It’s been 22 years since the remake of a classic rom-com hit the big screen and became an instant classic in its own right — and now, for the first time since then, the cast of 1998’s “The Parent Trap” has reunited.
Katie Couric brought the stars together for a video chat that premiered on Instagram Monday morning.
Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, Elaine Hendrix, Lisa Ann Walter and Simon Kunz joined director Nancy Meyers and writer-producer Charles Shyer for the nostalgia-packed sit-down that put a spotlight on the twinning film that launched Lohan’s big-screen career.
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Quaid, who played father to both of Lohan’s separated-at-birth characters, Hallie and Annie, noted how impressed he was with his young co-star even before they started filming.
“I had such a blast doing this movie,” the 66-year-old said. “The first thing I remember was meeting Lindsay — I think it was at some kind of a screen test. … I remember thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is one of the most talented people I’ve ever met. Period. Forget that she’s 11 years old!’”
The actress appeared touched by the comment, but the real compliment was still to come — when Quaid admitted that she was so good in auditions, “I actually thought there was two girls. I really did, because your accent was so perfect.”
But despite her natural talent, it was all new for the then-tween actress.
“I was so young,” the now-34-year-old said. “It was so fresh for me. It was my first movie audition, my first screen test, my first time in front of people like Nancy and Charles and on a sound stage.”
And it was her first time nailing every part of it, according to Shyer and Meyers.
“I think Lindsay might have been the second or third girl up,” the scribe recalled. “She was testing with Dennis, and I would say within two or three minutes, we both knew she had the part.”
Meyers agreed, noting Lohan “had that quality that sort of leapt up at you and pulled you in.”
And she played an important part in pulling the group together again for the reunion.
During a Monday morning visit to TODAY, Couric explained how it all happened.
“Basically, I was doing an IG Live with Nancy Meyers, whom I’m a huge fan of, and Lindsay popped up in the comments,” she said. “So afterwards … we said, ‘Let’s get the cast back together.”
There was just one hitch.
“The only way Nancy and I would do this is if we made it a fundraiser for World Central Kitchen,” Couric said of the charitable organization that’s helping provide food relief amid the coronavirus pandemic. “We’re encouraging people to make donations if they enjoy this reunion with the whole cast.”
The cast has made their own donations, and fans can do the same by visiting http://Wck.org/parenttrap or by texting “PARENT” to 80100 to make a $10 donation.
As for enjoying the reunion, that seems a given for anyone who enjoyed the film. After all, in the nearly 15-minute-long clip, the stars reflect on late co-star Natasha Richardson, read poignant lines from the script, talk about the film’s enduring impact on younger viewers and even point out how Hendrix’s child-hating character, Meredith Blake, looks different in retrospect.
“Let’s talk about this,” Hendrix, 49, said with a laugh. “Because at the time, yeah, she was a nightmare, but Meredith has really come around. Now there’s like a whole generation who think Meredith is #goals. … There was this online campaign #JusticeForMeredithBlake. Right on! Yes, Meredith is getting her due!”
But all jokes aside, Quaid insists the rom-com still works on so many levels for reasons that can’t really be pinned down.
“When It comes down to it, this movie just had some sort of stardust that was just sprinkled on it,” he mused. “It just happened in the ether.”