What is one movie that pops into your head when you think of divorce? The Parent Trap. Annie and Hallie are twins who were separated as babies because their parents got a divorce; they didn't even know the other existed until one summer at camp (11 year later!). After they realize they're sisters, Hallie thinks of the idea to switch places so she can meet their mom and so Annie can meet their dad (something both of them have dreamed about doing for such a long time). The other part of the plan is to bring their parents back together so they can be one, complete family. There is one major obstacle, however: their dad is going to get remarried!
I think that this movie is a great example of how children are affected by divorce. In this example, in particular, it demonstrates how so many children just want to have the completeness and wholeness of being an intact family. Annie and Hallie never remember being a full family because they were babies when their parents got a divorce. I think that Annie and Hallie being separated not only from each other but from their mom and/or dad as well is terrible. How can a parent live with not seeing one of their own children? How can a parent think that their child never meeting his/her mom or dad is good for them? In this movie, it just made the girls' hunger for family stronger because they want to know what it even feels like to be a family and they want to meet the parent they've never met. Another thing a child of divorce has to go through sometimes is when one of their parents is getting remarried. This can be hard on the child due to the fact that they don't want to have a step mom or dad because it's like they're other parent is being replaced.
This movie is such a classic. The Parent Trap illustrates three essential facts about divorce: it captures the yearning felt by some children of divorce for their parents to get back together, the lack of sensitivity some divorced parents have concerning the impact of divorce on their children, and the way most children feel if their parent is remarrying.
I absolutely love this movie, its one of my favorite movies!!!! I totally agree with what you said about how this movie shows how children are affected by divorce. I also have this topic too, and I have been researching about the effects divorce has a children, and i have been reading that a lot of children want their family to stay together. Of course Annie and Hallie want a chance to be a family because they never got that chance to live with another sister and their mom and dad. As a kid watching this movie, I thought it was so cool how they switched places just to get to know about their mom or dad, but now i can't believe that parents would keep a child away from another parent, or their sister. If i was the mom, i could never give up one child, i would always be wondering about her and thinking about her.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. When I was younger, I loved how they just switched places and their parents never suspected anything. However, now, I feel the same way as you; I never really looked deep into the mindset of how Annie and Hallie might be feeling and how their parents can just give up one of their daughters and agree to never see them.
DeleteI definitely agree that this movie portrays the image that every kid from a divorced family wants, unity between their parents. But one contradiction I have about this movie would be the happy ending, because it may give young viewers with divorced parents the hopes that maybe one day that could be them, which we all know is not always the case.
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