A View From the Couch: Unbreakable Spirit, Unforgettable Performance, from an Unbreakable Boy

Rating: 8/10

At the time of drafting this review I still wasn’t entirely clear on whether the actor Jacob Laval, who plays Austin LeRette in The Unbreakable Boy, was on the autism spectrum himself.

That detail is obviously something a simple Google search could have helped clarify for me, but I did not want to run the risk of watering down what I considered to be a major acting highlight in 2025.

Once I am done with this review I will conduct some additional research on Laval, but for the moment I want to soak up what I consider to be one of the most compelling performances from a child actor since Leonardo DiCaprio blew us all away in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.

Another flaw with this review is that I have no personal experience with autism spectrum, beyond what I am fed by Hollywood, but even if it does turn out that this was somehow a misrepresentation of the autism spectrum, it would not be enough to alter my positive opinion of Laval, who has given us all a performance for the ages.

The Unbreakable Boy is based on the true story of Austin LeRette, a boy on the autism spectrum who also suffers from brittle bone disease, although his mother Teresa (Meghann Fahy) introduces us to the highly scientific (and absolutely forgettable) Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) in the film.

Laval produces an energetic and highly disciplined performance that will break even the coldest of souls in our midst. If you are searching for just one reason to watch The Unbreakable Boy, Laval would undoubtedly be it.

As an extension of that, it is almost as if the rest of The Unbreakable Boy cast is able to feed off Laval’s performance, producing a film that will tug away at your heart strings, and even prompt some of you to shed a few tears.

The Unbreakable Boy is obviously a story about Austin’s resilience in the face of tremendous adversity, but it is also a tale about a family struggling to cope with the extraordinary reality that it has been faced with.

We have Austin’s mother Teresa, who has a milder version of brittle bone disease herself, and is consumed by fears of what’s to come the moment she learns of her first pregnancy.

A fascinating theme of this movie is Teresa’s intolerance of alcohol, owing to a childhood that featured untold misery because of it. So, in the absence of that and or any other drugs and minerals as an option, gaming appears to be Teresa’s outlet.

Now, the writers of this film do not explicitly confirm that gaming is an outlet for Teresa, but strong implications are that it is, given that we are constantly exposed to Teresa’s fingers being comfortably wrapped around the gaming consol.

What we also learn is that her husband Scott (Zachary Levi), who appears to be a casual drinker when the movie starts, definitely develops an alcohol problem.

Now, we could have a debate on this, but his life certainly derails in the face of the pressure that comes with raising a child with special needs.

This suggests to us that while others, including Scott himself, might mock Teresa’s gaming habit, she has actually found a tangible solution where her husband hasn’t.

A crucial theme that is actually skirted over in this film is that of the American healthcare system, which is crippling to working class families.

The LeRette family finds itself at the sharp end of that in this film, having an undoubtable impact on their ability to cope with Austin’s physical troubles.

So, without getting too political, that is perhaps something worth reflecting on as you watch this movie.

I know absolutely nothing about the real Scott, but the character we are exposed to in the film is actually incredibly charming and warm, and so when watching you just can’t help but want to accompany him on his journey.

Interestingly, there is actually an imaginary character that does precisely that for us in this film. Scott calls him Joe (Drew Powell).

While there is nothing complicated with the device used by Director Jon Gunn for this imaginary friend, it certainly enhanced the telling of this story.

Credit is also due to Powell for interpreting that role so well, and giving us meaningful insights into some of Scott’s internal struggles, allowing us all to empathize with him where we can.

Scott is a good man, a reliable husband, and a loving father, and any lapse of judgement recorded in his life story should not be seen as a reflection of his upbringing.

I am glad that the film takes the time to pay tribute to both of Scott’s parents, who also join him on this incredibly difficult journey, also providing a support system for Teresa – whose upbringing was far less glamorous.

The Unbreakable Boy is a beautiful Oklahoma tale that will leave a lasting impression on anyone who watches it.

P.S

Google Gemini has confirmed that Jacob Laval is on the autism spectrum, but that does nothing to take away from his performance in this film. If anything, this revelation has actually left me in a state of bewildered awe.