Instant Family

I just got back from seeing Instant Family with my daughter and we both really liked it. Truthfully it is a very sweet feel good move about Foster parenting and adoption. I wasn't going to write a review but I read one review particular that just blew me away with its stupidity. It claims that this film is a bunch of Pro-Trump propaganda!!!! That couldn't be further from the truth. It is a very funny endearing film. It is about a couple that decide to be Foster parents and bring home 3 kids, yes they are Hispanic. The film deals mostly comedically with situation, but also has some heartfelt drama. It is as light as feather and very enjoyable. For someone to see this film as anything but what is, a heartwarming family comedy is beyond me. BTW I am Hispanic and there is NOTHING offensive about this film.

Director Sean Anders has been known to make some very raunchy comedies so when hearing about his latest project I was wondering how this would play out. I have to say I had high expectations for this movie as it dealt with a heavier subject matter than any of his previous films. The best part about Instant Family is that it is inspired by Anders' real life family, and they always say "write what you know".

He definitely knows what he's writing here, and doesn't shy away from making audiences both laugh and cry while watching this family come together through some not so easy circumstances.

As always Mark Wahlberg is the macho man father we all know and love, but here we are able to see a different side of him. We are able to see some real emotion come from Wahlberg and it doesn't feel forced. I'm sure having a few children of his own helped with that while prepping his performance.

The real surprise in "Instant Family" is how funny the film is, and for the families watching it's no where near as rude or raunchy as Anders' previous work. There are a few risqué scenes here and there, but that's to be expected when dealing with teenagers. However these scenes are ultimately believable and aren't that over the top to bring down the feel good nature of the film.

Overall Instant Family was a real surprise, a light hearted comedy which shows the struggles some families go through in order to become one. The supporting cast of Tig Notaro, Octavia Spencer, and the always perfect Margo Martendale make Instant Family a true family treat. Hopefully director Sean Anders continues along the line of light hearted comedies as this may be his best film yet

Alright, well granted I hadn't really expected much from a movie such as "Instant Family", believing it to be just another quick run-of-the-mill comedy with pseudo-action star Mark Wahlberg. But still, I decided to sit down and watch this 2018 movie.

It turns out that this was actually one of the better movies with Mark Wahlberg in the lead for some time, and I honestly can say that I prefer him better in the comedy genre than I do in the action genre. But naturally he wasn't the sole force carrying this movie. He had some great help by the rest of the cast, and also the fact that the storyline was so warm and heartfelt.

This is the story of Pete (played by Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (played by Rose Byrne) whom decide to adopt three children, Lizzy (played by Isabela Moner), Juan (played by Gustavo Escobar) and Lita (played by Julianna Gamiz). And it turns out that adopting three children might be a bit more than what the couple thought they were in for and bargained for. Of which there comes some great funny moments and so clashes of heads.

While the story is indeed mostly driven by the comedy, there is also a more serious aspect to it, the part of adopting children and the role adopted children have in a foster family. And I think that director and writer Sean Anders really handled that quite well, managing to mix comedy and grave seriousness together in a very nice combination.

The movie also had some great support appearances from Tig Notaro and Octavia Spencer, whom each individually brought something wonderful to the story, and they had really great on-screen chemistry.

"Instant Family" might actually have you in tears towards the end. Why? Well, I will not spoil that, although it is quite easy to guess why, given the synopsis of the story and the concept of the storyline. But still, it was a warm and heartfelt story and a very uplifting ending to the movie, although you saw it coming from the moment you started watching the movie.

If you haven't already seen "Instant Family", then I can warmly recommend that you do so if you are given the chance, because it is a beautiful story, and one that will stick with you for some time.

Instant Family Review:

Instant Family is comedy based on the true story of a married couple, Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne), who decide to foster three kids and they must face the challenges that come with it. This was a very enjoyable happy, feel-good movie. The story was very interesting, yet predictable, that made you feel for the people. Both Mark and Rose did a good job. Isabella Moner as Liszt, the oldest child, was probably the best part of the film. She brought so much to the table and gave it all she had. She was also in the recent summer movie sequel Sicario: Day of the Saldado and she did well in that too. The other two kids, Gustavo Quiroz (Juan) and Julianna Gamiz (Lita), we're very good child actors. Octavia Spencer was hilarious and amazing as always. This movie had some great humor. It could also be serious and knew how to switch tones well. It was a little bit long, just about two hours, and I felt that some scenes could've been cut out. Also we didn't know much of a background for Pete and Ellie so I didn't feel as strong as a connection for them as I wanted to. Another thing is the trailer kind of showed the whole movie with some stuff taken out, which I've seen a lot of trailers doing that lately (Welcome to Marwen). This is a very enjoyable film and I think people will like it. It probably won't make as much money with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald coming out and many more, but I would recommend it.

My Grade: B+

I grew up in the foster care system and lived in 7 different homes. This film was refreshingly accurate in terms of what it is like in the system and the adjustment periods when moving to a new family. The teenage daughter's rebellion, the honeymoon period, the awkward reactions from the other relatives, all of it is the real deal. I cried my eyes out throughout this film because it brought a flood of memories rushing back to me. I finally have a film that I can show someone when I want them to understand what it was like for me as a foster child. I loved it so much. If you want some insight into how the foster care system works, or you're just looking for a heartwarming film about family, this film is a MUST WATCH.