The Parent Trap III

The Parent Trap III is a 1989 television movie. It is the second sequel to the 1961 film The Parent Trap. It was released by The Wonderful World of Disney in 1989. Hayley Mills reprises her role a second time as twins Susan Evers and Sharon Grand.

Barry Bostwick and Patricia Richardson portray Jeffrey Wyatt, a struggling father with three triplet girls, and Cassie McGuire, his snobbish girlfriend. Leanna, Monica, and Joy Creel portray Lisa, Jessie, and Megan Wyatt.

History
Hayley Mills returned in 1986 to the Disney Channel when she filmed The Parent Trap II. She expressed no interest in returning for more sequels. In 1989, Mollie Miller soon began production on the next sequel, The Parent Trap III.

Hayley Mills returned after her Disney series, Good Morning, Miss Bliss had ended. Barry Bostwick was cast as Jeffrey Wyatt and Patricia Richardson as his snobbish girlfriend, Cassie McGuire. The latter would soon be popular for her Home Improvement fame. Leanna, Monica, and Joy Creel were also set to play Lisa, Jessie, and Megan Wyatt, the triplet teens with different personalities: Lisa, the wild and fun one; Jessie, the quiet but sweet one; and Megan, the nice and truthful one.

The film debuted on the Disney Channel on April 9, 1989. It was previewed on Disney's films released that spring next to Davy Crocket and The Absent-Minded Professor. Mollie Miller, the film's director, would later direct the last sequel, The Parent Trap IV: Hawaiian Honeymoon.

Plot
Jeffrey Wyatt (Barry Bostwick) is the widowed father of three triplet girls: 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 (Patricia Richardson). Cassie wants to re-design their California beach house with the help of Susan Evers (Hayley Mills), a house designer. Jeffrey initially doesn't like Susan's ideas, but comes around to allowing them due to Cassie.

Lisa, who is dating David, has invited a boy she met in Paris, Hawk, to eat at their house. She doesn't know how to break it to David that she finds Hawk more "unpredictable". 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. At 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), singing the Janet Jackson song "What Have You Done for Me Lately". The two have a kiss during the date. Hawk, a "bad boy", is not wanting to settle down and be Lisa's boyfriend. He asks Lisa to run away with him, but she doesn't. Later that night, Jeffrey figures out the switch and grounds the girls for three weeks, with David disappointed in Lisa and Jessie. Lisa unleashes her feelings and tells Jeffrey that she doesn't like the snobbish Cassie.

The next morning, Lisa runs away with Hawk on his motorcycle only to break down at a diner. Jessie and Megan, using David's car, find her. Jeffrey, Susan, and David also find her. Hawk and David begin a fight in the diner, causing the police to be called. Lisa refuses to continue to talk to Hawk and rejoins her family. David begins to like Jessie more than Lisa. Cassie becomes angry that Susan went with Jeffrey to the diner. The girls, who despise Cassie, begin to befriend and like Susan. They set up a date for Susan 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 Wyatt's house and continues with Nick's condo. Also, Cassie moves the date to two days away. The girls go to Susan's apartment and discovers Sharon Grand (Hayley Mills), Susan's twin. Sharon agrees to help the girls set up Jeffrey and Susan.

At the wedding day, Sharon and the girls lock Jeffrey and Susan in the garage shed, making Jeffrey miss the wedding. Cassie, jealous, hooks up with Nick and drives away from the girls. Sharon and the girls take down the wall of the shed revealing Jeffrey and Susan about to kiss. They have realized their love for each other after playing the piano and singing to the music box Susan bought and then gave to Jeffrey. Susan moves in with Jeffrey and becomes Lisa, Jessie, and Megan's stepmother.

Continuity
In The Parent Trap II, Sharon Ferris marries Bill Grand (Tom Skerritt) with their daughters Nicky Ferris (Carrie Kei Heim) and Mary Grand (Bridgette Andersen). It seems that Sharon is still married to Bill. Also, Susan was married to Brian Carey (Alex Harvey). She seems to have divorced him since this movie, even talking about the divorce.