The Iconic Movie Director Who Popularized Dipping Oreos In Peanut Butter
The 1998 remake of "The Parent Trap" was a blockbuster hit that introduced the world to Lindsay Lohan, the adorable freckled redhead who starred as both of the main characters in the film (per IMDb). Lohan played a double role as Hallie Parker and Annie James, identical twins separated at birth who miraculously attend the same summer camp. After a rocky start, they form a close bond upon discovering they are, in fact, sisters. The duo establishes a sneaky scheme to switch places and reunite their parents, a California vineyard owner and London wedding gown designer played by Dennis Quaid and the late Natasha Richardson, respectively.
Moments before the girls realize their previously unbeknownst (yet painfully obvious) relation to one another, they share some of their commonalities, including their birthday and mutual habit of dipping Oreos into jars of peanut butter. The combination of crunchy, chocolate cookies, sweet cream filling, and smooth peanut butter sounds like a midnight snack that had been around for quite a while, right? The Nabisco brand even markets a peanut butter-filled Oreo flavor. Well, perhaps to many viewers' surprise, this pairing trend was dreamt up by the film's famous screenwriter and director.
Nancy Meyers thought pairing Oreos with peanut butter was weird
The beloved '90s coming-of-age comedy-turned-cult classic was written and directed by renowned filmmaker Nancy Meyers, whose Hollywood résumé also includes esteemed motion pictures such as "Private Benjamin," "The Holiday," "Father of the Bride," and "What Women Want," just to name a few. While working on "The Parent Trap," Meyers flexed her creative skills to develop a masterpiece that is still enjoyed by audiences today. As it turns out, the scene in which Hallie and Annie learn about their twinship through a series of similarities was spontaneously crafted. The fusion of Oreos and peanut butter were a figment of Meyers's imagination. And the detail was apparently so mundane to Meyers that she was shocked to learn about its lasting effect on fans with a sweet tooth.
"I forgot I even wrote that," Meyers told HelloGiggles in a 2017 interview. "I have no idea [where I came up with it]. I think it was just something weird that both girls would like. It was another example of the fact that they're twins." So, there you have it, folks. If you now can't eat an Oreo cookie without smothering it in peanut butter (or simply envisioning this legendary plot point), you have Nancy Meyers to thank.