‘The unbreakable boy’ – A review and questions

The Unbreakable Boy is a new film from Lionsgate, the people that brought us the film ‘Wonder’.

It follows the story of Austin (sometimes nicknamed Auz-man in the movie) and his family, as they journey and learn life together.

Here’s the trailer:

As Austin himself says at the start of the film “This story is based on true facts. Lot’s of true facts…” and the story is based on a real life family, the LeRette’s.

Austin has a medical condition called ‘Osteogenesis Imperfecta’, sometimes referred to in the movie as ‘OI’ which is introduced at the beginning of the film as ‘a hereditary disease caused by defective or deficient collagen production and marked by extreme brittleness of the long bones and a bluish colour of the whites of the eyes’.

We learn in the movie that Austin has inherited this condition from his mother, Teresa, but that he has also inherited Autism, probably from his father, Scott (who is seen lining things up, and having an imaginary friend, regularly used pictorial tropes in movies and on TV to denote someone who may be Autistic; we return to this theme later).

Although Austin is the narrator of much of the story, and the suggestion is that it is told through his experience, much of the focus of the film is on Scott and his struggles, which raises the question of who is the film really about, Austin, or Scott?



Q. Having watched the film, who do you think the main character is?

Clearly the early stages of the film, after the introduction where Austin narrates that “Lots of things get broken… sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad…” and explaining that the opening scene is “the night when everything broke” a reference to events unfolding later in the film, are before Austin is born, so initially at least the focus seems to be on Scott and Teresa.

We see Austin telling us every time he breaks a bone (including during birth, which is why he cries a lot), and Scott and Teresa coping, not always well, with the many trips to hospital.

We also start to see Austin counting things and lining them up (that Autistic pictorial trope again) as well as experiencing brain overload (a meltdown). We hear Scott saying to Teresa that “Something’s not right”, and sad music accompanies the news that Austin is Autistic.

This portrayal of a diagnosis of Autism as a ‘tragedy’ is typical in movies and TV.

Q. Is this portrayal an accurate representation of how families react to the diagnosis that their child is Autistic? Although families often adjust to this news and become strong allies and advocates for their child and all Autistic children, is it reasonable to highlight that initially at least this can be a difficult moment for some?



We see the family going to church (Teresa has been going, but she persuades Scott to bring them all). By now we have also met Austin’s younger brother, Logan, who becomes a strong ally for Austin.

At church, Austin is seen doing a semi-naked dash through church, with everyone stopping in shock until the church leader, Rick, intervenes.



Q. Any of us who are parents of an Autistic child may have had moments like this. What is your story?

Things take a turn for the worse when Austin gets hurt in a swing accident, breaking vertebrae in his back. It starts relationship difficulties between Teresa and Scott, a theme that continues throughout much of the rest of the film.

Financial worries arrive, with big bills for Austin’s medical care, Scott losing his job, and other bills remaining unpaid. This leads to more arguments, and also the house being repossessed. Scott relies more and more on alcohol to get through each day.

Q. Families can experience these pressures, and statistically couples with a child with additional needs are far more likely to (i) experience financial problems, and (ii) have relationship difficulties and breakups. Does Teresa and Scott’s story resonate with you or someone you know?

There is a disturbing scene where Austin becomes overwhelmed and attacks Teresa and then Logan.

The consequence of this is that rather than understanding that he is overwhelmed (not least picking up on the relationship issues at home) he ends up in a children’s psychiatric hospital for evaluation, staying there for some time.

Teresa is struggling to cope more and more and is involved in an incident in her car. It isn’t clear if her intention is to end her life, or if she is so completely distracted and overwhelmed by what is happening in her family and to Austin that she isn’t focussed on driving.

Q. Families with children with additional needs can and do experience mental health issues. Does Teresa’s story resonate with you or someone you know?

Scott takes Austin and Logan to a New Year’s Eve party, where he gets drunk and then drives them home.

Thankfully they don’t crash, but it is the final straw for Teresa and she throws Scott out of the house. It’s one of the low points of the story.

From here on, things start to come back together again, heading towards a more positive ending, starting with Scott realising that he has to change if he is to get his family back and so starts to go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to deal with his drinking.

Logan gets into a fight with the school bully, Tyler, but then understands that Tyler has a difficult home life too, and so in a wonderfully generous act, forgives Tyler, having a hugely positive impact on Tyler himself.

Q. Siblings of children with additional needs are more likely to be bullied than children who don’t have siblings with additional needs. Do you know a sibling who has experienced bullying because of their brother or sister?

Earlier in the film, we see questions being raised about whether Austin could continue to attend his school, or whether he would need to attend another educational establishment. He has also been away during his time of psychiatric evaluation.

Scott and Teresa are thinking that they might have to somehow home school Austin, but the recently transformed Tyler has organised a petition at school with everybody signing it to say they want Austin to stay… “Auz-man is back!”

Q. What can other children teach us about how to be more accepting and inclusive? Do you know some children and young people who are allies and advocates for children with additional needs?

A wave of positivity follows this moment; Scott and Teresa are back together again, mending their marriage; Scott and Austin go on camp together, much to Austin’s delight; and the movie ends with the family all together enjoying a post-camp meal out. Austin is enjoying a milkshake… which becomes a metaphor for life:



“Every milkshake can be the best milkshake, every day can be the best day, every moment can be the best moment, you just have to be able to see it…”

Q. Is that everyone’s story? Does everyone have a happy ending? How about you? Have you been able to see it? Or does this story give you hope that your family’s story could be different?

At the beginning, I asked the question of who was this film about… Austin? Scott? Maybe it was about both of them… In the most important of ways, Austin wasn’t broken, he didn’t need his Dad to fix him, his Dad needed Austin to fix him!!

Q. Was this an accurate depiction of an Autistic child, or a stereotypical one? Did the visual and other tropes used influence your view?

It seems to me that this was a depiction of one Autistic boy, and highlights that every child is different, whether they have ‘OI’ or not, whether they are Autistic or not. Some people will see themselves or their child in Austin, many will not.

At the end of the movie, during the credits, we see photo’s of the real LeRette family on whom this story is based. It is hoped that they recognised the portrayal of all of them as realistic.

The Unbreakable Boy is available to buy or rent across streaming platforms now.

Mark Arnold, Director of Additional Needs Ministry at Urban Saints. Arnold blogs at The Additional Needs Blogfather. This article was re-published with permission.