Instant Family reached number 6 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 in 2025.

Grossing $121 million at the box office worldwide, Instant Family was met with generally positive reviews from critics, who regarded the film as a heartwarming comedy. In fact, some have even said that Instant Family is similar to classic parenting comedy movies like Adam Sandler’s film, Big Daddy, proving its merits. Yet, while Instant Family offers a lot of hilarity through Ellie and Pete’s inexperience as they are suddenly thrust into parenting three children, the film’s director, Sean Anders, actually revealed that the movie was somewhat personal for him, having been inspired by events that happened in his own life.

Instant Family Is Inspired By The Life Of Director Sean Anders

“I Felt Like So Much Of What We Went Through Was Funny”

While the comedy movie is not a direct true story and contains no reflection of real life figures, Instant Family is based on the life of Anders. In a featurette released by Paramount Pictures, Anders talks about initially discussing adoption with his wife, which led to the movie’s creation, saying that “We went through some really tough times” but, “I felt like so much of what we went through was funny.” This ultimately inspired him to create Instant Family to “show how this really works” and “demystify” the whole process. Check out the full featurette below:

In a 2019 interview, Anders and Wahlberg also talked about Instant Family with ScreenRant. The director confirmed how closely Instant Family’s plot reflects his real-life experiences, saying that “It's inspired by my own story, but also the stories of a lot of other families that I met along the way and families that we met during our research process.” While Anders and his wife did not end up adopting a teenage girl, like the Wagners did in Instant Family, he says that “we did meet a teen girl at a foster fair,” but she refused placement.

The girl that Anders and his wife were prepared to adopt was also looking after two younger siblings, mirroring Lizzie in Instant Family

The girl that Anders and his wife were prepared to adopt was also looking after two younger siblings, mirroring Lizzie in Instant Family. Unfortunately, the placement didn’t work out for the couple, and the Anders adopted three younger siblings instead. However, the girl left a lasting impression, forming Lizzie’s character when Anders “really wanted to involve a teenager in the story.” Therefore, while Instant Family is a story which predominantly mirrors Anders’ personal life experiences with adoption, the movie is inspired by the true stories of a whole community of foster parents who Anders was in with.

Instant Family's Real-Life Inspiration Makes The Movie Even Better

Anders Brings Authenticity To The Feel-Good Movie

Instant Family’s real-life inspiration does make the movie even better as it offers a layer of authenticity to the plot. Instead of just being marginally based on various experiences of foster parents that the writer has interviewed, Instant Family’s story comes from the heart. Anders delivers a movie with a true story hidden in its comedic narrative, and it acts as a love letter to his own children. As a result, Instant Family has a lot of emotional depth alongside its hilarious comedy, which could only have been achieved by first-hand s of someone who has lived it.

In fact, Instant Family is arguably one of Mark Wahlberg’s better movies, particularly in the family-friendly genre. With a steady 82% Tomatometer and 83% Popcornmeter, both audiences and critics agree that the well-intentioned dramedy is worth watching for its emotional moments and eye-opening insight into adopted families. Wahlberg shines as Pete Wagner, bringing his usual comedic flair to break the film’s heavy moments, yet never falling flat or overshadowing the film’s message. The truth is that Anders’ Instant Family is a brilliant feel-good film that feels even better knowing that the director and writer has lived the experience himself.

Source: Paramount Pictures