Watching the trailers and hearing critics’ reviews of the movie Instant Family had kept me on edge. I was super excited to see this supposed “hilarious” film, but what I saw wasn’t comedy at all; it was an emotional, almost drama-like depiction of what parents and kids go through in the foster care system.

The movie is about a husband and wife, Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie Wagner (Rose Byrnes), who want kids and are inspired to go through the fostering process. They soon end up taking in three siblings: Lizzy (Isabela Moner), Juan (Gustavo Quiroz), and Lita (Julianna Gamiz). To say things don’t go well at first would be an understatement. Dishes are broken, doors are slammed, and the kids are utterly embarrassed. On top of all that, Ellie and Pete have an even bigger struggle to control Lizzy, a rebellious teenager.

Each and every moment in the film commands your attention, and there is a variety in the order of funny, heartwarming, and tearful scenes. Almost anyone at any age can appreciate something in the movie, but I would say it’s best suited for teens, parents, and grandparents.

Being someone who doesn’t know a lot about how fostering works, this movie really helped me understand what it is like not only logistically, but socially and emotionally for everyone involved. I had never seen a movie about foster parents and kids before Instant Family; it took a modern outlook on this topic making it a one-of-a-kind movie.

Directed and co-written by Sean Anders, the movie is special as it’s based on his life. Anders has three children who were adopted and who are similar in age to Lizzy, Juan, and Lita.

“Our life was so awesomely easy… clean and quiet and breezy [before the kids lived with them],” Anders said in an interview with the New York Post, the relating aspect being that this was the same life Ellie and Pete had prior to adopting in the movie as well.

After the initial period of chaos that came with having three kids at once, Anders realized how he felt.

“I woke up one morning, and it was quiet in the house,” he said in the same interview. “I was excited for everyone to come running into our room and wake us up. I realized I had crossed over at some point, and I really loved those kids.”

So many moments from Instant Family were memorable and touching. While it was funny, I definitely had just as many tears as laughs, if not more. So, if you don’t like tear-jerker movies, you’re better off seeing that new action movie. If you’re a full-on comedy fan, then you might not appreciate the real-life themes and experiences of the characters. However, if you’re somewhere in the middle, Instant Family is the perfect movie for you.