For months I’ve wished I could blog about at least one family movie a week and one date night movie a week. Alas, I have never achieved that goal. It’s not sustainable for me with all my other stuff going on. Maybe I can keep up the pace of one movie of each type once a month.

For June’s family movie of the month, before June is over, I’m sharing about The Parent Trap. DH and I got to see it recently on the big screen, in full color. That was the first time I’ve seen it in full color. It was at BYU. Once a month, the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU hosts a classic movie in the Reynolds Auditorium. For June it was The Parent Trap. I’ve always ever seen it only on TV and in black and white. Wow, it was such a treat to see it in color! Maureen O’Hara’s flaming red hair and the lavender and green floral dress she puts on for dinner with her ex-husband are just a gorgeous combination! See her in it at the 1:50 mark below.

I first saw TPT when I was 11 or 12 with my sisters and cousin and loved it. The whole summer camp vibe and the twins theme completely fascinated me. I’ve seen it many times since then and still love it. The remake with Lindsay Lohan, which we saw at a drive-in with our three young children, for our family birthday/wedding anniversary, in 1998, is fun but just not as good. I’m just partial to Hayley Mills’ acting. I even have a niece who looks just like her. My sisters and I also loved her in Pollyanna and Summer Magic.

Did you know? It was 64 yeas ago this month, on June 21, 1961, that it came out. That movie is responsible, I suppose, for the name “Hayley” and all its variations being in the top 20 names for baby girls ever since.

I always thought of TPT as just a fun, cute movie about sisters who get their dream when their divorced parents (spoiler alert) get married again to each other. I didn’t every really think of it as having deep meaning, but apparently it does, at least to some. One of my new favorite bloggers and podcasters, Leila Lawler, explained in one of her recent podcasts with her husband Phil that it shows something deeper. She says that it shows the yearning every child has to be part of a whole family. I’m sorry I can’t remember which episode.

I know divorce sometimes is really the best option. I’ve lived enough life to know that not every marriage should last forever, on earth or in heaven. But for marriages that break up for reasons that can be fixed, I want The Parent Trap, and Jesus, to give hope for those situations. As Susan and Sharon (Hayley Mills) say and sing, “You give a little and I’ll give a little and let’s get together!”

So if you haven’t seen the movie in a while, or at all, go watch it with your family, for purchase or rent here in YouTube. It’s in full color!

Here are some fun videos about TPT to enhance your enjoyment.

This video below shows the body double of Hayley Mills, Susan Henning, as well as how the movie was filmed to turn Hayley into twins. Even though Susan never got billing for the movie, she ended up getting a Duckster award from Uncle Walt (one of only three). She also starred with and dated Hayley’s crush Elvis in real life, so as Hayley says in one of the other videos below, “She got one up on me!”

I was enthralled by the dad’s home in TPT, at Carmel-by-the-Sea. It seemed so magical! Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so. Here’s a tour of the home below. Part 1 is the downstairs, Part 2 is the upstairs.

The movie wouldn’t be the movie without the music! Here’s the story of the Sherman brothers writing the music. Did you ever catch that “Let’s Get Together” is played at the camp dance?

Want more movie suggestions? Here you go!