Instant Family

Married couple Pete Wagner and Ellie Wagner feel the weight of skepticism from relatives who doubt they will ever have children. They begin exploring adoption and sign on with a foster-care network led by two dedicated social workers, Karen and Sharon. At a fair designed to connect foster families with kids, Ellie admits she is hesitant about fostering or adopting a teen, but their encounter with 15-year-old Lizzie proves unexpectedly compelling, and she makes a strong first impression on them.

Karen and Sharon reveal that Lizzie has two younger siblings, Juan (11) and Lita (6), and that their mother is a drug addict who is in jail. If the Wagners want to adopt Lizzie, they would also need to take in Juan and Lita. The initial meeting with Lizzie and her siblings doesn’t spark an immediate bond, which leads the couple to pause and reconsider. During Thanksgiving dinner with Ellie’s family, Pete and Ellie admit they have decided not to pursue adoption, but a candid moment with their relatives—who acknowledge they never truly expected it to work out—helps them rethink their stance. The couple eventually commits to formally adopting the three children, and Lizzie, Juan, and Lita move into the Wagner home, transforming the rhythm of daily life.

Life with three new children proves bustling and occasionally chaotic. Lita’s outbursts test patience, Juan’s sensitivity and fragility push the family to the brink, and Lizzie’s initial resentment creates constant friction as Ellie tries to steer their parental approach. To cope, Pete and Ellie seek support from a foster-parent group, looking for guidance and reassurance that they can build a stable family out of this complicated start.

Pete’s mother, Sandy Wagner, makes an effort to win over the kids by taking them on trips to amuse and reassure them, including a day at Six Flags. Lizzie’s autonomy is tested when she slips away to hang out with friends and returns late, prompting Pete to discipline her more firmly than she anticipated. The tension between Lizzie and Ellie remains a focal point as the adults work to balance authority with warmth.

A turning point comes when Lizzie attempts to leave with friends, and Juan sustains an accidental injury from a nail gun at home. The sight of Pete and Ellie rushing Juan to the hospital, while offering comfort to both him and Lita, begins to soften Lizzie’s resistant shell, and she ultimately takes the blame in front of social worker Karen, signaling a potential shift in her trust toward the Wagners.

Another clash erupts when suppressed emotions boil over in a confrontation between Lizzie and Ellie. In response, Pete invites Lizzie to vent by helping him demolish the kitchen in a house he’s renovating. The cathartic activity leads to apologies from Lizzie and a renewed sense of connection within the family. Small moments of progress accumulate: Lita affectionately calls Pete “Daddy” after he repairs her doll, and Ellie experiences a heartfelt moment of joy when Juan, during soccer practice, whispers a comforting “Good night, Mommy” after she comforts him in his room.

The family’s upward trajectory is interrupted when Carla—the children’s mother—begins visiting after her release from prison. Carla’s reemergence brings renewed disruption and a sense of instability to the Wagner household, with the kids growing more unruly and Pete and Ellie feeling drained and unsettled. The foster-systems discussions return to a broader, structural question: social workers emphasize that the system’s overarching aim is to keep families together, and sometimes that means difficult, painful steps toward reunification with biological parents.

Trouble intensifies when Pete and Ellie learn that Lizzie has been exchanging naked pictures with her school boyfriend, Jacob—a 22-year-old man who is connected to the school—an episode that alarms the family. They seek guidance from the Fernandez family, whose own daughter Brenda had previously inspired the Wagners during orientation. Brenda is back in rehab, and Mr. and Mrs. Fernandez remind them that “things that matter are hard,” a line that sticks with them as they navigate the mounting pressures.

During a school day, a student informs them that Jacob has been lingering around Lizzie, prompting a confrontation that spirals into violence. Pete and Ellie beat Jacob and he is arrested, while Pete and Ellie themselves are taken into custody, leaving Juan and Lita alone in the car. After posting bail, they must face the fallout and the admonition from Sandy to reassure Lizzie that they love her.

In the courtroom, Lizzie’s statement is read by the judge, detailing Pete and Ellie’s actions while omitting key details. The judge denies Ellie the chance to read her own statement, and the children are temporarily returned to Carla. Lizzie wants to stay with the Wagners, while Juan and Lita wrestle with the idea of leaving the only home they have known. As the social workers investigate, they reveal that Carla did not meet with them to take the children and that Lizzie had been the driving force behind much of the paperwork for reunification. A devastating revelation follows: Carla is using drugs again. Lizzie, heartbroken, runs away, and Pete and Ellie pursue her, reaffirming their love and their commitment to the children, with a powerful sense that they must weather the storm together.

Four months pass, and a new court hearing brings a brighter turn: Lizzie finally calls Ellie “Mom” and Pete “Papá,” signaling a deepening sense of belonging. The case resolves with the formal adoption of Lizzie, Juan, and Lita, and the family gathers for a final, hopeful portrait that includes the judge, extended family, and fellow foster families, a moment that marks a hard-won, lasting bond.

• “things that matter are hard” - a sentiment that threads through the family’s trials and ultimate endurance, underscoring the core truth of their journey.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 13:04