A Parent Trap Summer
Written By : Hannah Corbett
I’ve always loved The Parent Trap. The music, the summer setting, young Lindsay Lohan giving a performance of a lifetime at age eleven? Amazing. From Camp Walden to a sleek London townhouse to a golden, sun-drenched Napa vineyard. It’s the kind of movie that just gives you all the feelings.
I didn’t fully get how brilliant it was when I was younger. It wasn’t until I rewatched it as an adult — specifically last weekend — that I realized it’s not just a fun kids movie. It’s a cinematic masterpiece. A comfort rewatch. A Nancy Meyers classic. And, dare I say, a fashion moodboard.
As a kid, I genuinely thought Elizabeth James was the Queen of England. That’s how poised she was. Watching it now, she kind of blew my mind. She was a luxury wedding dress designer living in Kensington with the wardrobe of my dreams and the kind of emotional composure I aspire to have daily, with the occasional crash out, of course.
Elizabeth James is the original quiet luxury muse. Think creamy linen suits, silk midi skirts, ballet flats, and a perfect red lip. She made slipping through a hotel elevator door look like a royal entrance. Every outfit is timeless, every scene she’s in feels elevated. Devastatingly, she passed away in a tragic skiing accident, may she rest in peace, but I truly wish a prequel was made before the incident. Her son actually has said that whenever he misses her, he rewatches the parent trap because her character is so similar to who she was in real life. Which is so comforting and makes me love her even more.
Let’s be honest: Nick Parker is the OG Dad crush. Vineyard-owning, slightly disheveled-in-a-charming-way, denim-shirt-wearing Nick Parker. He was playful, sweet, and had a laugh that made you believe he never quite got over Elizabeth. Rewatching now, Nick isn’t just the dad, he’s the rom-com lead. And Dennis Quaid, in all his ‘90s glory, understood the assignment.
I could write an entire essay on how much I love Chessy. She’s warm, intuitive, and rocks the best oversized button-downs on screen. Every single outfit she wears deserves a Pinterest board. She’s more of like a mother figure for Hallie and her emotional reaction when she realizes Hallie isn’t Hallie? Tears. To me, she’s the heart of the Parker house. And at this point, I would absolutely let her raise me, at least be my godmother.
Now, I’m not saying I support Meredith’s plan to send two twelve-year-olds off to boarding school, but… I respect her commitment to the aesthetic. She was 26. She knew what she wanted (a life of luxury & a man who owned a vineyard), and she wasn’t subtle about it. She had goals. She had style. She wore that black halter swimsuit and tinted sunglasses like a woman who had read every issue of Town & Country since birth.
Yes, she was technically the villain, but looking back now, she was also a little bit fabulous. A little bit bold. A little bit ahead of her time. Actually, completley fabulous.
But to me above all else, what makes The Parent Trap feel so elevated (even more than two Lindsay Lohans) is the unmistakable magic of Nancy Meyers. The warm tones. The dream-like interiors. The little details that make every scene feel lived-in and aspirational. From Napa to London to the Lake, every set is a fantasy, and every line of dialogue has just enough charm.
Like I’ve said before, Meyers doesn’t just direct films, she creates entire worlds you want to live in. And even in something that could be looked at as a kids’ movie, she delivers emotional depth, adult chemistry, and so much cozy aesthetic energy that it lingers long after the credits roll.