Instant Family
2018 · Movie · PG-13 · 118 min · ★ 7.5 · 70% critics
A couple looking to start a family steps into foster-to-adopt care, expecting to welcome one child. Instead, they take in three siblings at once and quickly face the messy, funny, and emotional realities of building trust, setting boundaries, and learning what it truly means to become a family.
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2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 2018
- Release date
- 2018-11-13
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Max quality
- UHD
- Critic score
- 70/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.5/10 (3,238 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a warm, funny-then-tearful crowd-pleaser about parenting and foster care, similar in spirit to Gifted; Not for you if you dislike broad humor or emotional family drama.
Pros: heartfelt and touching; funny moments land; eye-opening adoption focus | Cons: uneven comedy; some clichés; conflict feels forced
Themes
- court case
- social worker
- adoption
- based on true story
- parenting
- foster family
- amusement park
- lgbt
- substance abuse
- family dog
- comforting
Cast & crew
Mark Wahlberg
as Pete Wagner
Rose Byrne
as Ellie Wagner
Allyn Rachel
as Kim
Isabela Merced
as Elizabeth “Lizzy” Viara
Julie Hagerty
as Jan
Tig Notaro
as Sharon
Octavia Spencer
as Karen
Gustavo Escobar
as Juan Viara
Margo Martindale
as Sandy Wagner
Julianna Gamiz
as Lita Viara
Directed by Sean Anders