Instant Family Review

Writer/director Sean Anders was inspired by his own experience fostering children for his latest comedy-drama, Instant Family. It aims to bring up a major issue through a mainstream film.

Pete and Ellie Wagner (Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne) are a childless married couple who decide to foster a child. They end up getting drawn to Lizzy (Isabela Moner) and offer to foster her, along with her younger siblings Juan (Gustavo Quiroz) and Lita (Julianna Gamiz). Together Pete and Ellie have to learn very quickly how to become parents.

Instant Family has received a positive critical response and a strong 7.6 rating on IMDB. This is probably due to the messaging of the film – stories about foster care are often the preserve of indie cinema, serious dramas, or possibly children’s media. Anders wanted to bring the issue to a wider audience and that is a noble intent. Anders previous films, the Daddy’s Home movies, were fitted with product placement so he using his skills for a good cause.

The message of Instant Family is clear – foster care is challenging but in the end rewarding and foster parents who care make a difference. Pete and Ellie not just have to handle the usual issues of raising children like getting them to bed and suffering from temper traumas they have to look after children who have been through hell-and-back. Lizzy was forced to grow up early, she had to act as the parent for her younger siblings and ends up knowing the system. Being older Lizzy knew the system and the techniques and knows of the potential repercussions. Throughout the film Juan was incredibly apologetic after committing any mistake and it was clear that he suffered from the hands of abuse even if it is never directly stated. Pete and Ellie are tested and an effective scene was when they talk about giving the children back to the system but know they can’t really do it.

The first half of the film was thin on plot – it was basically the Wagners having to look up a moody teenager. The drive of the film comes when the children’s mother, Carla (Joselin Reyes) comes back into the picture which brings a level of threat. It raises a moral dilemma to the Wagners because they grow to love the kids and suffer guilt for how they feel towards the birth mother. The relationship with the mother is different for the kids – Lizzy wants to reconnect with her and wants a real family whilst to Juan and Lita Carla, their birth mother was a stranger.

Isabela Moner gave a strong performance as the moody teenager who’s highly guarded and confrontational. It’s understandable she’s like this because what she’s been through. Besides from yelling, anger, and defiance there were great little subtleties in Moner’s performance like getting upset when Ellie brushes her hair and when she gave small looks to other characters.

Anders’ style of humour is broad and that is where Instant Family was at its weakest. Anders favours physical comedy and cringe humour. Juan suffers the brunt of the physical humour and it was painful to watch because who wants to see a hurt child – especially a kid like Juan who is well-meaning. Walhberg’s Pete suffers from a clear case of foot-in-mouth disease. Anders board comedic approach does not gel with some of the serious subject manner – the worst being a subplot involving Lizzy having an inappropriate relationship.

The humour in the film is not without merit – there were moments that raise a chuckle and Octavia Spencer and Tig Notaro were a great double act as the social workers. Spencer essentially has some golden moments because of her no-nonsense, no sugar-coating delivery. The ending was incredibly schmaltzy but it was a film that earns it and leaves the audience with a warm fuzzy feeling.

Instant Family is a middle-of-the-road film that wanted to be as palpable as possible. The depth in the characterisations and the performances is where the film truly shines.