The 2009 film Orphan achieved cult classic status as a distinctive horror movie. It centered on a family who adopted Esther, a seemingly innocent 9-year-old girl from Russia, who was later revealed to be a 33-year-old woman with dwarfism posing as a child. Now, Hulu is set to premiere Good American Family.
This miniseries employs multiple viewpoints to delve into “issues of perspective, bias and trauma,” according to Hulu. The narrative follows a couple from the Midwest who adopt a young girl with a rare form of dwarfism. As they raise her alongside their three biological children, questions surrounding her age and origins arise, leading them to suspect she may not be truthful about her identity.
The official synopsis further states, “As they strive to protect their family from the daughter they now perceive as a threat, she engages in her own struggle to confront her past and uncertain future, culminating in a dramatic confrontation played out in the media and legal system.”
Discover the factual events that inspired Good American Family below.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Good American Family: Release Details
The first two episodes of Good American Family are now available for streaming on Hulu, launching on March 19, 2025. Subsequent episodes will be released each week.
The miniseries will consist of a total of eight episodes.
Good American Family Cast Highlights
Good American Family features prominent actors in leading roles: Grey’s Anatomy veteran Ellen Pompeo portrays Kristine Barnett, and Mark Duplass, recognized for his roles in Creep and The Morning Show, embodies Michael Barnett.
Imogen Faith Reid takes on the role of Natalia Grace. The series also includes recurring guest stars such as Dulé Hill, Christina Hendricks, Sarayu Blue, and Jenny O’Hara.
The Real-Life Story Inspiring Good American Family
Hulu’s description indicates that Good American Family draws inspiration from “the disturbing accounts surrounding a Midwestern couple who adopt a girl with a rare form of dwarfism.”
The miniseries is based on the true story of the Barnett family, who presented their perspective on adopting Natalia Grace in the ID docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace. Natalia has spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a genetic condition affecting physical development.
Michael and Kristine Barnett adopted Natalia in 2010 and later accused her of being an adult masquerading as a child. In 2012, the Barnetts legally petitioned to alter Natalia’s birth date to 1989, changing her legal age from 8 to 22 years old at the time.
In 2013, the Barnett family relocated to Canada, leaving Natalia alone in an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana. Kristine and Michael faced charges of neglect of a dependent in 2019. However, the charges against Michael were dismissed in 2022, and Kristine’s were dropped in 2023.
During the neglect proceedings, prosecutors located Natalia’s birth mother in Ukraine and obtained Ukrainian hospital records. These records corroborated Natalia’s claim of being born in 2003, contradicting the Barnetts’ assertion of a 1989 birth year.
Antwon and Cynthia Mans offered Natalia a home after learning of her struggles to live independently in Indiana. According to PEOPLE, Natalia subsequently moved in with Nicole and Vince DePaul, who had previously attempted to adopt Natalia in 2009 but were unsuccessful.
Natalia Grace: Where Is She Now?
Natalia, now 22 years old, currently resides in upstate New York with the DePauls, according to PEOPLE. Nicole DePaul told the publication that Natalia received a diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder (RAD), a behavioral condition commonly observed in children who have spent time in orphanages.
“Did she do unusual things in the past? Yes, likely,” Nicole acknowledged. “[But] when you accept a child, you embrace that child fully. You don’t simply discard them when they don’t fit your expectations.”