Instant Family, written and directed by Sean Anders - Seven out of 10

Instant Family, written and directed by Sean Anders

Seven out of 10

Mixed with very good moments, we have the inevitable lachrymose, perhaps unavoidable scenes in a film that aspires to commercial success that subtract from the pleasure of seeing Instant Family.

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” Hamlet

If we are to look at the educational, generous, kind, loving, humane side of the motion picture, we should be able to forgive – Insha’Allah – some of the clichés, less relevant episodes.

Mark Wahlberg is Pete, Rose Byrne is Ellie, his wife, and they decide to try to become foster parents and enroll in a program that would eventually give them the chance to be with three children.

One of them is already a teenager, Lizzy, and thus would represent a challenge, taking selfies in the bathroom to the despair of her parents, who see a “dick pic” from an adult man.

In the first place, they do not know the real identity of the sender, thinking it is a rather innocent colleague that the aggravated parents attack on the school campus with abusive language.

They would leave the other two, smaller children, Lita who seems to be about four and Juan who could be seven, in the car – somewhat surprisingly, but probably explainable as an ad placement, this is a Hyundai.

The poor red haired pupil explains that he does not shave his intimate parts, they are not big as the parents claim and anyway, he is not the one who has sent the offensive picture.

When they see who it is, the situation is even worse for the janitor is a twenty five year old individual and this is a crime and Pete punches him in the face and Ellie would kick him in the groin.

Amusing?

Not extraordinarily.

In the economy of the film though, this is a moment which shows how attached the foster parents have become to the teenager, going to extremes to defend her privacy and emotions.

They aggravate the situation in the process, for they have forgotten the younger ones in the Hyundai, the police that also take into custody the criminal janitor arrest them.

It is conceivable that the humor of the creators of the film would have been ever more rewarding, if commercial, rating and other considerations were not to play a major role.

For there is play with boundaries and suggestions, as in the case of the would be foster mother who wants a teenager, African American and an athlete that plays basketball.

This woman is single and her requirements are so outré, perhaps outrageous as to make the others laugh at her when she keeps stating that she has had no success in her attempts.

Moreover, she is right and funny when she retorts to all this laughter:

You are the exact opposite of a support group!

Furthermore, the two women that guide the families through this process – Sharon aka Tig Notaro and Karen aka the excellent, amusing Octavia Spencer – are also mirthful.

“So unprofessional” says Sharon

Eventually, the single woman who wanted an African American teenage athlete has the chance to offer support to someone who seems the opposite, red haired and not into sports.

There is one ceremony where they cheer foster parenting and adoptions – the film advertises the site where people can get involved and there are real pictures of people who are active with that:

http://www.instantfamily.org/

At this event, there is a hint that the single mother may want something else, or more from the red haired boy that looks puzzled at his foster parent and this is not hilarious, but suggests we could have had a better time.

As it is, Instant Family serves more than the purpose of delivering a few laughs and brings to the attention of the public that there is something we can all do for those who have been abandoned.