Instructions Not Included 2013

As a childhood endeavor, Valentín Bravo’s innate timidity was meticulously nurtured by his father, Juan “Johnny” Bravo. A series of unconventional attempts at instilling fearlessness were made, including a tarantula’s leisurely stroll across Valentín’s torso and a heart-stopping plunge from the precipice of La Quebrada, the treacherous ocean-side cliff. The cumulative effect was a deep-seated resentment towards his father, which culminated in Valentín’s defiant declaration that he no longer loved him, followed by a hasty departure.

In the present, Valentín (Eugenio Derbez) has grown into a charming playboy, renowned for his carefree escapades with the city’s female tourist population. His life is turned upside down when Julie (Jessica Lindsey), a free-spirited American hippie, arrives at his doorstep, bearing an unexpected gift: a baby girl, claiming her to be Valentín’s own. As Julie departs without explanation, leaving the infant in his care, Valentín is left grappling with the weight of responsibility.

When Julie reaches out, confessing her inability to provide for the child, Valentín embarks on a frantic quest to reunite them, only to miss her departure by a hair’s breadth at the airport. With the baby, Maggie, now firmly in his custody, Valentín sets off on a journey across Mexico, hitchhiking towards Tijuana and eventually crossing into the United States via an unconventional mode of transportation: a hidden compartment within a transport truck.

As Valentín navigates the complexities of single fatherhood, he becomes fixated on tracking down Julie, driven by a solitary photograph bearing the distinctive logo of her Los Angeles hotel. His determination culminates in a daring rescue of Maggie from the depths of a presidential suite pool, witnessed by none other than Hollywood movie director Frank Ryan (Daniel Raymont). Impressed by Valentín’s unorthodox heroics, Frank offers him a gig as a stuntman, an opportunity Valentín seizes with relish, recognizing it as the key to supporting his newfound maternal responsibilities.

As the unlikeliest of patriarchs, Valentín assumes responsibility for the upbringing of Maggie (7-year-old Loreto Peralta), showering her with a joyful, free-spirited existence in downtown Los Angeles. By day, he reinvents himself as one of Hollywood’s top stuntmen, while by night, Maggie serves as his trusted on-set coach and translator, effortlessly navigating the bilingual world they inhabit. Despite his own linguistic limitations, Valentín finds creative ways to connect with Maggie, who, in turn, challenges him to confront his deeper fears, even if it’s just for her amusement.

The facade of stability is shattered when Valentín visits the doctor, receiving a sobering injection that prompts a candid confession: the treatments aren’t working. To shield Maggie from the truth about her mother’s abandonment, Valentín crafts elaborate letters, spinning tales of global adventures and derring-do to explain Julie’s prolonged absence. However, Maggie’s curiosity gets the better of her, and she begins to long for her mother’s return.

Valentín seeks his director, Frank, who sets out to find an actress to portray “Julie.” Before the casting process is complete, a surprise phone call from the real Julie reveals that she’s relocated to New York City, where she’s become a lawyer and entered into a lesbian relationship with Renee (Alessandra Rosaldo). As Julie prepares to depart, she’s overcome by emotions, realizing that her desire to reconnect with Maggie extends far beyond occasional visits.

In a surprising turn of events, Julie files for full custody, citing Valentín’s hazardous profession, immaturity, and limited English proficiency as reasons why he’s unfit to raise Maggie. Despite these objections, the judge is swayed by Valentín’s sincerity and the thrilling tale of his ten-story leap, ultimately awarding him custody.

However, this fragile victory is short-lived, as Julie requests a DNA test that confirms Valentín isn’t Maggie’s biological father. The rug pulled out from under him, Valentín loses legal custody of Maggie, but they both slip away, returning to Acapulco, where he reunites with old friends and discovers a shocking truth: his father has passed away, leaving behind an unspoken legacy that Valentín must now confront.

As the narrative shifts back to Los Angeles, Julie and Renee employ their cunning tactics to coerce Frank into divulging Valentín’s whereabouts. Initially, Frank maintains a steadfast refusal to reveal any information, but ultimately yields to pressure, recounting how Valentín has been living each day in a state of uncertainty, grappling with the possibility that it may be his last day on earth and yet again not knowing what the future holds. However, this pivotal revelation remains shrouded from the audience’s prying eyes.

The passage of time is marked by Julie’s unexpected abandonment of her custody battles, as she instead chooses to indulge in a heartwarming interlude with Valentín and his daughter Maggie on the sun-kissed shores of Acapulco. For the next two weeks, the trio savors every moment together, their bond growing stronger with each passing day. Meanwhile, Valentín’s voiceover provides a poignant counterpoint, as he reflects on the capricious nature of fate, where doctors may diagnose a heart defect with no cure, leaving patients to face the very real prospect of an untimely demise.

As Valentín and Julie bask in the warm glow of their beachside idyll, Maggie’s cherubic form slumps into Valentín’s lap, her eyelids fluttering closed as she succumbs to the sweet release of sleep. And then, with heartbreaking suddenness, she is gone – not Valentín, but this innocent child, whose life was marked by the silent ticking of a clock that could strike at any moment.

The passage of time brings us full circle, as we find Valentín walking along the beach, his steps now lightened by the weight of newfound understanding. He muses aloud about the wisdom imparted by his father, who sought to prepare him for the uncertainties of life and instill in him the courage to confront the unknown. The film concludes with a bittersweet tableau: Maggie’s spirit, freed from the confines of mortality, frolics in a sun-drenched heaven alongside her grandfather, their joyous laughter carrying on the breeze.