Four years after it was originally intended to be released, “The Unbreakable Boy” is now in theaters, and yes, it’s based on a true story about a real family.
The film centers on Austin (Jacob Laval), a young boy who is born with brittle bone disease. When his parents, Scott (Zachary Levi) and Teresa (Meghann Fahy), learn that he’s also autistic, they worry about what the future holds.
“But with Scott’s growing faith and Austin’s incredible spirit, they become ‘unbreakable,’ finding joy, gratitude, and courage even in the most trying times — an extraordinary true story about a father and son learning together that every day can be the best day of your life!” the official synopsis reads.
The question with any true story onscreen, though, is how much is really true?
What is “The Unbreakable Boy” based on?
The film is based on Scott LeRette’s autobiography “The Unbreakable Boy: A Father’s Fear, a Son’s Courage, and a Story of Unconditional Love,” which he wrote alongside Susy Flory. They released the book in 2014, detailing his personal and familial struggles.
“People want and need good, real, and meaningful stories,” LeRette said at the time of the book’s release. “Our story, I hope, is a story for the masses… one that will make you think, cry, laugh, hurt, and love all at the same time.”
You can learn more about the book here.
How much of the movie is based on true events?
According to LeRette, the movie stays true to his family’s life. As he explained to PEOPLE Magazine, “It’s pretty much all out there.” But there’s one scene in particular that hits extra hard for the real Scott.
“Zach says, ‘I wish I could love anything as much Austin loves everything,’ and that is something that I find myself thinking about every day,” he told the outlet. “Because it’s exactly right. Austin would rather gravitate to the worst of human beings to get to know them. Because he thinks everybody’s redeemable.”
But yes, the real Austin has a penchant for jester hats, the real LeRette struggled with addiction — most details in the film are each based in reality.
What is brittle bone disease?
The proper, scientific name for brittle bone disease is Osteogenesis imperfecta. In short, it’s a genetic disease that causes bones to fracture and break exceedingly easily. What might be a little fall for one person could result in serious damage for someone with brittle bone disease.
Where is Austin now?
Today, Austin is 30 years old, and still close with his family. But, LeRette told PEOPLE that life is still pretty difficult.
“In terms of even semi-independent living, it’s so hard, and he wants that more than we do,” he said. “He’s 30. He’ll never drive — and it’s not because he couldn’t physically do it, but it’s because he would fall in love with the song on the radio and he’d crash. People need services. It’s a challenge.”
LeRette’s hope is that “The Unbreakable Boy” will give audiences a real idea of what it’s like dealing with special needs.
“The world in general, our country needs so much help with services because when a child turns 18 or 21 [for] special needs, the services tend to just disappear —I mean, overnight” he said. “Boom. Stop. Period. They’re gone.”
“The Unbreakable Boy” is now in theaters.
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