The Unbreakable Boy

While Austin does have more character than Music, feels a bit less like an autism stereotype, and has no real offensive scene (e.g. Prone restraint) except for maybe that one scene where Austin gets the wrong medication and goes ballistic, the movie as a whole still suffers from many of the problems Music had.

The most glaring issue being that the plot focuses more on the parent/caretaker becoming sober than it does about the challenges and uniqueness of being autistic. Not only is this a plot that hits all the beats you would expect from an addiction film, but it takes away the spotlight from what the movie's title is supposedly supposed to be about, the autistic kid.

The second, and this is a bit less of an issue compared to Music, but still a problem, is that the autistic character doesn't feel like a real character. Granted, they do try a little more with giving Austin characteristics outside of his autism (he's talkative and cheerful), but he still doesn't feel like an actual complex human being with motivations, an arc, and depth. And this goes back to the movie not really being about him. The quirks, emotions, and meltdowns he exhibits lack meaning and we have little reason to connect with this character as we don't really see from his perspective. And yes, even the narration feels flat.

The other characters also suffer from the same problem as Austin, yes, even the protagonist (Zachary Levi) feels one-note. All he has about him is his alcoholism. The characters have nothing special about them other than having a few funny and heartwarming moments. Zachary Levi's character also has a strange hallucinatory friend that pops in out of nowhere to support him from time and time and that's all he does. The only character I actually tolerated is Logan, who doesn't even do much in this film. He wants to help his bully, which is a nice quality to have. Unfortunately, his problem gets solved Dharr Man style.

The only consistent positive thing I have to say about it is the acting of everyone. They did what they were given, they were emotionally compelling enough, and they help us connect a little more to the characters and their emotions despite the glaring script. Austin even has speech problems which is a common thing for us autistic folks.

I can see why this film was shelved after the controversy of Music and frankly, it should've stayed shelved. And before you ask, I do recognize this is based on a true story that was written from the father's perspective. I'm aware of that. However, I have not read the book so I do not know how much of this is true.

When I'm writing this 20% of the reviews are 1 star, which is insane. The only explanation is there are narrow minded people that only see Zac Levi's political comments and decided that was enough to trash the movie. I'm pretty sure they didn't even see it, because if they had then they defeated their intention because the $$ spent means more than the 1 star.

They also ignore all the other great actors who put in fantastic performances.

Jacob Laval puts in a stellar performance. His manic delivery of dialogue was wonderfully done as were his facial expressions. Pretty impressive for his age.

I had not seen Meghann Fahy before in a lead role, but now I'm going to be looking for things she's done in the past and future. She was rememberable in her performance as "T".

The supporting cast were excellent complement. Patricia Heaton and Amy Acker delivered as always performances that made scenes work.

I can only hope that people are wise enough to look at the rating distribution and realize there are haters and ignore the composite rating.

When - 11:05 PM Where - MovieBox Pro With Who - Myself

First Thoughts - This movie is the definition of sweet and heartfelt. Kingdom Story Company once again managed to toe the line between impactful and cheesy, and it created a solid film.

I feel as though every member of the cast are actually trying in their roles, particularly Zachary Levi, Meghann Fahy, and newcomer Jacob Laval as the titular character Auzman. Levi, in particular, as Austin's father Scott, gives a fully fleshed out performance, portraying someone who consistently feels as though he is drowning, without realizing that he is the one doing so with the bottle. Given Levi's well-documented struggles with mental health, his inspiring journey to becoming mentally well, and his work to better others struggling with mental health issues, it truly feels as though he means and feels every word of the script he is speaking. It's as though he has thought every thought and said every word to himself at some point, and yet he still came out the other side. Fahy also gives a solid performance as Teresa, Auzman's mom and Scott's wife. She has quickly shown herself this year to be a really talented actress, specifically in roles that require a lot of emotional bandwidth. Lastly, Laval, as Austin, the star of the show, completely disappeared into this role. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought that they had cast the actual real-life Austin. His performance has a naturally vibrant energy running through it, and it comes across as totally natural.

Does the story go through some familiar beats of the genre? Sure it does. Is it even somewhat predictable? I would say probably for most people.

At the end of the day, does that really matter? I don't think so.

This is a well-made, good-looking movie that tackles some very hard themes in a gentle but accurate way. There is a reason why nearly every production made by Kingdom Story Company ends up being an unprecedented success, and that's because they're good storytellers and are willing to put in the time, money, and effort to make good films.

Overall, this is a solid movie that the whole family can enjoy, and should.

Movie The Unbreakable Boy directed by Jon Gunn is based on life of Austin (actor Jacob Laval ) his younger brother Logan (actor Gavin Warren) born to Teresa ( Meghann Fahy from the series Perfect Couple)and Scott (actor Zachary Levi). Teresa is blue eyed and has brittle bones ,symptoms of genetic disorder Osteogenesis imperfecta. Austin is born with brittle bones and also dx with Autism Austin loves his mom, dad and younger brother. Austin is capable of understanding and retaining information . Austin's constant banter at home and school is very well directed. His remarks made to Logan after Logan gets into a fight with Tyler have a big impact on family. Really enjoyed the pleasant interactions between father and son and also loving relationship and glances between Austin's mom and dad.

Screenplay is very realistic. Love filled home has a big impact on children's minds and is depicted very well. This movie is supposedly based on a true story of a family from Iowa . I am in awe of both mom and dad who showed love and honesty in a relationship can have healthy outcomes even if medical world and society label developmental delays.

I am glad i saw this movie which has reinforced importance of love in raising children to keep them stable and healthy.

Austin's happy thoughts and words in having his dad at home after dad loses his job and mom not having a job is extremely touching and realistic. There is no company better than a loving mom and dad as friends.

Good Editing. Good Direction. Excellent acting.

This is not about a boy. Which makes it feel practically like false advertisement, considering that the trailer suggests otherwise. In fact, I'd say that the trailer has covered most of the highlights where the boy was, indeed, the focus. There are only a couple more scenes besides that.

So what's the movie is about really? I think it tried to be about a couple, at first, but then it became more about the father, and mostly him. There is a reason for this "pivot", if you can call it that, but it did not feel fair, to be honest, since it made the story somewhat one-sided.

Even if that can still be acceptable, I can't say the movie has much impact. It felt shallow for the most part. A lot of stuff is being told, not really shown (not talking about narration), which does not help with establishing connection with either of the characters. Important topics are often times touched in somewhat cliched ways, too, but life is a cliche in itself, so that's not a failure in itself. It's just that darker themes still were "too bright", too "upbeat".

Perhaps the running time of a movie was the constraint here. The story is spanning multiple years, after all, and on paper it has quite a few situations, that should stir emotions. But due to lack of time there is simply not enough room to build up to them and dramatize them properly. I think it might have worked better as a TV show similar to TV adaptation of "About A Boy", where the story was also not really so much about a boy (contrary to the title), but about him building connection and changing lives of others, including his mother and neighbor.

Alas, that's not what we have. It's not a complete waste of time, but I do no think it delivers, what it set out to.