Big Daddy remains one of Adam Sandler’s best movies, but fans of the comedy can find similar laughs and a lot of heart in Instant Family. Sandler was already a comedy star by the time this movie came out, but its box-office success helped cement him as one of the biggest stars in Hollywood while also showing a new side to his talents. The hilarious comedy finds Sandler playing Sonny Koufax, a slacker with no responsibilities who takes in a young boy named Julian (Cole and Dylan Sprouse) in order to prove that he is responsible and mature.

Sandler has a lot of fun playing around with his typical man-child character that he perfected in movies like Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison. However, he also brings a lot of sweetness to the role that fans of his previous movies might not have expected. While far from the likes of Punch Drunk Love and Uncut Gems, it was one of the earlier, more serious Sandler movies that showed his growing range as an actor. Now, with Instant Family becoming a hit on streaming, more people are checking out that 2018 comedy and finding similarities with Sandler’s 1999 hit.

Instant Family Tells A Similar Story To Big Daddy

Both Comedies Explore The Ups And Downs Of Suddenly Becoming A Parent

Instant Family is another unique comedy about family, starring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne as Pete and Ellie Wagner, a couple who, despite not wanting children before, suddenly decide that they would be interested in adopting a child from foster care. They form a bond with a charming yet rebellious teenager, Lizzy (The Last of Us‘ Isabela Merced). However, Lizzy also has two younger siblings, Juan (Gustavo Escobar) and Lita (Julianna Gamiz), and the Wagners agree to take them all into their home.

Like Big Daddy, Instant Family gets a lot of laughs from the suddenness of this parenting situation and the chaos it throws into the lives of the main characters. Adam Sandler’s character of Sonny is a much more underqualified parent compared to Pete and Ellie when he first begins to take care of Julian, but the Wagners are also unprepared for the challenges of suddenly having three kids. However, the real similarities come in how the two movies show the evolution of this parenting adventure.

In both cases, Sonny and the Wagners seem to decide to become parents on a whim. While the Wagners put more thought into it and attend foster care classes, they are still uncertain if this is the right thing for them. However, they are given more confidence early on when the kids seem to be well-behaved, and they feel as though they have natural parenting skills. This reflects Sonny foolishly deciding he has what it takes to be a good father after bonding with Julian over a couple of days.

This leads to the harsh realities for Sonny and the Wagners as the hardships of parenting become more clear. In Big Daddy, Sonny contends with Julian wetting the bed, throwing tantrums in public, and generally being annoying. The Wagners find the big personalities of the three kids difficult to handle, especially Lizzy, who feels they would be better off reuniting with their birth mother. However, when the threat of losing the kids comes up, Sonny and the Wagners realize the fulfilling nature of the families they have built and fight to prove that they can be the right guardians for these kids.

Instant Family Also Perfectly Blends Comedy With Heart

Mark Wahlberg And Rose Byrne Make For A Terrific Comedic Team

One of the things that differentiated Big Daddy from the likes of Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison is the heart at the center of the comedy. There is still the kind of juvenile and wacky humor Sandler fans expect, but the relationship between Sonny and Julian makes for some truly heartwarming moments. It is not an easy blending of tones, and many movies have failed to achieve it. However, Instant Family also excels at these touching moments amid some real comedy.

A story like this could easily have come across as more sentimental than funny, and Instant Family does touch on a lot of the hardships of foster children. The climactic scene in which Lizzy realizes that her birth mother is not ready to take them back is particularly emotional. There are also some touching moments with Pete and Ellie bonding with the kids and creating a real family together. However, Instant Family also never forgets to deliver laughs even amid these serious scenes.

Pete and Ellie make for a great comedic pair, with a lot of the funniest moments coming from their attempts to be parents for the first time. Other movies might try to make them too perfect, but Instant Family shows their flaws as parents, and there is a lot of humor in the honesty they have regarding the struggles they face. The comedic highlight of the movie comes when they go to Lizzy’s school to confront her older love interest, leading to a hilarious scene.

The Instant Family cast is a big reason the comedy works so well. Mark Wahlberg has proven himself a gifted comedic actor with roles in movies like The Other Guys and Ted, and he delivers once again in this movie. Meanwhile, Rose Byrne is one of Hollywood’s most underrated comedic actors with hilarious performances in Bridesmaids, Spy, Neighbors, and many more projects. Margot Martindale also steals several scenes as Pete’s boisterous yet loving mother who forces her way into the family dynamic.

Instant Family Cast

Instant Family might hit those emotional moments more than the sillier Big Daddy, but it is the kind of movie that will certainly have audiences tearing up while also laughing out loud. That is a rare combination and is part of the reason both movies have become such popular hits.