In today’s social media-obsessed world, it is not enough to just have a good feed.
You need to create a good story around your content as well. The best way to do that is by producing movies like Instant Family.
These movies are perfect for spending the day watching something wholesome and feeling good about it.
Movies like Instant Family can be watched repeatedly without losing their charm.
Here is a list of top movies like Instant Family.
1. Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
- Director: Shawn Levy
- Star casts: Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Hilary Duff, Piper Perabo, Tom Welling, Kevin G. Schmidt, and Alyson Stoner.
- IMDb ratings: 5.9/10
Recently, life has been somewhat stressful for the Bakers. The couple has twelve children, so they’ve had to make serious professional sacrifices to meet the needs of their family.
To support her large family, Kate gave up her writing career, while Tom became a high school football coach.
Cooking, cleaning, reviewing schoolwork, countless loads of laundry, and being there emotionally for their children are all part of the Bakers’ daily routine.
When a publisher agrees to print Kate’s book on raising her children, things start to change, and at the same time, Tom is offered a coaching post at a college in a distant city.
After relocating, Kate leaves the kids in Tom’s care so that she may embark on a book tour.
Tom instantly understands how horribly over his head he is. This is one of the amazing movies like instant family.
2. Juno (2007)
- Director: Jason Reitman
- Star casts: Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, and Olivia Thirlby.
- IMDb ratings: 7.5/10
Juno is undoubtedly one of the amazing movies like instant family. A movie of “Juno’s” caliber is required to tackle the sensitive topic of teen pregnancy, and it does it well.
Just like “Instant Family,” which follows the adoptees and their potential parents through the adoption process, “Juno” follows the teenage mother who decides to place her child for adoption.
Diablo Cody’s clever writing and Elliot Page’s delightfully eccentric portrayal of Juno make for a humorous movie that also deftly addresses serious issues often seen on screen.
Jennifer Garner gives a very affecting and honest performance as the potential adoptive mother, Vanessa.
Also, there is an unexpectedly beautiful relationship between Juno and the father of the kid, Paulie, which gives the movie some emotional weight.
Too often, movies portray adoption in idealized or unrealistic ways. The raw honesty and heartbreak sometimes essential to the healing process are also there in “Juno.”
It has all the elements of a good comedy-drama; it’s but cynical, and it explores the topic in a way that no other movie has.
3. Life as We Know it (2010)
- Director: Greg Berlanti
- Star casts: Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel, Josh Lucas, Alexis Clagett, Brynn Clagett, Brooke Clagett, and Hayes MacArthur
- IMDb ratings: 6.5/10
The mutual hatred between Holly Berenson and Eric Messer is obvious. After a terrible first date, they realized they hated each other deeply.
However, life has a plan for them, and it involves them learning new things about one another.
Following a tragic event, Eric and Holly decided to raise Sophie. However, Will recommends that they raise Sophie together while cohabitating so that she may have a normal upbringing.
As parents, for the first time, they must learn to set aside their differences and work together for the sake of the kid.
They’ll have to put aside their disagreements for the first time and work together to raise the kid.
They can strike a balance between their personal and professional lives. This is undoubtedly one of the amazing movies like instant family.
4. Wonder (2017)
- Director: Stephen Chbosky
- Star casts: Jacob Tremblay, Owen Wilson, Izabela Vidovic, Julia Roberts, Mark Dozlaw, Rukiya Bernard, and Jennifer March.
- IMDb ratings: 7.9/10
The movie “Wonder,” is based on the best-selling book by R. J. Palacio. It follows Auggie, a young boy with facial defects, navigating his first day of school and dealing with bullying and discrimination.
You could tell from the description alone that this movie would make you emotional. Tears are shed, but they are a mixture of joy and sorrow, which may come as a surprise.
While the challenges faced by the children in “Instant Family” and Auggie in “Wonder” are quite different, both show remarkable grit and perseverance in facing adversity.
Usually, a movie that seems specifically designed to make you cry risks coming across as manipulative.
However, since the message of “Wonder” is so uplifting, it’s difficult to stay unmoved. If you’re looking for movies like instant family to watch, Wonder is your best choice.
5. Raising Helen (2004)
- Director: Garry Marshall
- Star casts: Kate Hudson, John Corbett, Joan Cusack, Hayden Panettiere, Spencer Breslin, Abigail Breslin, and Helen Mirren.
- IMDb ratings: 6.0/10
Helen Harris is a famous fashion designer, but she has no interest in dating anybody. She lives a luxurious life in New York City and answers to no one.
One day, Helen receives a shocking phone call: her sister and her husband have been killed in a car accident.
Her sister and brother-in-law chose her as the sole guardian of their son and two daughters, a decision that came as a bit of a shock and made her feel uneasy.
Helen must overcome her self-doubt as a parent if this arrangement works. Helen must choose between her new love and the life she has known and loved.
6. About a Boy (2002)
- Director: Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz
- Star casts: Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Sharon Small, Madison Cook, Jordan Cook, and Nicholas Hutchison.
- IMDb ratings: 7.1/10
Young Nicholas Hoult is among the many notable actors in this 2002 comedy. Other notable cast members include Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, and Rachel Weisz.
Hugh Grant stars as Will Freeman, a lazy man who reluctantly befriends Marcus Brewer, a teenager he meets by chance when he starts dating the boy’s single mother.
Like the dysfunctional family dynamic in “Instant Family,” Will and Marcus make for a stunning odd pair in this movie as their differences begin to bring out the best in one another.
Will, who never loses his temper, helps Marcus cope with the bullies and relieves Marcus of dealing with his depressed mother.
On the other hand, Marcus can assist Will in developing a sense of self and seeing that there is more to life than himself.
To Lizzy’s dismay, in “instant Family,” Marcus is wise beyond his years owing to coping with some fairly awful events as a teenager.
Will and Marcus’s unique and charming friendship is shown in “About a Boy,” demonstrating these harsh realities and providing genuine joy.
This is one of the amazing movies like instant family to watch.
7. Big Daddy (1999)
- Director: Dennis Dugan
- Star casts: Adam Sandler, Joey Lauren Adams, Jon Stewart, Cole Sprouse, Dylan Sprouse, Josh Mostel, and Leslie Mann.
- IMDb ratings: 6.4/10
Adam Sandler played the father role in “Big Daddy,” a 1999 movie that was one of the most touching movies like instant family.
Sonny’s unusual parenting approach is hilarious and endearing to witness, despite the possible questionable motivations behind his choice to pretend to be the father of Julian.
Sonny is always there for Julian by covering up messes with newspapers, teaching him how to trip up skaters at the park, or even dressing up as a superhero to get him to do his homework. The two develop a genuine and endearing connection.
Like “Instant Family,” “Big Daddy” is a movie that depicts the ups and downs of parenting, especially when dealing with an adopted kid.
8. Blended (2014)
- Director: Frank Coraci
- Star casts: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Kevin Nealon, Terry Crews, Bella Thorne, and Joel McHale.
- IMDb ratings: 6.5/10
Jim just lost his wife, and he is the father of three daughters who may be proud and judgmental.
After going through a divorce and being a single parent to two sons, Lauren decides to reconnect with her “Mr. Ideal” to get her life back on track.
Jim and Lauren’s friends set them up on a blind date, but everything goes wrong. They go on despite the obvious mismatch.
They had never met until they independently booked a stay at the same exclusive South African resort.
Given that they are all crammed into one suite, they will have to make additional efforts to get along for the children’s sake.
While on the road, the family engages in several activities, and something out of the ordinary happens, causing them to question whether or not destiny is at work.
9. Marriage Story (2019)
- Director: Noah Baumbach
- Star casts: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Greer, Azhy Robertson, Wallace Shawn, Matthew Maher, and Eric Berryman.
- IMDb ratings: 7.9/10
Although it depicts the collapse of a marriage, “Marriage Story” is told with an unexpectedly tender heart. This movie was written and directed by Noah Baumbach.
In this movie, Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson portray Charlie and Nicole, a couple striving to keep their family together despite their struggle.
Marriage Story, a painful and utterly unique love story, takes a hard look at the repercussions of divorce on all parties involved.
What makes this movie so refreshingly different is its openness to tackle implications like financial ones, which are often avoided by other works.
A marriage Story ultimately works because it never forces you to choose a side. Both Nicole and Charlie have their share of shortcomings.
The movie does a great job of navigating the emotional complexity of the situation, which arises from the fact that both characters are right and wrong.
There are some funny parts, and Julie Hagerty, who portrays Nicole’s mother, steals the show no matter how serious the issue is.
Her role in “Marriage Story” is identical to that of her “Instant Family” counterpart. There aren’t many movies like instant family that can both break and lift your heart like “Marriage Story.”
