Parent Trap III is a 1989 American made-for-television comedy film and a sequel to The Parent Trap II (1986) and the third installment in The Parent Trap series. It originally aired in two parts as a presentation of The Magical World of Disney on April 9 and 16, 1989. Hayley Mills reprises her roles as twins Susan Evers and Sharon Grand. Barry Bostwick and Patricia Richardson portray, respectively, Jeffrey Wyatt, a struggling widowed father with identical triplet teenage daughters and Cassie McGuire, his snobbish, jealous girlfriend. Leanna, Monica and Joy Creel portray Lisa, Jessie and Megan Wyatt.
Contents
Plot
Jeffrey Wyatt (Bostwick) is the widowed father of identical triplet teenage daughters, Lisa, Jessie, and Megan. As he picks his daughters up from the airport, he neglects to tell them over the summer he has become engaged to Cassie McGuire (Richardson), who wants to redesign their California beach house with the help of house designer Susan Evers (Mills). Jeffrey initially doesn't like Susan's ideas, but comes around to allowing them because of Cassie. Lisa, who is dating David (Chris Gartin), has invited a boy she met in Paris named Hawk (Jon Pannell), a "bad boy," to eat at their house. She doesn't know how to break it to David that she finds Hawk "more unpredictable," so she asks Jessie to pretend to be Lisa on a date with David, so Lisa can go on a date with Hawk while their father goes on a date with Cassie, Susan and Nick (Ray Baker), his best friend. As the adults are getting ready for their double date, Susan compliments Jessie going out with David, Lisa tries to cover up the ruse by saying she is Jessie, only for Jeffrey to chuckle as even he gets the girls confused on occasion. On their date, Jessie is bewildered to be at a "Welcome Home Lisa" party with all of their friends. She embarrasses herself during a karaoke dance skit called "The Jackson Three" (a parody of the Jackson Five), when she is made to do the Janet Jackson song "What Have You Done for Me Lately." Hawk is not wanting to settle down and be Lisa's boyfriend. He asks her to run away with him, but she refuses. Later that night, Jeffrey finally figures out the switch and grounds the girls for three weeks, with David disappointed in both Lisa and Jessie. Lisa unleashes her feelings and tells Jeffrey that she doesn't like the jealous, snobbish Cassie and neither do Jessie or Megan. The next morning, Susan speaks with Jessie and Megan, saying her earlier compliment was not an honest mistake, but that she suspected Lisa and Jessie were switching identities and even shows them a picture of herself with her twin sister, Sharon Grand. Lisa runs away with Hawk on his motorcycle only to break down at a diner. Using David's car, Jessie and Megan find her. Jeffrey, Susan and David also do so. Hawk and David fight in the diner, causing the police to be called and Hawk breaks up with Lisa. David begins to like Jessie better than Lisa. Cassie becomes angry that Susan went with Jeffrey to the diner. The girls begin to befriend and like Susan. They set up a date for her and Jeffrey by not telling Nick and Cassie to come. Jeffrey expresses his admiration for Susan, who refuses because he is engaged. She quits working on the Wyatts' house and continues with Nick's condo and Cassie moves the date to two days away. The girls go to Susan's apartment and meet Sharon, Susan's twin sister, who agrees to help them set up Jeffrey and Susan. On the wedding day, Sharon and the girls lock Jeffrey and Susan in the garage shed, resulting in Jeffrey missing the wedding to Cassie, leaving Cassie devastated to the point she hooks up with Nick and drives away. David and Jessie become a couple. Jeffrey and Susan realize their love for each other after playing the piano and singing to the music box she bought and then gave to him. Sharon and the girls take down the shed wall, revealing Jeffrey and Susan about to kiss.
Continuity
In The Parent Trap II, Sharon Ferris married Bill Grand (Tom Skerritt), creating a family with their respective daughters, Nicole a.k.a. "Nikki" (Carrie Kei Heim in her final role before retiring) and Mary (Bridgette Andersen), while Susan was married to Brian Carey (Alex Harvey), but divorced prior to the events of Parent Trap III and Susan reverted to using her maiden name, Evers.
Cast
Hayley Mills as Susan Evers/Sharon Grand
Barry Bostwick as Jeffrey Wyatt
Patricia Richardson as Cassie McGuire
Leanna Creel as Lisa Wyatt
Monica Creel as Jessie Wyatt
Joy Creel as Megan Wyatt
Ray Baker as Nick
Loretta Devine as Thelma
Jon Pennell as Hawk
Chris Gartin as David
Production
Mills returned in 1986 to the Disney Channel when she filmed The Parent Trap II. She expressed no interest in returning for more sequels, but after Good Morning, Miss Bliss had ended, Mollie Miller, who would also direct the final Parent Trap sequel Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon, soon began production on Parent Trap III and Mills returned to once again reprise her dual roles. The film debuted on NBC-TV's The Magical World of Disney on April 9, 1989 as a two-part presentation.
Music
Songs heard in the film include "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," sung by Susan and Jeffrey, the 1987 hit single "You Don't Know" by Scarlett and Black and a cover version of Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done for Me Lately."