Long Trailer Musings

This isn't going to be a movie review or anything...just some thoughts relating to one of my favorite movies.

This past weekend, my family and I had the joy of going camping in a gorgeous area, ending with a drive up to Mt. Hood. I had never been there in the summertime, and the scenery was breathtaking!

However, we had to wind around some steep cliffs a few times...with me on the "view" side. Having seen The Long, Long Trailer...oh, about 75 times...you can imagine the scene that popped into my mind. To steady my nerves, I started talking about the movie to my husband, quoting line after line. He's seen it a few times too (but not 75) so he knew what I was talking about.

"This reminds me of the scene where they're pulling the trailer up the steep cliff, remember? They are both petrified, but trying to talk about something-anything- to keep their minds off of it.
Desi's character, Nicky, says, 'What's that book you're reading?'
Lucy's character (Stacie) informs him that she quit reading it when she realized that they had seen the movie.
'They didn't make a movie out of that, did they?' he asks, his hands gripping the steering wheel.
'Well, they didn't call it that...' she says, slowly.... her eyes nervously glazed, looking out the window.
Then she describes the movie that they saw ...
'and then she threw the drink in his face, see, and..." her mounting fear increases so much that she drops her sentence in mid-air.
Nicky pipes in, sort of to her rescue, 'Was that the one where...' "

OK, here I don't have the complete quote memorized, so I improvise a bit, as I also look nervously down the cliff...
" 'Was that the one where the woman didn't know she had a brother who wanted to marry the other woman?'
'Yes. But then the woman went back to the party...'
'Which woman?'
'The other woman.' Lucy's glazed eyes turn to sheer terror as she glances down below the side of the car into the canyon below, and adds frantically, 'Not the one who didn't know the brother!'
'You mean the one who knew the brother?!!!" he yells in return."

I start go giggle as I finish trying to quote this whole favorite scene of mine. Hubby is concentrating on driving along our own little cliffs, but I glance over to see a humorous smile playing on his lips.
My seven year old, who was listening to the whole thing, asks me about five minutes later..."So, what's that book you're reading, Mommy?"

She's such a card.

Oh...and one more reference to this movie took place.

Last week, my seven year old spotted a long trailer and pointed it out to me. (Can you guess she also likes this movie? Like mother, like daughter!)

"Can we get one like that someday?" she askes.
"No, that would cost way too much money," I answer. "Much more than the trailer cost in the old movie."
"How much did the trailer cost in the movie?" she asks.
I'm trying to think, when hubby suddenly answers, "$8,000."
"Wow, I'm impressed- you remembered how much it cost!" I exclaim.
So this week, my girls and I were driving to an errand, and I reminded them that it was the anniversary of the day Daddy and I had met. (We celebrate that!)
I added, in an excited voice for drama, "I wonder if he'll remember!"
My little girl thought for a moment. "I don't know if he will, Mommy. But he sure remembers the price of that trailer!"

But...to place the proper ending on this story, he did actually remember, surpising me with roses that night.

I guess I can relate to the couple that Lucy and Desi portrayed, who squabbled a bit now and then as they traveled through the curves and mountains of life, but who loved each other passionately. And, of course, see some wonderful beauty along the way.

The Parent Trap- the original!

In case you all are wondering, I don't usually keep up this blog as regularly since I have a family blog that keeps me pretty busy. But I will try and update this several times a month, if not more.

I was just watching the original version of The Parent Trap this evening with my seven year old. She had seen the second version several times, thanks to the Disney Channel, but I kept telling her she just had to see the first one! I finally found it in our public library and happily took it home with us. She wanted to watch it right away, and frankly, I did too!

Just as I hoped, she loves this original just as much- if not more- than the re-make. (And I have to say, overall I thought they did a pretty nice job updating and remaking such a famous childhood classic in 1997. But like a lot of modern remakes, it just doesn't capture the pristine magic of the original.)

Never mind, the obvious flaws...such as why does Hailey Mills have such a strong British accent as both the California girl and the Bostonian? We can easily brush that aside, to enjoy the pure fun and chemistry that the movie brings. And then there is the storyline itself of both versions...would a couple really consent to each never seeing one of their kids...ever? OK, that's a big hurdle for me now, but when I first saw it at age twelve, I never gave it a thought.

Others on the young end of the Baby Boom have had the same experience as I have- even my own husband. We seem to all remember first watching the movie on TV at around eleven or twelve, and being completely swept away into the magic of it all.

Perhaps it was because we could identify with the kids so well, and loved the sense of power they acheive as they switch places and later work to bring their parents back together after all those years. As kids, we don't have too much athority at our fingertips, so it probably made us giddy to see what these twins could accomplish! And better yet, it was all for good!

It's fun to see the scenes at camp when the girls initially run into each other and quickly become rivals. One revenge leads to another until they are punished by having to share a cabin. And when they rivalry turns to sisterhood, it is so touching to see. From there, the little plan to bring thier parents back together is hatched.

Brian Keith plays the gruff but lovable dad, while beautiful Maureen O'Hara plays the fiesty (as always- she's Irish AND a redhead) mother from old family wealth in Boston. When the couple meet up again at his ranch house, the fireworks fly. They are obviously still attracted to one another but each has a fiery personality- and the fact that he is preparing to re-marry a gold digger doesn't help matters.

Made in 1961, The Parent Trap is one of those movies that I don't mind seeing over and over again throughout my life. Some movies are just like that. Especially, when I became so drawn into it's charm once as a child. Especially, too, when I can see it all over through the eyes of my own children.
*And would you believe as I was editing this, my husband and girls are watching it yet again?