How a director turned his own chaotic adoption journey into a hit film

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When director Sean Anders decided to adopt three siblings, his life became a whirlwind of tantrums, nail gun accidents, and unexpected emotional breakthroughs. He turned these real-life experiences into the 2018 film Instant Family, a comedy-drama that explores the messy, difficult, and ultimately rewarding reality of building a family through foster care.

The 2018 film Instant Family, directed by Sean Anders, draws heavily from the filmmaker's personal history. Anders and his wife fostered and eventually adopted three siblings, who were aged 6 years, 3 years, and 18 months at the time. To ensure the character of Lizzie—the eldest of the three children in the film—felt authentic, Anders conducted extensive research by speaking with teenagers who had grown up in the foster care system, as well as other adoptive families.

In the film, Pete and Ellie Wagner navigate the complexities of the foster care system, from the initial orientation courses to the emotional volatility of their new children. The narrative captures the friction of integrating a family, including the children's trauma, the interference of a birth mother struggling with addiction, and the intense scrutiny of court hearings. While the film is a dramatization, it aims to honor the unconditional bonds formed through adoption, even if critics noted it does not fully capture every nuance of the real-life experience.

Commercially, the film was a modest success, grossing $120.6 million worldwide against a production budget of $48 million. Despite a lukewarm critical reception on platforms like Metacritic, audiences responded warmly, awarding it an 'A' grade via CinemaScore. The film's release was marked by real-world challenges; its Los Angeles premiere was canceled due to the 2018 Woolsey Fire, leading the studio to host a screening at an evacuation center for fire victims instead.

The story ultimately serves as a testament to the resilience required in foster parenting. As the characters learn, the most meaningful aspects of family life are often the most difficult to achieve. By the time the Wagners finalize their adoption, the film highlights the transition from a chaotic, uncertain household to a permanent, committed family unit, reflecting the director's own journey of finding stability through the foster care process.

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