Instructions Not Included
A heartwarming dramedy blending slapstick humor with tear-jerking tragedy. Through the vibrant chaos of an accidental fatherhood, it explores how a "useless" playboy finds his courage in the eyes of his daughter, culminating in a shattering, poetic revelation about life's fragility.
Instructions Not Included
Instructions Not Included

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"Life doesn't care if you're ready."

20 July 2013 United States of America 122 min ⭐ 7.7 (942)
Director: Eugenio Derbez
Cast: Eugenio Derbez, Loreto Peralta, Jessica Lindsey, Daniel Raymont, Hugo Stiglitz
Drama Comedy
Fatherhood and Sacrifice Fear vs. Courage Reality vs. Fantasy The Immigrant Experience
Budget: $5,500,000
Box Office: $99,067,206

Instructions Not Included - Characters & Cast

Character Analysis

Valentín Bravo

Eugenio Derbez

Archetype: The Reluctant Hero / The Fool
Key Trait: Imaginative devotion

Motivation

To protect Maggie's happiness and shield her from the pain of her mother's abandonment.

Character Arc

Starts as a cowardly, commitment-phobic playboy. Through raising Maggie, he discovers a reservoir of courage he didn't know he possessed, ultimately learning that true bravery isn't the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it for love.

Maggie

Loreto Peralta

Archetype: The Wise Child
Key Trait: Bilingual charm

Motivation

To love her father and eventually meet her mother, whom she idolizes through Valentín's stories.

Character Arc

She serves as the catalyst for Valentín's growth. While she appears to be the one being protected, she is actually the one guiding Valentín, serving as his translator (literally and metaphorically) and anchor.

Julie

Jessica Lindsey

Archetype: The Prodigal Parent
Key Trait: Regret

Motivation

Guilt and a desire to reclaim the family she abandoned, complicated by her new stable life.

Character Arc

Initially the antagonist who abandons her child, she returns as a successful lawyer seeking redemption and custody. Her character forces the confrontation between biological rights and earned parenthood.

Cast

Eugenio Derbez as Valentín
Loreto Peralta as Maggie
Jessica Lindsey as Julie
Daniel Raymont as Frank Ryan
Hugo Stiglitz as Johnny Bravo
Arcelia Ramírez as Judeisy
Agustín Bernal as Lupe
Karla Souza as Jackie
Roger Cudney as Abogado Julie
Ari Brickman as Director
Jeannine Derbez as Directora
Jesús Ochoa as Himself
Andrés Vázquez as Valentín niño
Leia Freitas as Amante Brasileña
Ángela Moreno as Amante dominicana