Instant Family

Pete and Ellie Wagner, a married couple with no children, decide to pursue adoption through the foster care system. They picture themselves welcoming one small child, but the agency presents them with three siblings who need a home together: the wary fifteen-year-old Lizzy, her younger brother Juan and little sister Lita. Overnight the couple go from having no kids to raising three, and the adjustment brings clashes over rules and trust as both the adults and the children work out what being a family means.

Sean Anders directed and wrote the screenplay with John Morris, and the film sits between Daddy's Home 2 and Spirited in the run of features he has directed. Mark Wahlberg, who also produced, plays Pete, with Rose Byrne as Ellie; Isabela Merced plays Lizzy, and the cast includes Allyn Rachel, Julie Hagerty and Tig Notaro.

Made for a reported 48 million dollars, the film took in about 121 million worldwide, a solid return. On IMDb it holds 7.3 from roughly 135,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.5 from a much smaller base. A critics' rating of 6.6 from 155 reviews places it a little below the audience scores, which point to a broadly favourable response.