Elaine Hendrix Defends Meredith Blake In The Parent Trap With Millennial Support

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The absolute Elaine Hendrix who has indeed produced an indelible imprint of Meredith Blake in the 1998 smash hit, “The Parent Trap,” is here to clarify a much-debated subject. She has always maintained that Meredith was never really an antagonist in the story, and now she passes an enormous thank you to the Millennials who finally got her point of view. Hendrix appeared on the TODAY Show to talk about her producing role in “Ginger Twinsies,” a legally-distinct off-Broadway parody of the beloved film, but this caused the launch of an impassioned defense for her on-screen persona.

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In a clip from the interview, she said this with force: “‘Oh no, hashtag justice for Meredith Blake,’” she laughed. “I have the millennials to thank for this. But I, from day one, said that Meredith was not the villain.” Hendrix even added some insight into the acting process-one cannot go into a role thinking about oneself as the bad guy; one justifies what the character does and then roots for him- or herself! To Hendrix, Meredith was just a woman going through a difficult situation.

If Meredith is not the villain, then who can be? Looking at a couple of strong alternative options, Hendrix offers without holding back, “Nothing, nothing, nothing. The, well, I mean, we could either go is that the, you know, 11-year-old twins who pushed me out on a raft after I’d taken a sleeping pill or was it the parents who separated them to begin with? Take your pick.” And this delivery really fueled the discussion within the fan-base community.

Reactions exploded in the commentary section for the TODAY Show’s Instagram post, a reminder of just how much this movie, nearly 25 years old, still connects with viewers today. They have never really come to a united agreement about who is the real antagonist, and they still split apart audiences just like the Halliwell twins.

A lot of users chimed in with praises for Hendrix and her character. One user said, “We will always love you Meredith! You’re iconic!” Meanwhile, another commented, “one of my favorite movie performances ever!” A positive sentiment for the actress circulated strongly throughout the comment section. Some even said, “She’s STILL sooo stunning and beautiful.”

The real meat of that discussion, however, lay in the more nuanced takes of fans who were clearly invested in this question for years. The conversation had been leaning toward the get-your-head-in-the-sand type for an easy good-versus-evil discussion and then evolved into a more complex examination of the characters’ motives.

An anonymous user made a brutal and painful comment that shifted the entire paradigm: “I meeeeeean……she came in with intentions of being with Nick for his millions….and told her assistant she’d ship them off to Switzerland ‘On. the. Day. I. Say. I. Do!’ The twins were just smart enough to see past the game 😏 but really, who separates twins like that?!”

That got followed by a thorough dissection worthy of becoming a film study: “The parents were hands down the villains and Meredith was collateral damage. Not only did they lie to their kids but Nick also lied to Meredith. She thought it was one man and one kid and that’s how she acted. She had no context that Annie was acting on behalf of her sister and mother and rightfully assumed that Annie was being a brat. She was completely blindsided by the whole thing and her attitude towards everyone was rightfully justified. I don’t blame the twins who were trying to fix a messy situation as best as 11 year olds could. The parents and the especially Nick were the villains.”

While going to the heart of the modern-day interpretation, this comments basically heaps the question, that Meredith is not there as a malicious gold-digger, but she is just a woman with incomplete views, backfiring on what she perceives as a spoiled child interfering with her relationship. This is profoundly interessant reconsideration that probably comes only with age and multiple viewings.

And yet another user literally summed up in spirit the dystopian generational culture shock with, “Child me says Meredith is the problem. But adult me says Elizabeth James and Nick Parker are the villains. They split up their children and never told them about each other. How awful!” So essentially that is the whole millennial reevaluator chakra. As kids we saw the twins as the good guys and Meredith as a roadblock, but as adults we see the parents’ heinous decision as the root of all conflict.

Of course, some aren’t so quick to give Meredith a clean slate. Those who still insist upon viewing Meredith as evil: “Meredith Blake is 100% villain,” proving some childhood indoctrination just won’t go away. And honestly, that image must never be forgotten: drugs, out on a raft. One user replied, “Yeah the raft with a sleeping pill was a lot 🤣.”

The interview spawned some hilarious and off-topic observations. “Switzerland actually looks like a pretty nice place. Just putting that out there,” commented one user, while another threw in, “Not enough people are celebrating the ‘take your pick’ moment 😂.”

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How are people still passionately debating a movie from 1998? Elaine Hendrix’s statements have set off an entire conversation around “The Parent Trap,” proving, no matter what, good stories will always have new layers to uncover. No matter if you’re Team Meredith or Team Parents, or simply Team Halliwell Twins, well, we’re all still talking about it. And that’s a hallmark of true classics. Maybe the real villain was the friends we made along the way? Nah, probably still the parents. Definitely the parents.