, Susan. Tom Skerritt, as Bill, provides a good-looking and humorous suitor for Sharon while the two young girls in the film are fine, too. While the cinematography and production values are somewhat lacking, there are nice costumes and a pretty Floridian setting. Best of all, the script has originality and zest, especially when it comes to creating situations of mistaken identity. Therefore, if you consider the original movie to be your cup of cinematic tea, do try to find the sequel, too. Any showing of the films together, at a young gals' sleepover, for example, will be a big hit with the audience.