She’s become the strong, fully-formed person she was always supposed to be (Picture: Sam Tabone/WireImage)
We all have ‘that’ film.
One we look back on fondly and have a strong emotional connection to. The movie that conjures up memories of a happier, easier time when we had precious little else to worry about.
For me, it is The Parent Trap – the 1998 remake, just to be clear.
For millennials everywhere – and especially LGBTQ+ people like me, Lindsay Lohan’s iconic portrayal of twins, Hallie and Annie, is the one we’ll remember forever.
I’ve been rooting for Lohan ever since, and now I cannot wait for her new film, Falling for Christmas. Her return after almost 20 years is long-deserved and for queer people, who especially resonate with the actress, it feels very satisfying.
In the film, a young and newly engaged heiress (Lohan) experiences a skiing accident. After being diagnosed with amnesia, she finds herself in the care of the handsome lodge owner and his daughter. You can only guess what happens next.
For me, like many others, my obsession with the actress began with The Parent Trap.
The Parent Trap became a cult classic after it was released in 1998 (Picture: Disney)
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I was 12 when it came out and my sister, then seven, and I first saw it on this ancient thing called Sky Box Office.
And from the moment I laid eyes on LiLo, I knew I’d support her for life.
On paper, a film about a pair of twins who first meet at a summer camp and scheme to get their separated parents back together probably shouldn’t resonate with the LGBTQ+ community. But it does.
Many of us come from broken families and, despite the film being particularly heteronormative as it focuses on a male-female relationship, the way the twins beat the bully is aspirational and the close relationship the siblings have is relatable.
Their precociousness and willingness to do anything to get their own way is another reason it resonates with so many LGBTQ+ people. They’re total bad asses and I wished I had their confidence.
Lines such as: ‘I have class and you don’t’ meant so much to me as a shy, insecure boy who was bullied at school for being ‘a p**f’.
Her return after almost 15 years is long-deserved and for queer people (Picture: Netflix)
The sibling aspect is a huge factor too. I asked my husband why he loves the film so much and he said it was a way for him and his sister to bond, when she was his only friend. It was the same for me.
Growing up, my sister was one of my only friends as kids at school wanted nothing to do with me. Seeing how much fun the twins had brought us closer together and we loved relaying lines from the film. Unfortunately though, we never got the handshake down.
And I still love the film, even now – aged 36.
During the pandemic, my husband and I waltzed to a nearby, deserted field with a pair of gardening shears and acted out the scene in which Hallie and her sister are sent to the isolation cabin, and a dazzling haircut scene takes place. We lip-synced and everything.
For many others, the obsession with LiLo began after Mean Girls in 2004. I know as an LGBTQ+ person, I personally love a strong, sassy woman and a stream of iconic put downs and this film is full of them.
We also see ourselves represented in Cady, Damian and Janis (Picture: CBS via Getty Images)
Either way, she’s long had the support of our community and now she’s back, I want to champion her as much as possible.
Post 2004, the actor was one of a series of famous young women hounded by paparazzi and after five stints in rehab, as well as a number of felonies, it seemed like her acting career was all but over.
Even during her ‘difficult’ years in the early noughties when she seemed to be lost, I think a lot of us saw ourselves in her. I know I’ve tried to numb the pain of feeling like I don’t belong through drinking and going out. Now, she seems more empowered and in control than ever – the journey she has been on so far is so similar to many of ours.
It’s why, when I saw the trailer last month for her new Netflix film, Falling for Christmas, I was beyond excited.
Lindsay Lohan with husband Bader Shammas (Picture: @lindsaylohan)
Though she’s been busy with other projects, acting is where we feel Lohan belongs and we’re so happy to see her doing what she does best. Her success also feels like our success, like she’s emerged from the hard times as a beautiful, ‘fetch’ butterfly.
I think the world is finally ready for the Lohan-assaince. Nostalgia is trendy, the ‘90s are back in, and for lots of millennials, she was the ‘90s.
The actor also seems to be in a good place personally. She recently married and seems to be more in control of her career than ever, serving as an Executive Producer on the upcoming Christmas film after signing a deal with Netflix.
It’s like she has come full-circle and become the strong, fully-formed person she was always supposed to be.
Whether Falling for Christmas is or isn’t her first major mainstream success in nearly 15 years doesn’t matter to me (Picture: NETFLIX)
When Falling for Christmas hits Netflix later this week, I’ll be there watching with a bottle of wine and a packet of Oreos – perhaps not with peanut butter though.
But whether Falling for Christmas is or isn’t her first major mainstream success in nearly 15 years doesn’t matter to me. I’m just so happy to see the love and affection she’s getting, not just as an adult making a comeback, but for the inspiring star she is.
It makes me feel proud that, like so many of us, she feels empowered enough to do things her own way, now – and bugger those who nearly destroyed her life.
Hallie and Annie would be proud.
Yes, I’ll be watching her new film and yes, I might have to recreate my Parent Trap marathon straight afterwards.
But no matter where Lindsey goes from here I’ll always be there, cheering her on and knowing she’ll one day get an Oscar.
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I’ve been rooting for her ever since The Parent Trap.
