Friday, January 24, 2025
The Unbreakable Boy
Based on a true story, this film is about helping broken people heal themselves. Scott (Zachary Levi) & Teresa (Meghann Fahy) meet, date, & then discover she has become pregnant. Next their son Austin is born but unfortunately he has inherited his mom’s genetic defect, a rare brittle bone trait. As a toddler, Austin suffers several bone breaks which stresses out his parents. Then around 4 years old, Austin is diagnosed with autism adding more worries to their parenting. Throughout all of this, Scott’s love for his precious son shines through. As Austin (Jacob Laval) enters middle school, we see how his unquenchable thirst for life & positive attitude has developed & exploded. Laval’s remarkable performance so uplifting & inspiring. Austin is so talkative, spirited, happy all of the time, & totally unaware that he is different. The story focuses on the love & bond between father & son but there is much more going on here too. There are issues dealing with addiction, finances, separation, education, bullying, medication, & therapy. There is even an imaginary friend. This film is an emotional rollercoaster taking you through many moods. Hopefully, this will give you some insights to autism & other personal issuess. Maybe, you will learn to see things by looking through a different perspective. Patricia Heaton & Peter Facinelli are in the supporting cast. Levi, Fahy, & Laval are outstanding. This film is about family and finding help & courage to make yourself better. Photos & summaries of the real family portrayed appear at the film’s end.
Alien gives it 3½ “special hats” stars out of 4.
