16 hours Ago By N/A (AJ Siytangco)
A scene from 'The Unbreakable Boy' (Images courtesy of Lionsgate )Based on a memoir of the same name, "The Unbreakable Boy" tells the true tale of Austin LeRette, a boy on the autism spectrum, and osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare congenital disease that results in extremely fragile bones. Zachary Levi and Meghann Fahy play Scott and Teresa LeRette. Austin’s parents have their work cut out for them, caring for and raising a son in such exceptionally special circumstances.
Austin, also known as Oz-Man, is a great little kid. He has a pet lizard, a hat collection, and an unusually positive outlook on life, given his circumstances. Young Jacob Laval, who was just 13 when shooting the film, gives a charming performance with his quirks and constant grin.
His energy is contagious, whether on screen or while doing the narrative voice-over that ties the film together. While watching, though, one can’t help but feel there was a bit of a bait and switch as the movie quickly shifts its focus to Mom and Dad. I’m not complaining because, in the end, it still turns out to be a touching story.
The film doesn’t so much tell the story of Austin as it does the story of his family around him, which is why it makes perfect sense to have him narrate the events. Yes, unpleasant things happen to Austin, such as being ridiculed in school and multiple fractured bones and much of it pushes the story forward, but he mostly takes things in stride, even keeping a tally of how many breaks he’s had over the years.The ones who often find themselves in tough situations are Scott and Teresa, who both have to deal with the pressure and strain of caring for Austin and balancing his needs with the needs of their other son, Logan, and their work and private lives.
It has been called a faith-based movie, though I wouldn’t characterize it as such, at least not place it in the same category as something like Heaven is For Real back in 2014 or Mel Gibson’s The Passion of Christ.Faith-based movies often get a bad rap from critics and audiences, with the perception of thembeing m ore vehicles of propaganda than entertainment. While some do tend to be heavy-handed, that isn’t the case here.
Levi’s character isn’t even Christian and doesn’t overtly convert by the film's end. He reluctantly accepts help from a pastor, played by Twilight’s Peter Facinelli, when he hits his lowest point, and things threaten to all fall apart.The moments about family, however, are the ones that shine.
And not just the nuclear family but also the extended family. Teresa’s sister is often at her side, good times or bad, and there was always help from her parish. Scott’s parents, Austin’s grandparents, are also verymuch on hand and up for helping when asked.
It is a clean, feel-good, family movie entertainingly depicting positive values. It’s the kind of movie that doesn’t get made very often nowadays, and yet is something we would I benefit from seeing more of it..
