I have to admit, I had very low expectations coming into Instant Family. Everything leading up to it was bad. The trailers were awful. None of the included jokes landed. It felt like it was going to be an emotionally manipulative movie that fell flat on all fronts. However, I am happy to report that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Instant Family tells the (inspired by a) true story of married couple Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) as they decide to start a family. But rather than going the “traditional” route, they decide to start as foster parents. They eventually meet and connect with 15-year old Lizzie (Isabela Moner). But there’s a catch: Lizzie has two younger siblings which makes this an obvious “all or nothing” situation. Although hesitant at first, Pete and Ellie go through with fostering the three siblings.
From there the film presents what feels like a very real representation of what fostering three siblings could be like. And that makes sense as writer-director Sean Anders used his own life as inspiration for the movie. That grounded feeling is really what made this movie work. It would have been oh so easy to go over the top on many aspects of this kind of situation. And while there were moments that might have felt like too much in another movie, here they just felt…right. They fit.
The movie being grounded can only take it so far. The performances play a huge part in making it as good as it. Wahlberg and Byrne are a joy to watch as the in-over-their-heads new parents. Anders doesn’t pull any punches and has these two go through some hard, very real problems that would easily happen in real life. We see them struggle through this brand new adjustment period. And the fact that there are legitimately funny moments mixed in throughout? Well that’s just all the better. It was a welcome surprise that Instant Family was as funny as it was. It thankfully avoided the pitfalls that many comedies fall into and left many of their funniest moments out of the trailers.
As good as those two are, it’s Isabela Moner’s role as Lizzie that’s just awesome. This is her second big role of 2018, after Sicario: Day of the Soldado. They were two roles on completely opposite ends the spectrum, and she nailed both. She perfectly captured what it’s like to be a moody teenager going through some very tough challenges. And part of that has be due to the fact that Moner herself is only 17. That had to have helped her in prepping for this character. After seeing her in these two roles, it’s obvious she should have a bright future.
The good story, the funny characters, that’s all well and good. But you know what can really elevate a movie to the next level? The supporting characters. And Instant Family has some great ones. Tig Notaro and Octavia Spencer are killer in their roles as social workers helping Pete and Ellie and other parents through the foster process. There’s a particularly funny turn by Iliza Shlesinger as a single woman hoping to get herself into a “Blind Side” type situation. I groaned a little at its first mention, but it honestly is a pretty good running joke throughout the movie.
Instant Family isn’t going to win any awards. It’s not even the best comedy of the year. But Anders’ personal connection pays off in a big way here. It has some truly emotional moments that affect you in a way you might not be expecting with a movie like this. The combination of jokes and the emotional resonance pack a powerful – and incredibly enjoyable – punch that I can’t recommend enough.
Oscar hopes: As well done as Instant Family is, it’s not going to happen.
