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It Takes Two (PG, 1995)

common sense media says

Olsens in Prince and the Pauper meets Parent Trap.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this lighthearted comedy is predictable from start to finish, but is fine family fare. An orphan is told that she can't be adopted by a single woman because "it's better to have a mother and a father." A soon-to-be stepmother is mean and connives to send her fiance's daughter to boarding school. Kids mock one another about believing in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. Children run away from their homes and summer camps repeatedly.

Positive messages: The movie's action is propelled by the main characters' well-meaning deceptions; while it all ends happily, the girls do sneak away from home and camp, steal a horse, and trigger a food fight.
Violence & scariness: Jilted bride slaps groom, threatens to hit two children.
Sexy stuff: An engaged man flirts with and nearly kisses a woman who is not his wife. A romantic kiss between adults.
Language: Mild swearing by adults; frequent joking use of phrase "I'm going to kill you."
Consumerism: Elizabeth Arden and Chanel are visible cues of stepmother's materialism.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
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More on It Takes Two

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the likelihood of meeting your doppelganger like Alyssa and Amanda do. What would you do if you ran into someone who looked just like you? Is there anyone you know who you'd like to change places with for a day? Why?

What's the story?

What's the story?
In IT TAKES TWO, twins Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen play strangers who just happen to look alike and share a penchant for match-making. Amanda Lemmon (Mary-Kate) is a tough cookie; an orphan who fears being adopted by a family she's never met instead of by the woman who loves her like her own daughter, orphanage director Diane Barrows (Kirstie Alley). Her counterpart Alyssa Callaway (Ashley) lives in the lap of luxury with her billionaire father ( Steve Guttenberg), but sees that her father's new fiance is up to no good. The girls meet and hatch a plan to bring Diane and Roger Callaway together, and experience life on the other side of the grass in the process.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
There is nary a plot trick in the movie that hasn't been seen before, and even younger viewers will probably figure out who's going to end up with whom by the end of the second scene. Still, the cast -- particularly Allie and Guttenberg -- put their all into it, and there are genuine laughs as the girls pull the strings to get the grownups to meet. Both Olsen girls fare better when they're not reaching for Alyssa's blue-blood articulation or tawking Brooklyn-tough-guy as Amanda; it comes as a relief when they drop the artifice and are allowed to let their comic chops stand alone.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Andy Tennant
Cast: Ashley Olsen, Kirstie Alley, Mary-Kate Olsen
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 101 minutes
Theatrical release: November 17, 1995
DVD release: June 11, 2002
MPAA Rating: PG
MPAA explanation: mild language
This review was written by Nancy Davis Kho
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

Americangirlfo ...
teen, 14 years old
10
 
Jut like the parent trap Love it!
The langue its iffy but I still love it They were great in it 5 out of 5! its just like the parent trap! just like it! defiantly recommend it!
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helped me decide (3) | had useful details (3) | read my mind (3)
musicfan789
teen, 14 years old
7
 
cute movie
cute movie i loved it
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was this review useful?
helped me decide (2) | had useful details (2) | read my mind (2)

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