‘Instant Family’ a rollicking, heartwarming ride

A scene from “Instant Family”

Don’t get turned off by the sitcom-like ruckus that characterizes “Instant Family’s” beginning.

There’s really more to writer-director Sean Anders’ film than its wince-inducing  attempts at broad comedy (and we mean that in a good way), not the least of which is Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne’s endearing earnestness as Pete and Ellie Wagner, foster parents of three Latino siblings who have been abandoned by their junkie mother.

Just as much of a treat is Joan Cusack’s quirky cameo appearance in an otherwise thankless role as a nosey neighbor who witnesses one the Wagners’ “formative” moments as a family.

The “dramedy” is as heartwarming as it is laugh-out-loud funny, but its premise wasn’t just borne out of Anders’ creativity and storytelling ingenuity. It was actually “inspired” by his own experience of adopting three children out of the foster care system with his wife, Beth.

With their efforts focused on saving enough money to raise a family, the couple kept putting off having kids until they were already in their 40s.

From left: Gustavo Quiroz, Byrne, Wahlberg, Julianna Gamiz and Margo Martindale in “Instant Family”

In Pete and Ellie’s case, the decision to adopt 15-year-old Lizzy (Isabela Moner) and her younger siblings, the overanxious Juan (Gustavo Quiroz) and the bratty Lita (Julianna Gamiz), is meant to add some excitement to their comfortable but childless marriage.

More than the hijinks that ensue following the Wagners’ three-month adjustment period with their three brand-new kids, the film gives viewers an insight into the difficult complexity of real-life adoption which, in their moments of doubt, makes them yearn for the “nice, quiet, easy and uncomplicated life” they used to have.

Even as they do their best to “regulate, relate and reason” with Lizzy, Juan and Lita, are Pete and Ellie willing to “roll the dice” and further risk their future with the offspring of a f**ked-up stranger?

Rose Byrne (left) and Mark Wahlberg

Things aren’t looking good, because the  trio’s birth mom is threatening to get her kids back five months after they have already readjusted to their new environment.

The task of raising children other than their own hasn’t been all that easy for Pete and Ellie from the get-go, making them wonder if they have bitten off more than they can chew—a classic case of one step forward, two steps back!

Besides, what do you do when your teenage daughter starts taking naked selfies in exchange for an older man’s dick pics?

But, who says raising kids is just a walk in the park? While its hurdles are difficult as heck, parenthood is a lifelong obligation you can’t take a break from.

As they say, the things that truly matter in life require patience—and a lot of hard work.

Shay Mitchell in “The Possession of Hannah Grace”

How Shay slays demons

Diederik Van Rooijen’s “The Possession of Hannah Grace” tells the story of Megan Reed (Shay Mitchell), a disgraced former cop fresh out of rehab who decides to move on with her life by accepting a job at a morgue.

Wary of any form of human interaction, Megan is only too happy to get assigned to the graveyard shift—until the remains of Hannah Grace (Kirby Johnson), who died during a calamitous exorcism ritual three months ago, arrive and wreak havoc on Megan, her coworkers and her well-meaning ex-squeeze, Andrew (Grey Damon).

While the film doesn’t bring anything new to the contrived horror genre, it is nonetheless made surprisingly satisfying by the production’s ability to build and sustain a claustrophobic atmosphere throughout its running time. It also doesn’t hurt that Shay is as refreshingly likable as she is smart, wisely doing away with most horror heroines’ shriek-and-whine approach to demon-busting.

You only need to look at her eyes to know she won’t give up without a fight!