The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
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(Cert 12A, 118 mins)
Inspired by the experiences of writerdirector Sean Anders, Instant Family is a surprisingly sweet and touching comedy drama about foster parenting, which delivers its core messages of patience and self-sacrifice with sincerity and tear-filled eyes.
The opening hour of Anders’ picture, co-written by John Morris, mines a steady supply of chuckles from the many misadventures of a happily married couple – Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie Wagner (Rose Byrne) – who welcome three troubled tykes into their ordered home.
Blood flows when a 10-year-old boy accidentally takes a basketball and then a baseball to his cherubic face during some athletically focused father-son bonding.
Nerves fray as the only bathroom – adequate for synchronised spouses – struggles to accommodate three additional bladders and the beauty regime of a teenage girl.
Anders’ light touch and occasional splashes of syrupy sentiment give way to hard knocks and painful home truths in a poignant second half that promises to exhaust every handkerchief you have tucked in a pocket or sleeve.
Instant Family earns its heartfelt emotional release by focusing intently on the inner turmoil of children who have been discarded and sometimes starved of affection and need someone to provide them with stability and a safe harbour from the dark storms of the past.