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Of course, at the heart of it all, is the bravura performance of Hayley Mills as twins Susan and Sharon. Carroll once again benefits a film simply by his appearance, and even Nancy "Miss Hathaway" Kulp is on board as a butch camp counselor (quite a stretch). Charlie Ruggles is extraordinarily lovable as the grandfather, and Cathleen Nesbitt plays wonderfully against type as the domineering grandmother. The ever-dependable Una Merkel is a gem as the smart-talking maid, having lost none of her streetwise timing since her brassy blonde days in the 1930's. The high-class production values don't hurt, and neither does the superb cast, right down to the character roles.
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Saccharine plots, cloying kiddie actors, goopy dialogue.no, thank you! But "The Parent Trap" succeeds admirably as both children-friendly fare and reasonably witty, sophisticated comedy.
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