INSTANT FAMILY
US, 2018, 118 minutes, Colour.
Mark Wahlburg, Rose Byrne, Isabela Moner, Gustavo Quiroz, Juliana Gomez, Octavia Spencer, Tig Notaro, Margo Martindale, Julie Haggerty, Michael O'Keefe, Joan Cusack..
Directed by Sean Anders.
There is a humorous tone in the title in this film about adoption. And there is a humorous tone throughout the film, even though the underlying theme is a very serious.
While the film would be appreciated by an enthusiastic American audience, some of it might feel too much for more reserved cultures and societies. The screenplay is characterised by the American heart on sleeve, emotions all out there, an extroverted society which might be a bit overwhelming for introverts in the audience who are sympathetic to the themes but trying to keep pace with all the emotions, love and angers, everything “out there�.
The film states that it is based on actual events – and, by the sympathetic ending, audiences will be happy to see such a range of photos and families during the final credits.
Mark Wahlberg is Pete and Rose Byrne is Ellie. They are happily married but have no children. This becomes a bit of a thorn when they visit Ellie’s parents (Julie Haggerty and Michael O’Keefe) and get into discussion tangles with Ellie’s sisters and their husbands, issues of pregnancy, children. The pressure is on Pete and Ellie.
They work together very well on reconstructing and redesigning homes. They discuss the children issues and decide to go to an adoption agency. Octavia Spencer is Karen, the sympathetic member of the team. Tig Notaro is Sharon, straight down the line, not blessed with an immediate sense of humour. Pete and Ellie attend a meeting with quite a range of prospective parents, religious couple, mixed-race couple, gay couple, single mother looking for an African-American? boy that she can train to be a sports star! They all attend a gathering where they can look at prospective adoptees, Pete and Ellie a bit put out by the teens all standing by themselves, make their comments out loud (as they perennially do) and find that the teens have been listening in, especially Lizzie, a 15-year-old girl (Isabela Moner).
Between the jigs and the reels – and there are very many jigs and very many reels, the foster phase begins, some initial sweetness and light, then a revelation of tantrums by the little girl, being accident-prone by the little boy, and Lizzie becoming more and more, and more and more, self-assertive (going out with her girlfriends and disobeying curfews, grounded and inviting the girls into the house, and their being ordered out of the window by which they entered by and irate Ellie, Lizzie photographing herself to exchange photos and texts with the young man who works at the school). After the sweetness and light, the mess and the mayhem.
It is getting closer to the court hearing for the adoption, the birth mother of the children, an addict, gets out of prison and meets her children, stating that she is able to take care of them. Lizzie is delighted – but the two younger children have bonded with Pete and Ellie as well as their grandmothers, especially Pete’s mother, Grandma Sandi (Margo Martindale), an exuberant enthusiast, again in the extroverted style.
The question is continually raised, especially by Lizzie, as to why Pete and Ellie have chosen to adopt children. They find it more nor difficult to answer. It is quite clear that prospective adopters need a lot more training to be able to cope with the children let alone help with their education and development. Which, of course, is a sound message for the film.
Happy ending, as if we didn’t know, but the film does offer an opportunity for audiences to appreciate better the motivations for adopting, the needs of children, some of the harshness in foster care, providing the children with a better self-image, especially that they are lovable.
1. The title, issues of adoption, the impact on parents, the impact on children? Based on true stories – and the range of photos in families during the final credits?
2. Audience perspectives on adoption, the perspective of the parents, the desire for children, capacities for raising them? The perspectives on children, in foster care, self-image, the need for bonding and loving?
3. The American town, homes, the dilapidated home initially, the renovation? The adoption centre, offices, support group meetings? School? Fairs? The courts? The world of adoption?
4. The American home, the emphasis on extroverts, hard going for introverts? Boisterous characters, wearing their heart on their sleeves? Their emotions on their sleeves? The impact for more reserved cultures?
5. Ellie and Pete, their life and marriage, at home, renovating homes for a living, their skills, design, craftsmanship, hard work? Getting the house for Ellie’s sister? The family discussions, Ellie’s sisters and their husbands, discussions about children, pregnancy, families? The groups of the grandparents, the exuberant grandmother, the quiet grandfather, the visits, the meals? The contrast with Grandma Sandi, her absolute exuberance? The role of the extended family?
6. Ellie and Pete, the raising of the issues of adoption? Peter and his hesitations? Ellie and her desires? Going to the centre, the encounters with Sharon and Karen? Each of their personalities and ways of communication? Karen laid back, Sharon and her directness? The speeches about realities of adoption? The range of parents of the meeting, their expressed desires, the kind of children they wanted? The elderly couple, Brenda and her speech, Ellie and Pete being moved? The later going to see Brenda’s adoptive parents, finding out that she had relapsed, the strong lesson about tolerance and affirmation from these parents and the effect on Pete and Ellie?
7. The range of adopters, gay couple, single mother wanting a sports child – African- American, the mixed race couple the religious couple? Declarations about children, finding them? Going to the fair, the range of children, cute, the contrast with the teenagers and their gathering together, the harsh stances, Ellie and Pete talking and Lizzie hearing them and commenting?
8. The impact of the teenagers, the prospect of adopting three, meeting the children, and the physical mishaps, especially with one? The visit to the foster parents and their slatternly living?
9. Pete and Ellie and their attitudes, discussions, whether they should or not, motivating forces? Pete and the house metaphors? Ellie and her hopes? Memories of cosmic connections? Their making their decision?
10. How realistic, the prospects for the future, their really not being prepared, the extroverted pressure? The impact on the three children?
11. The three children, Hispanic background, no father, the mother and her addiction, in prison? The young girl, her tantrums, wanting to eat chips only? Juan, accident prone and crying? Lizzie, 15, assertive?
12. The parents trying to manage, getting everything nice, the range of gifts for Christmas, the tree, the children fascinated by the boxes rather than the contents? Lizzie not opening her gift? The meal, the attempts at discipline, the young girl and her crying, the clashes, the mayhem and the mess?
13. Dropping the children to school, Lizzie and her talking about Jacob, identifying Charlie and his being quiet, Ellie charmed by him? The reality of Jacob, 22, working in the school, Lizzie and the infatuation, photographing herself, his photos, exchanging photos? The parents’ reaction? Anger, going to the school, Ellie seeing Charlie, their public attack on him, the vitriolic condemnation, physical violence? The revelation of the truth – their hasty apologies? Finding Jacob, confronting him, punching, the arrests? His being charged? Their being in prison? Leaving the kids in the car? The kids being brought home? The black marks against their being adopters? The imminent court case, the documents?
14. The visit to the grandparents, the doting grandmother, painting her face!
15. The contrast with Sandi, imposing, giving the gifts, freewheeling, going to the fair, the excitement? Their giving her the T-shirt? Her reprimanding her son, the explanation of her own life, not being loved, poor self-image? Urging Pete and Ellie to rewrite their statement for the court?
16. Lizzie and her girlfriends, going off and staying out, not wanting to be accountable? The visit to the room and the girls being ousted through the window? This material later for the court case? Pete, taking Lizzie to the building, getting her to smash things and let out her anger? Ellie, brushing Lizzie’s hair, her putting the brush down the toilet? Denial, later apology?
17. The theory about foster children and adoptees having poor self-image, being put down continually, feeling that they were not loved? Children, and behaving as children?
18. The mother getting out of prison, Lizzie and her eagerness, the visits, the cumulative effect on Lizzie, wanting to be with her mother, the other children bonding more with Pete and Ellie?
19. The preparation for the court, the night before at home? The statement in Sandi’s criticism? Writing a new one? The issue of Lizzie’s question of asking why they wanted to adopt?
20. In the court, the judge, Ellie not able to read her statement? The mother not turning up? Lizzie and her being upset? Sharon and Karen being in the court? The further discussions? (And the irony of Sharon’s morose child, looking unhappy, even in the court?)
21. Four months passing, Lizzie and her acceptance, wearing ordinary dresses, the other children happy? With the grandparents? Going to the court, the sympathetic judge, and everybody getting in the photo?
