Brittle bone disease is a dangerous condition, particularly for children who are small and accident-prone. When you add the complexity of autism to the mix, it can be a lot for a family to handle… especially when they have to manage other issues, like alcoholism or struggles with income and employment. The Unbreakable Boy, based on Scott LeRette’s novel The Unbreakable Boy: A Father’s Fear, a Son’s Courage, and a Story of Unconditional Love (itself based on LeRette’s blog), chronicles a family working to overcome these issues in a tale that’s based on LeRette’s own life. The film’s young brothers are both talented finds, and it does have some memorable scenes, but they’re sandwiched between poorly set-up choices and situations that fail to feel true.
What is ‘The Unbreakable Boy’ About?

Scott (Zachary Levi) and Teresa (Meghann Fahy) have a whopping three dates before Teresa becomes pregnant. Their child, Austin (Jacob Laval), inherits his mother’s Osteogenesis imperfect, and his father’s OCD. As he grows a little older, the family discovers he also has autism. Despite the boy’s dangerously brittle bones and inexhaustible energy, a hard combo to manage as a struggling parent, he grows into an optimistic, big-hearted young boy, along with his brother Logan (Gavin Warren). The family experiences challenges, but Austin’s eternal optimism helps them discover newfound strengths.
‘The Unbreakable Boy’ Rarely Rings True

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As Austin, Jacob Laval turns in an enjoyable performance. Austin’s written as a charming, loud personality with myriad eccentricities, like his love of a million hats, or propensity to uncontrollably quote Rob Reiner’s 1992 drama A Few Good Men in its entirety if someone gets him going, and Laval’s good-natured portrayal adds complexity and charm to what otherwise might be a stereotypical role. He additionally has ample opportunities for voice acting, as the film is extensively narrated by Austin. Though the voiceover is overused, Laval gives it some flair. Gabin Warren is also great as Austin’s brother Logan, displaying excellent emotion and line delivery, and Meghann Fahy has strong moments of performance as Teresa.
Zachary Levi has some strong scenes as Scott, the embattled father struggling with considerable family pressure and growing alcoholism, but certain features of the script do him few favors. Lately, Levi’s been in one of the most oddly specific ruts in Hollywood, playing a kid-in-an-adult-body in Shazam!, and its sequel, Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, and essentially an animated-kid-in-an-adult-human-body in Harold and the Purple Crayon (I know he’s technically Harold grown up, but is he ‘grown up,’ though?). Here Levi plays another adult who never really grew up. Scott regularly talks to his adult invisible friend Joe (Drew Powell), and early on gets so lost in bouts of fantasy that once, while swinging, he fails to notice Austin dismount from the swings and crashes into the boy. Maybe these elements may work in novel form, and they may even be true of the author’s own story, but they aren’t written here with enough context and realism to work onscreen.
The film does have some memorable moments and scenes, but many others don’t quite make sense as written, and the consequences that follow similarly fail to feel grounded. Scott turns to alcoholism just because he does (sometimes encouraged, sometimes rejected by invisible friend Joe), while Teresa accidentally endangers herself without it really being established why she makes that choice. Many major moments, like the collection of signatures to achieve something in Austin’s interest, are introduced abruptly along with all the events that surround it. Several scenes like that read as contrived and intended to milk emotion, which is also a problem with some of the dialogue. Lines like “You stop this nonsense right now, Scott, or I am done,” or a young child saying “Do you even see yourself? You’re a cliché, a bully. You’re nothing” to a much older bully doesn’t feel true to the character’s age, even if it’s well delivered. Even if these situations happened in real life exactly as portrayed, they simply need better contextualization and development to work.
The Film Needs Greater Development Despite Talented Young Actors

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The Unbreakable Boy benefits from strong performances from its young actors, and it certainly has some memorable moments. That said, even if nothing is embellished and everything in it occurred in real life exactly as portrayed here, many events and choices need far greater context and development to ring true or have proper setups. Zachary Levi works well enough as the lead, but it’s a role beset with odd lines and unmoored choices. It’s a film that largely rests on an edifice of clichés, contrivances, and ungrounded choices, needing greater development to actually land.

The Unbreakable Boy

The film’s young talent pull off memorable performances and some scenes certainly land, but it can’t save a film full of clichés and ungrounded, underdeveloped elements

Release Date

February 21, 2025

Runtime

100 Minutes

Director

Jon Gunn

Writers

Jon Gunn

Pros & Cons

Jacob Laval is continually pleasant in the role of Austin, while Gavin Warren also excels as brother Logan LaRette.
The film boasts some memorable moments, anchored in particular by the boys and a committed Meghann Fahy.

Certain elements, like the adult imaginary friend or certain pivots into self destructive behavior, need to be better grounded regardless of their truth.
The script is laden with clichés and contrivances that could use better set ups and more honed writing overall.
While Levi isn’t a bad lead, he’s undone by a role too close to his recent oeuvre and beset by these other issues.