The Unbreakable Boy Review: Autism Story that Centers Parents
Theatrical Movie Review - Family Drama
Films about disabilities are a bit of a rarity. Despite 1 in 36 children in the United States being diagnosed with autism, there are very few films that have at their center an autistic child. Director and writer Jon Gunn brings the story of an autistic boy to the screen with the film The Unbreakable Boy. It shares the true story of Austin LeRette, based on the book of the same name.
When Scott (Zachary Levi) and Teresa (Meghann Fahy) discover that Teresa is pregnant, they are initially surprised but agree that they want to get married and start a family together. When Austin (Jacob Laval) is born, he cries non-stop, but it is only later that they realize he was crying because he had a broken collarbone due to a condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, more commonly known as brittle bone disease. As Austin gets older, symptoms of his autism begin to inhibit the everyday life that Scott and Teresa want, sometimes making things unsafe for them and their other son, Logan (Gavin Warren). In the midst of all of this, Scott is battling alcoholism as he tries to figure out how to keep his family together, or if that’s even what he wants to do.
The Unbreakable Boy was a bit of a mixed bag. Some aspects, particularly the family dynamic as they worked through various hardships, were done well, but others felt almost exploitative. The film is based on Scott LeRette’s memoir, which includes stories about his son, but it is told in Austin’s voice, which changes the dynamics a bit and muddies the story in a way that left me feeling uncomfortable with the details that were shared.
While some of the performances are a bit melodramatic, they are all fully committed to the story they are telling. Levi and Fahy have excellent on-screen chemistry, and watching them struggle as a couple felt incredibly real. Drew Powell, who plays Scott’s imaginary friend, adds a lot of humor to the film, especially in a moment near the end. However, the star of the film is Laval as Austin, and he does a remarkable job playing this character. He brings humor and joy and pathos to Austin and is able to ground this character who could become more of a caricature than a real person.
For the most part, The Unbreakable Boy looks good. The most frustrating aspect is that occasionally, the movie shifts into Austin’s perspective and adds an animated sheen to help us see the world through his eyes. Those moments are fine, but there were times when they could have helped us get inside his mind better and weren’t used. I wish they had either committed to it or left it out entirely because the amount used felt exactly the wrong amount.
I still would love to see a story fully from the perspective of an autistic person rather than a parent’s story presented as an autistic child’s story, but The Unbreakable Boy is a sweet film about a family and seeing every day as a gift. If you’re looking for something simple, that may be enough. I just hoped for something a little more.
Check out my interview with director Jon Gunn.
This review originally appeared in The Dominion Post on February 23, 2025.