Just so we're clear, I'm talking about Lindsay Lohan's iconic performance in Disney's "Parent Trap" (1998). Growing up with the original Disney channel, us '90s babies (and maybe some of you 2000s) remember the lovely introduction that jump-started your heart: The Disney Channel Original Movie.
The summer camp in this particular favorite flick looked like the BOMB, and I'm not just saying that because I've never done overnight camp, nor am I a fan of the outdoors. I like watching Hallie and Annie's adventures at Camp Walden from the comfort and security of my own air-conditioned home.
That being said, here are 5 reasons why I still would go at the drop of the hat, even if it meant entering into a high-risk card game or piercing my own ears.
1. The lake.
Coming from Florida, where you're taught to beware swimming in lake water before you know what a Pub-sub is, I would hesitate to dip my feet in the dark recesses of water on my peninsula. In Maine, where Camp Walden is located, the water is much safer (AKA less prone to amoebas), although no doubt a touch on the chillier side. Poor Annie probably found that out the hard way. But I'm sure in less dire circumstances, i.e. skinny dipping, the lake water would be a refreshing change to summer mugginess.
2. The company.
Thank goodness Maggie Wheeler didn't do her famous laugh, but she sure was there at Camp Walden. Also rubbing elbows at the lunch hall was a plethora of other like-minded young girls ready to wreak havoc- I mean have fun- spending the summer in the beautiful forested greenery. The Lohan twins enter the scene at Camp Walden with very different outlooks, but both end up finding someone to turn to during their time lodged in creaky cabins.
3. The activities.
Fencing wasn't necessarily always on my bucket list, but this movie made me wish I was an aficionado. Granted, I can't row or hike or do much of outdoorsy things, but sometimes I can branch out. The number of activities offered at Camp Walden sold me as an eight-year-old, and still kind of intrigue me in my twenties, so I wonder if I'm alone in getting inspired by fictional extracurricular activities.
4. The independence.
I don't know of any other tween-age girls that know the ins and outs of poker the way they do in this movie, but it is truly awe-inspiring. This scene makes me wonder where on earth they learned to gamble so well, and also how supervision is next to nothing. Maybe this is why overnight camp can be so stressful for helicopter parents, especially when the issues of co-ed don't apply.
5. The Isolation Cabin.
I know, it's weird. But just imagine, a room to yourself (and your long-lost twin of course) to spend a long period of time in nature. Granted, spiders and critters aren't favorable, but neither is 12 other girls snoring up a racket into the night. Although it's used as punishment in the movie, the introvert in me says "yes, please" (although she's more of a beach cabin kinda girl).
Call me crazy, but I can't think of a better way to resurrect your childhood than popping in the DVD for one of Lindsay Lohan's greatest cinematic moments. Hopefully, my other '90s babies share my love for this movie and my odd fascination with the summer camp. Maybe it's because now I'm an adult with no more summer camps to choose from, or I'd rather spend my weekdays choosing between fencing and rowing than salad or soup for lunch. Whatever the case may be, I hope your summer is as action-packed and life-altering as Annie and Hallie's. Otherwise, it's a wasted summer.
