‘The Unbreakable Boy’ Review: Zachary Levi in a Drama That Crosses the Thin Line Between Inspirational and Maudlin

There’s an awful lot to handle in The Unbreakable Boy. Not only for the characters but also the audience. Here’s a sampling: autism, brittle bone disease, alcoholism, financial struggles and marital difficulties. It’s based on a true story, so you can’t say the plot elements are contrived (well, actually you can). And it’s all supposed to be wonderfully inspirational, no less. It’s the type of film seemingly designed to make you feel morally deficient if you don’t come away singing its praises.

Well, consider me tone-deaf, because this drama directed by Jon Gunn (Ordinary Angels) is an ordeal. It’s not surprising to learn that the film has been sitting on the shelf for nearly four years after its originally planned release. It feels too heavy to pick up.

The cloying cuteness starts at the very beginning with the narration by the titular character, teenage Austin (Jacob Laval, excellent), who begins by telling us about some of his favorite things. (“Ranch dressing is da bomb!” he announces, which will be music to Hidden Valley’s ears). He informs us that his parents Scott (Zachary Levi, Shazam!) and Teresa (Meghann Fahy, The White Lotus) had only gone on three dates before she got pregnant. “Okay, pay attention, here’s the part where I came in!” he chirps as we witness the obligatory birth scene, complete with screaming mother. We also get to see moments from the parents’ courtship, including Scott naturally making a fool of himself by offering to purchase eight identical pairs of pants at the clothing store where Teresa works.  

It soon turns out that Austin suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), or brittle bone disease, which results in his suffering broken bones from the slightest of accidents (even his birth resulted in broken ribs). It’s eventually discovered that he’s also autistic, manifesting itself in such behavior as endless chattering and wearing a brightly colored jester’s hat. His hyperactive imagination becomes visualized in scenes in which he imagines flying with his father and a kite turning into an animated dragon. There’s a darker side as well, as when Austin suddenly erupts in a violent episode that results in him being hospitalized before it’s discovered that he was having a bad reaction to his medications.    

Both parents are endlessly supportive but the strain inevitably puts a toll on their relationship, especially when Scott begins abusing alcohol. But thanks to the friendship of a down-to-earth priest (Peter Facinelli, who also produced) with problems of his own, Scott straightens himself out and learns to experience gratitude and joy even under the most difficult circumstances.

Based on Scott LeRette’s memoir, it’s an undeniably moving tale. But it’s related in such choppily episodic and formulaic fashion that it becomes nearly impossible to take any of it seriously. It doesn’t help that there are annoying recurring scenes featuring Scott talking to his avuncular friend Joe (Drew Powell), who turns out to be imaginary.

“Are you God?” Scott asks his “friend” at one point, with Joe’s response thankfully being one time the film doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Levi is a likable presence (at least onscreen — discuss among yourselves), but he seems ill-equipped to handle his character’s darker aspects. But at least he has more to work with than the appealing Fahy, whose Teresa is barely defined other than her fierce protectiveness of Austin and her love of video games.

The Unbreakable Boy works hard, very hard, to pull your heartstrings, wringing every bit of angst, misery and even humor from Austin’s considerable obstacles. But at a certain point it stops feeling inspirational and more like misery porn.