To think the Parent Trap parents are the worst parents ever?

[GlummyMcGlummerson]

Disclaimer: lighthearted, I know it's a film.

Watching (the Lindsay Lohan) Parent Trap with DD, how utterly SHIT are both the mum and dad:

• they take one twin each when they're 1yo and vow never to see the other because the adults don't like each other
• they never acknowledge this or apologise for it
• they keep it a secret from their daughters that the girls have a twin, and seem to see now fault or feel no guilt about thia
• the dad gets engaged when his daughter is away for the summer, to someone she's never met, and "surprises" her with the news.
• when the mum finds out her estranged daughter has been with her in secret, she's more bothered about the prospect of meeting her ex again
• the dad lets his 11yo drink wine
• they get prickly when either child asks about their estranged mother/father
• when the girls almost kill the dad's fiancée by pushing her inflatable bed into the middle of a lake while she sleeps, he just goes "meh"

I also want to know -

• how a woman who only owns a wedding dress shop can afford to have a huge house in what looks like Holland Park, complete with butler
• why someone would send their child to the US from London for summer childcare
• how a 26 year old owns her own wildly successful PR company in California
• what kind of name is Chessie? (The "maid" in California)?

Even 8yo DD is pointing out how awful they all are 😂

I saw Lindsay Lohan on the Underground during the time she was in a West End play. Still didn't improve my opinion of The Parent Trap, wish I'd never seen it.

YABU. Imagine you had twins and got divorced. By far the most rational and fairest solution is for one parent to take one child and the other to take the other. That way each parent has one child each (which is fair) and they never have to see the other again/sort out child custody. How can anyone seriouslt argue there are any problems with this??? Its just logic.

Because children are not disposable commodities, @yetanothernamitynamechange?

Misses the point haha
But she could of easily earned that in London if she was a “ popular “ fashion designer.

We have a wedding shop locally and their dresses range from 10,000 - 32,000 a dress 🤣
Missed the point but !

Also prefer the original.

Also loved sister sister as was the right age when that came out. Might have watched a few of the episodes again as it on Netflix atm

[quote GlummyMcGlummerson]@jambeforeclottedcream yes I think they do last that long! Out of curiosity I googled it once and it's about $10,000 per child in some places IIRC maybe USA holiday childcare provision is really shit? Mind you the Americans do like to overdo things - I thought badminton club 3 days a week for a month in the local sports centre was a bit much [/quote]
A friend of my ds did a summer working on Rock Camp in California. It was for the seriously rich (the Beckhams eg). When he found out how much the fees were he almost fainted!
I reckon Kevin’s parents in Home Alone needed at least one visit from child services.

Also though, whats really wierd is that Dennis Quaid did go on to have twins and then did go on to get engaged to a much much younger woman a few months after meeting her.

@berrygirlie

Because children are not disposable commodities, *@yetanothernamitynamechange*?

@berrygirlie Yes sorry. I was being a bit sarcastic. It is actually a sore point for me because when I was younger (maybe 9?) I had a friend confidentally tell me that if my parents got divorced one of them would probably keep me and my twin sister would go with the other. I rememer feeling very upset at the thought.

Oh right okay, fair enough @yetanothernamitynamechange. I can't imagine leaving one of my kids solely because I got a 2-for-1 deal at birth though! ()

I always thought think they are so selfish whenever I watch it. And when they are all reunited at the hotel, the parents aren't all that bothered about seeing their long-lost child. I always want one of the 'twins' to ask them why didn't try to get in touch

I also really love that Annie has a tin with the Queen's face on it. So very British

YES! I remember the tweets. His new fiancée is 29?

I love Parent Trap though. I still quote it.

For your 411 ladies 😉

It’s amazing how writers and producers can overlook the obvious emotional implications of this kind of story.

I heard this film being reviewed on Front Row when it was released and a female panellist said that she didn’t like the plot because she thought it was cruel to portray the greatest dream of many children of divorced parents in the audience when it simply wasn’t possible in the real world. Marc Lawson, the host, said in a baffled way “you mean having a twin?” Panellist had to painstakingly explain that no, she meant mummy and daddy falling in love again and everyone living happily ever after in the same big house.

Robin Williams said he’d had to veto the studio from changing the plot of Madame Doubtfire so the parents got back together in the end - he said he’d quit if they did that because it was unfair to the children of separated parents watching.

But that’s by the by, the OP’s point stands that this is some of the most egregious parenting in any lighthearted movie.

@MadameMiggeldy

I love Parent Trap though. I still quote it.

For your 411 ladies 😉

"I have clarrrrrss and you don't"

I love this film..... but I can't now get over that Jessie is Chessie??????! I've watched it loads of times and always heard Jessie

THE WHOLE ENCHILAAAAHHHHDA

'I've watched it loads of times and always heard Jessie'

I always thought 'Kady' from My Wife & Kids was called Katie.

@mongoosebaby Actually I think her accent is very good for a child! It annoys me though that 'Annie' says she eats Oreos with peanut butter at home (you couldn't get Oreos in the UK back then) and uses Americanisms like 'You're kidding!?' - I can see how the American writers wouldn't have known any better, but you'd think the English cast members would have pointed it out to them!

Yes, I have sometimes given The Parent Trap too much thought and the parents were pretty terrible to just ignore a twin for years. But I love Family Guy and Peter and Lois Griffin really have to be the worst parents ever.

Brad Pitt has nothing on Dennis!

I only realised very recently that Dennis Quiad and Meg Ryan were together . Not sure if they still are or not

Divorced in 2001! He's with a twenty-something year old now. @jambeforeclottedcream

@jambeforeclottedcream

I only realised very recently that Dennis Quiad and Meg Ryan were together . Not sure if they still are or not

Didn’t she cheat on Russel Crowe when she was married to Dennis?

When I watch Mary Poppins, I

1. Get indignant that mother is seen as bad because she is campaigning for women to get the vote.
2. Wonder how Mr Banks thinks saying supercali-whatjamacallit is going to pay the bills for his Regent Park mansion now he’s lost his job.

I am aware that it is not cinema verite, but still...