The Parent Trap is a 1998 romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Nancy Meyers, and produced and co-written by Charles Shyer. It is the second adaptation of Erich Kästner's German novel Lottie and Lisa (Das doppelte Lottchen) following the 1961 film of same name. Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson star as a couple who divorce soon after marrying; Lindsay Lohan stars (in her film debut) as both Hallie Parker and Annie James, identical twins who are accidentally reunited at summer camp after being separated at birth. David Swift wrote the screenplay for the original 1961 film based solely on Lottie and Lisa, but the story is comparable to that of the 1936 Deanna Durbin film Three Smart Girls, which inspired the novel. Swift is credited along with Meyers and Shyer as co-writers of the 1998 version. The film received positive reviews and was a financial success.