Instant Family

Last updated
Instant Family
InstantFamily.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Sean Anders
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBrett Pawlak
Edited byBrad Wilhite
Music by Michael Andrews
Production
companies
Leverage Entertainment
Closest to The Hole Productions
Two Grown Men Productions
Distributed by Paramount Pictures [1]
Release date
  • November 16, 2018 (2018-11-16)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$48 million [2]
Box office$121 million [2]

Instant Family (Also known as 'Apprentis Parents') is a 2018 American family comedy-drama film starring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne as parents who adopt three siblings, played by Isabela Merced, Gustavo Quiroz, and Julianna Gamiz. Also starring Margo Martindale, Julie Hagerty, Tig Notaro, and Octavia Spencer, the film is directed by Sean Anders, who wrote the screenplay with John Morris, based in part on Anders' own experiences.

Contents

Instant Family was released in the United States on November 16, 2018. It grossed over $120 million worldwide, and was called an "earnest, heartwarming comedy" by critics, who also praised the performances. [3]

Plot

Husband and wife Pete and Ellie Wagner, derided by relatives who think they will never have children, consider adoption. They enroll in foster care, led by social workers Karen and Sharon. At a fair to meet foster children, Ellie voices her reluctance to foster/adopt a teen, when they are confronted by 15-year-old Lizzie, who impresses them.

Karen and Sharon reveal that Lizzie has two siblings, 11-year-old Juan and 6-year-old Lita, and their mother is a drug addict, in prison; if they want Lizzie, they must take Juan and Lita too. The Wagners' meeting with Lizzie and her siblings does not result in an immediate connection, making them reconsider. At Thanksgiving dinner with Ellie's family, Pete and Ellie say they have decided not to adopt. The family admits no one actually believed it would work out, so Pete and Ellie decide to officially adopt them.

Lizzie, Juan, and Lita move in with the Wagners, whose lives become hectic – Lita will only eat potato chips and throws tantrums, Juan is extremely emotional and fragile, and Lizzie resents Ellie's attempts to parent them. The Wagners turn to a foster parent support group.

Pete's mother Sandy wins the kids over by taking the family to Six Flags, but Lizzie disappears with friends and returns late, prompting Pete to ground her.

The next day, as Pete and Ellie confront Lizzie trying to leave with friends, Juan accidentally shoots a nail into his foot with a nail gun. Seeing Pete and Ellie rush a hysterical Juan to the hospital and comfort both Juan and Lita, Lizzie begins to warm up to them, taking the blame in front of the social worker Karen.

After a fight between Lizzie and Ellie that originated from suppressed emotions on Lizzie's part, Pete invites her to vent her frustrations by demolishing the kitchen of the house he is renovating, resulting in Lizzie apologizing and both females making up.

Lita calls Pete "Daddy" after he fixes her doll during Lizzie's soccer practice. At night, Ellie walks into Juan and Lita's room, hearing Juan having a nightmare and crying in his sleep. After Ellie comforts him, Juan says, "Good night, Mommy." Ellie is overjoyed.

Pete and Ellie meet Carla, the kids' mother who is out of prison, wanting to reunite with her children. Carla's meetings with her children disrupt the Wagner household; the children become more unruly, leaving Pete and Ellie demotivated and frustrated. The Wagners express their feelings to the support group, but the social workers slip up and tell them about the reunification process in front of everybody instead of in private. They explain the system's main goal is to keep families together, and the children may be returned to their birth mother.

When arriving home, Pete and Ellie are horrified to discover Lizzie exchanging naked pictures of herself with Jacob, her boyfriend at school. Pete and Ellie seek out the Fernandez family, whose adoptive daughter Brenda had inspired them at their orientation. They learn Brenda is back in rehab, but Mr. and Mrs. Fernandez assure the Wagners that "things that matter are hard".

Taking the children to school the next day, Pete and Ellie confront a student named Charlie, mistakenly thinking he is Jacob, only to apologize for the mix-up when he tells them the truth; when Pete asks Charlie if he knows anyone named Jacob who's been hanging around Lizzie, Charlie points out Jacob is the school's 22-year-old janitor. They beat him up and he is arrested, as are Pete and Ellie, accidentally leaving Juan and Lita in the car unattended. Returning home after posting bail, Pete and Ellie are told by Sandy that they need to reassure Lizzie that they love her.

At the children's court hearing, the judge reads a statement from Lizzie, detailing Pete and Ellie's actions negatively and leaving out key details. He refuses to let Ellie read her own statement, and the children are returned to Carla. Juan and Lita do not want to leave the Wagners, but Lizzie is eager to. The next day, however, Karen and Sharon arrive and say that Carla never met them to pick up the kids, and they went to go find her. Carla told them she's not ready to take her kids back; it's revealed that Lizzie filled out the paperwork to reunite the family. Lizzie still believes they can go back, until Karen and Sharon reveal that Carla is using drugs again. Heartbroken and devastated by the news, Lizzie tearfully runs away as Pete and Ellie chase after her. They re-assure her that they love her, and the trio reconcile.

Four months later, the family is seen leaving the house to attend the court hearing that finalizes the adoption of Lizzie, Juan, and Lita. Whilst heading out, Lizzie shouts, "Mom, have you seen my phone?" referring to Ellie and later "Papá, ¿puedo manejar?" (Spanish for "Dad, can I drive") referring to Pete, suggesting that she had finally accepted Pete and Ellie as her parents. The family pose for a picture, joined by the judge, members of their extended family, and fellow foster families.

Cast

Production

The film was inspired by Anders' own experiences fostering and then adopting three siblings. The children were aged 6 years, 3 years, and 18 months. Anders talked to other adoptive families and teenagers who had grown up in care and then been adopted in order to research the character of Lizzie. [4] [5]

Rose Byrne joined the cast of the film on November 17, 2017. [6] Isabela Merced co-stars alongside Mark Wahlberg for a second time, after previously working together on Transformers: The Last Knight in 2017. Octavia Spencer, Tig Notaro, Iliza Shlesinger, Gustavo Escobar (Gustavo Quiroz), Julianna Gamiz, and Tom Segura were added to the cast in February 2018, with filming beginning the following month, and lasting until May 14. [7] [8]

Release

Instant Family was originally scheduled for release in the United States on February 15, 2019, before being moved up three months, to November 16, 2018. [9] On November 10, 2018, it was announced the film's November 11 premiere in Los Angeles would be canceled due to the Woolsey Fire, but that a screening would take place at an evacuation center for victims of the fires. [10] Instant Family became available on Digital on February 19, 2019, and on DVD/Blu-Ray on March 5, 2019. [11]

Instant Family was rated PG in Australia and M in New Zealand.

Reception

Box office

Instant Family grossed $67.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $53.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $120.6 million, against a production budget of $48 million. [2]

In the United States and Canada, Instant Family was released alongside Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Widows , and was projected to gross $15–20 million from 3,258 theaters in its opening weekend. [12] It made $4.8 million on its first day, including $550,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $14.7 million, finishing fourth at the box office. Deadline Hollywood said the opening, compared to the $48 million budget, "isn't spectacular, but there's hope that [the] film could leg out...over Thanksgiving." [13] In its second weekend, the film dropped 14% to $12.5 million (including $17.4 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame), finishing sixth. [14]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 81% based on 156 reviews and an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Instant Family may not quite capture the complexity of real-life adoption, but fittingly for the unconditional bond it honors, this flawed yet well-intentioned dramedy is ultimately worth the investment." [15] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [16] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an 83% overall positive score and a 61% "definite recommend". [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Tigger Movie</i> 2000 animated Disney film directed by Jun Falkenstein

The Tigger Movie is a 2000 American animated musical comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation with animation production by Walt Disney Animation (Japan), Inc., written and directed by Jun Falkenstein from a story by Eddie Guzelian, and released by Walt Disney Pictures on February 11, 2000. It is the second theatrical Winnie the Pooh film after The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and features Pooh's sidekick Tigger as the main protagonist searching for his family tree and other Tiggers like himself. The film was the first feature-length theatrical Pooh film that was not a collection of previously released shorts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kay Hanley</span> American singer and songwriter

Kay Hanley is an American singer and songwriter. She is best known as the vocalist for the alternative rock band Letters to Cleo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Octavia Spencer</span> American actress

Octavia Lenora Spencer is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilary Duff</span> American actress and singer (born 1987)

Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer, author and businesswoman. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards, and two Young Artist Awards. She began her acting career at a young age, quickly being labeled a teen idol as the title character in the Disney Channel comedy series Lizzie McGuire (2001–2004) and in the film based on the series, The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rya Kihlstedt</span> American actress

Rya Kihlstedt is an American actress. She starred in the 1997 comedy film Home Alone 3 as Alice Ribbons. The following years she appeared in films Deep Impact (1998), Women in Trouble (2009) and The Atticus Institute (2015). On television, she had a recurring roles as Dr. Michelle Ross in the Showtime crime drama Dexter and as Marilyn Rhodes in the ABC musical drama Nashville. In 2015, she starred in the NBC miniseries Heroes Reborn.

<i>Anak</i> (film) 2000 Filipino film

The Child (Anak) is a 2000 Filipino family drama film directed by Rory Quintos starring Vilma Santos and Claudine Barretto, with Joel Torre and Baron Geisler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tig Notaro</span> American podcaster and comedian (born 1971)

Mathilde "Tig" O'CallaghanNotaro is an American stand-up comedian, writer, radio contributor, and actress known for her deadpan comedy. Her acclaimed album Live was nominated in 2014 for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. The special Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted was nominated in 2016 at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. In 2017, the album Boyish Girl Interrupted was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris D'Elia</span> American actor, comedian (born 1980)

Christopher William D'Elia is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and podcast host. He is known for playing Alex Miller on the NBC sitcom Whitney, Danny Burton on the NBC sitcom Undateable, Kenny on the ABC television series The Good Doctor and Henderson on the Netflix thriller series You.

<i>Daddys Home</i> (film) 2015 American film

Daddy's Home is a 2015 American buddy comedy film directed by Sean Anders and written by Anders, Brian Burns, and John Morris. The film is about a mild-mannered stepfather who vies for the attention of his wife's children when their biological father returns.

<i>Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald</i> 2018 film by David Yates

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is a 2018 fantasy film directed by David Yates and written by J. K. Rowling. The sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), it is the second instalment in the Fantastic Beasts film series and the tenth overall in the Wizarding World franchise. It features an ensemble cast including Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, Jude Law, and Johnny Depp. Set in 1927, it follows Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore as they attempt to take down the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald while facing new threats in a more divided wizarding world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabela Merced</span> American actress and singer (born 2001)

Isabela Yolanda Moner, known professionally as Isabela Merced since 2019, is an American actress and singer. She played the lead role of CJ Martin on the Nickelodeon television series 100 Things to Do Before High School (2014–2016) and voiced Kate in Nickelodeon's animated spinoff series Dora and Friends: Into the City! (2014–2017). In film, she has played Izabella in Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), Lizzy in Instant Family (2018), Isabel in Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), the titular character in Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019), and Rachel Cooper in the Netflix film Sweet Girl (2021).

<i>Gifted</i> (2017 film) 2017 American drama film

Gifted is a 2017 American drama film directed by Marc Webb and written by Tom Flynn. It stars Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate and Octavia Spencer. The plot follows an intellectually gifted seven-year-old who becomes the subject of a custody battle between her maternal uncle and maternal grandmother. The film was released on April 7, 2017, by Fox Searchlight Pictures, and grossed $43 million worldwide. At the 23rd Critics' Choice Awards, Mckenna Grace was nominated for Best Young Actor/Actress. The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Evans and Grace, but noted its predictability.

<i>Mile 22</i> 2018 film directed by Peter Berg

Mile 22 is a 2018 American espionage action thriller film directed by Peter Berg and written by Lea Carpenter, from a story by Carpenter and Graham Roland. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Iko Uwais, John Malkovich, Lauren Cohan, and Ronda Rousey. It follows an elite top secret CIA unit composed of paramilitary officers from the Special Activities Division's Ground Branch, that has to escort a high-priority asset, a rogue police officer, 22 miles to an extraction point while being hunted by the government. The film marks the fourth collaboration between Berg and Wahlberg, following Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, and Patriots Day.

<i>Daddys Home 2</i> 2017 American comedy film

Daddy's Home 2 is a 2017 American Christmas buddy comedy film directed by Sean Anders and written by Anders and John Morris. A sequel to Daddy's Home (2015), it stars Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini, John Cena, with John Lithgow and Mel Gibson. The plot follows now-reformed fathers Brad and Dusty, now co-parenting Dusty's kids, who have to deal with their own fathers visiting for the holidays.

<i>Widows</i> (2018 film) 2018 heist film directed by Steve McQueen

Widows is a 2018 neo-noir heist thriller film directed by Steve McQueen from a screenplay by Gillian Flynn and McQueen, based upon the 1983 British television series of the same name. The plot follows four Chicago women who attempt to steal $5 million from the home of a prominent local politician in order to pay back a crime boss missing money stolen by the women's husbands before they were killed in a botched getaway attempt. A British-American co-production, the film stars Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki in the title roles alongside Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Jacki Weaver, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall, and Liam Neeson in an ensemble supporting cast.

<i>Pet Sematary</i> (2019 film) 2019 film by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer

Pet Sematary is a 2019 American supernatural horror film directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer from a screenplay by Jeff Buhler, based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Stephen King. It is the second film adaptation of the novel, following of the 1989 film. It is the third installment in the Pet Sematary film series. The film stars Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, and John Lithgow, and follows a family that discovers a mysterious graveyard in the woods behind their new home, capable of resurrecting the dead.

<i>Dog Days</i> (2018 film) 2018 American film

Dog Days is a 2018 American romantic comedy film directed by Ken Marino and written by Elissa Matsueda and Erica Oyama. It stars Eva Longoria, Nina Dobrev, Vanessa Hudgens, Lauren Lapkus, Thomas Lennon, Adam Pally, Ryan Hansen, Rob Corddry, Tone Bell, Jon Bass and Finn Wolfhard. The plot follows the intertwining lives of various dogs and their owners around Los Angeles.

<i>Professor Blastoff</i> Comedy podcast

Professor Blastoff was a weekly comedy audio podcast, which was released every Tuesday and lasted four years from May 15, 2011 to July 21, 2015. It was hosted by comedians Tig Notaro, Kyle Dunnigan and David Huntsberger. The topics ranged from scientific, philosophical, metaphysical and humanitarian with guest host Aaron Burrell assisting in the research, who was also Tig's assistant at the time.

<i>Army of the Dead</i> 2021 film by Zack Snyder

Army of the Dead is a 2021 American post-apocalyptic zombie heist film directed by Zack Snyder from a screenplay he co-wrote with Shay Hatten and Joby Harold, based on a story he also created. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Theo Rossi, Matthias Schweighöfer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tig Notaro, Raúl Castillo, Huma Qureshi, and Garret Dillahunt. It follows a group of mercenaries who plan a Las Vegas casino heist during a zombie apocalypse.

John William Morris is an American film screenwriter and producer best known for his collaborations with director Sean Anders, including Spirited (2022), Daddy's Home (2015), and We're the Millers (2013).

References

  1. ↑ Frosch, Jon (November 14, 2018). "'Instant Family': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on November 14, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Instant Family (2018)". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on December 11, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  3. ↑ Fujitani, Ryan (November 21, 2018). "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Could Use a Bit More Magic". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  4. ↑ Minow, Nell. "Sean Anders on the Real-Life Inspiration Behind Instant Family, Working with Mark Wahlberg and More | Interviews | Roger Ebert". Rogerebert.com. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  5. ↑ "How a joke led to fatherhood for 'Instant Family' writer". Today.com. 3 December 2018. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  6. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (17 November 2017). "Rose Byrne Joins Mark Wahlberg In 'Instant Family' From Paramount". Deadline.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  7. ↑ "Octavia Spencer, Tig Notaro Join Mark Wahlberg Comedy 'Instant Family' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 23 February 2018. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  8. ↑ "Now Casting: Play a Couple in 'Instant Family' With Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne + 3 More Gigs". Backstage.com. 1 March 2018. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  9. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 13, 2018). "Paramount Moves Mark Wahlberg Pic 'Instant Family' To Pre-Thanksgiving Frame". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  10. ↑ Hayden, Erik (November 10, 2018). "Paramount Cancels 'Instant Family' Red Carpet in L.A. Amid Fires". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on November 11, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Instant Family DVD Release Date March 5, 2019". Dvdsreleasedates.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-26. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
  12. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (November 13, 2018). "Box Office: 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald' Sequel Heads for $250 Million Global Launch". Variety . Archived from the original on November 14, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  13. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 16, 2018). "'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald' Steals $9.1M+ In Thursday Night Previews – Update". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  14. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 25, 2018). "'Ralph' Scoring 2nd Best Thanksgiving Debut With $84M+; 'Creed II' $55M+ Live-Action Champ; 'Robin Hood' Goes Wrong At $14M+". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Instant Family (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on 2020-11-28. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Instant Family reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.