Overview
Two sisters separated at birth discover each other at summer camp and plot a reunion for their estranged parents.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- witty
- cheerful
- playful
- family movie night
- nostalgic viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly find the film predictable but highly effective as lively, family-friendly entertainment, chiefly because of Hayley Mills’s dual performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The twins secretly engineer a reunion between their divorced mother and father.
Hayley Mills plays both Susan Evers and Sharon McKendrick, with editing and compositing supporting their interactions.
The twins deliberately switch identities and devise escalating schemes to reunite their parents.
The twins exchange places while concealing their true identities from their parents and household adults.
Films like The Parent Trap, and why
The Parent Trap
family-friendly comedy of remarriage built around separated children, deception, and warm ensemble humor
It Takes Two
spirited children’s comedy featuring twins, mistaken identities, and playful family disruption
The Bobby-Soxer
charming family comedy about children scheming to reunite separated parents
The Philadelphia Story
classic romantic comedy of remarriage combining domestic conflict, witty misunderstandings, and an ultimately warm resolution
Movie Details
- Director
- David Swift
- Release Date
- 1961-05-13
- Runtime
- 129 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (445)
Cast
- Hayley Mills
- Maureen O'Hara
- Brian Keith
- Charles Ruggles
- Cathleen Nesbitt
- Una Merkel
- Joanna Barnes
- Linda Watkins
- Crahan Denton
- Leo G. Carroll
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Disney Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Parent Trap about?
- Separated twin sisters turn summer-camp rivalry into an elaborate plan to reunite their divorced parents.
- What is The Parent Trap like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Parent Trap as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Parent Trap violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Parent Trap.
- What did critics think of The Parent Trap?
- Critics broadly find the film predictable but highly effective as lively, family-friendly entertainment, chiefly because of Hayley Mills’s dual performance.
- Which films are like The Parent Trap?
- Films with a similar feel include The Parent Trap, It Takes Two, The Bobby-Soxer, and The Philadelphia Story.
- How long is The Parent Trap?
- The Parent Trap runs 129 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Parent Trap?
- In United States, The Parent Trap streams on Disney Plus.
