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For many of us, the holidays are a time for family—for traveling to see loved ones and enjoying big family feasts. But there are so many kids who don’t have families to visit for the holidays. And the lovable dramedy Instant Family offers a lighthearted look at the struggle to create a forever family.
Instant Family stars Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne as Pete and Ellie, a happily married couple who suddenly realize that there might be something missing in their lives: a family. While Ellie’s sister struggles to get pregnant, they decide to go a different route: giving a home to a child in the overcrowded foster system. After graduating from a lengthy course in fostering to adopt, they decide to move forward. But instead of finding one young child, they end up taking in three siblings who struggle to adjust to their new lives.
Inspired by director and co-writer Sean Anders’s own story of adopting three kids from the foster system, Instant Family is sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes hilarious—an honest look at some of the ups and downs of fostering to adopt. The story follows Pete and Ellie through every step of the journey—from their classes with a wide variety of would-be foster parents and the amusing awkwardness of the adoption fair to the challenges of adjusting to their new family life and the touching breakthroughs. In the process, the film tackles a whole lot of topics, yet it does so in a way that’s sweet and amusing and sometimes surprisingly moving.
The cast here only adds to the charm. The three kids are all adorable in their own way, with their own challenges and personalities—though the focus is on tough but troubled teenager Lizzie (Isabela Moner). Meanwhile, Wahlberg and Byrne manage to convey all of the emotions of the situation with ease. They’re perfectly comfortable in the awkwardness of this big new family, but they can also handle the drama. Whether their characters are trying their hand at discipline or working to make their kids feel safe, it’s all about trial and (a whole lot of) error. Really, that’s true for parenting in general. But while most parents get to work their way into each new challenge at each stage of life, these two are thrown right in—and the result is often outrageously, adorably funny.
Instant Family gives the typical family comedy a heartwarming twist, getting plenty of laughs while subtly raising awareness of an important issue. Your heart will go out to kids like the ones in the movie—and, at times, their story may have you laughing through teary eyes.
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