Dennis Quaid, Lindsay Lohan, Cast of 'Parent Trap' Reunite 22 Years After Film's Release
There are some movies that define an era, that stick with us well into adulthood and bring up fond memories — movies that extend beyond one generation and are embraced wholeheartedly by others.
For many, one of those is 1998’s “The Parent Trap.”
The charming film — Disney’s remake of its 1961 movie of the same name — takes some elements of reality and adds a dash of magic, following a topic that many young people can relate to: the intrigue of discovering long-lost siblings and separated parents coming back together.
Lindsay Lohan played both twins in the movie, and while Erin Mackey was Lohan’s red-headed double, the filming was a unique process — especially for its time.
In a recent video conference with Katie Couric, many of the cast and crew of the 22-year-old film came together for a reunion in the name of nostalgia and charity.
“Katie Couric with the help of her friend, famed director Nancy Meyers, got the cast of the beloved classic ‘The Parent Trap’ together again for the first time since 1998!” Couric posted on her YouTube channel on Tuesday.
“Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quad, Simon Kunz, Lisa Ann Walter, and Elaine Hendrix join Katie Couric, writer-director Nancy Meyers, and writer-producer Charles Shyer to share their memories from filming, recite their favorite scenes and discuss the film’s lasting impact.”
“With Covid-19 continuing to ravage the globe, Katie, Nancy, and the group decided to use this reunion as an opportunity to raise awareness and funds for those in need. Katie kicks off the reunion show with a call-to-action to donate to José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, a not-for-profit organization devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. Please donate if you can.”
The cast reminisced on the casting process, their favorite moments and actress Natasha Richardson, who died in 2009.
Quaid, who played the twins’ father, said his most memorable moment was the scene where he falls into a swimming pool. He confirmed that he had to fall in more than once to get just the right take.
Walter, who played the nanny, said her favorite scene was the reaction she had to portray when she bumped into the butler, played by Kunz, while he was wearing a speedo.
Elaine Hendrix recalled the shot of her on a mattress out on the lake, saying the water had been very cold.
Part of the video was dedicated to a moment between Quaid and Lohan as they read their lines from the scene where Quaid, the dad, picks up the twin he thinks is his daughter from camp and she struggles to say how much she missed him without completely giving herself away.
The cast remembered Richardson as elegant, giving and joyful. Quaid choked up as he spoke of her.
Besides propelling Lohan to stardom, the movie was special to all who were involved.
“For me, besides the love, the hope, the kind of dreamy quality to it all, was there’s another you somewhere,” Meyers explained. “What if there’s another — I always loved the um, it was like magic, it was like you know there’s another person like me that I can have this relationship with — more than a sister, as they say in the movie, ‘We’re twins’!”
“When it comes down to it,” Quaid said, “this movie just had some sort of stardust that was just sprinkled on it.”
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