'The Unbreakable Boy' Examines Finding Joy Despite Our Circumstances

In so many facets of life, timing is everything.  Whether it be knowing when to try something new or to hold back from something due to extenuating circumstances, sometimes the best decisions are the ones we don’t make. 

This was never more evident than during the COVID pandemic. Forced to compromise what society considered normal, people worldwide had to change how they lived their daily lives. Working remotely from home, wearing surgical masks in public for safety, or streaming the latest movies at home rather than seeing in a theater, sadly became the new norm.

This brave new world forced many businesses to rethink how to best sell their products or in many cases make the uncomfortable decision to delay or not make them available at all.

For Kingdom Story Company and Lionsgate, the decision to not release the movie, The Unbreakable Boy, in 2022 as originally scheduled, was difficult but one they believed was made for the right reasons. They truly believed that the film starring Zachary Levi (Shazam, Chuck), Meghann Fahy (One Life to Live), and Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond, Mom’s Night Out) would be released when the timing was right. Their hope was that eventually there would be a window of opportunity where the film’s message of a father's faith and his child’s incredible spirit of hope would have the largest impact. That time is now.

“We made this movie during the COVID pandemic,” says Unbreakable Boy producer Kevin Downes. “It was one of those movies that was going to get released no matter what people did about it. And for us, from Jesus Revolution to American Underdog, we're always cognizant of the right time as to when to put a movie out there. And so, we held it on purpose because we thought the movie was so special. A lot of studios will kind of dump movies because they don't know what to do with it. That wasn't the case with this movie. We really believe this movie was special and significant. And right now, especially here in Los Angeles, we need a dose of bravery and encouragement, to let everybody know that it's going to be okay, but it’s also a good movie that's just entertaining.”

“They had posters up in theaters, and then COVID shut down all the theaters and they thought, we don't want to release this when all the theaters are shut down,” adds Peter Facinelli, who not only has a small role in the film but also serves as a producer. “This is because they believed in it so much. So, they actually pulled it, which cost them a lot of money. And then they held it. They held onto it for the right time. Kingdom Story and Lionsgate felt like this was the perfect timing right now.”

The Unbreakable Boy, which opens in theaters next Friday, is the story of a young boy named Austin with both a rare brittle-bone disease and autism. His parents initially worry about his future but soon discover their child has an undeniably positive spirit, one that uplifts all who come in contact with him. It is his father Scott’s growing faith coupled with Austin’s exuberance for life that make this pair “unbreakable” as they find joy, gratitude, and courage, even in the most difficult of times.

“I think Austin has such an amazing spirit and he carries so much positivity,” says relative newcomer Jacob Laval, who portrays Austin in the film. “He teaches everyone around him that you can find joy in any moment if you look hard enough. And I think it's one of the biggest themes of the movie – no matter what happens, you can always find joy but you have to stay positive and stay happy.”

A key thread that runs throughout The Unbreakable Boy’s 109 minutes is Steve’s struggle to accept his fate of being the parent of a special needs child and accepting what faith in God really is.

Levi, best known for his roles in Shazam and the television series Chuck, is sensitive to what his character is going through and ultimately what God is showing him about love and compassion.

“It’s very difficult for Scott to accept what faith is because he needs everything to kind of be perfect,” says Levi, who also starred in the Kingdom Story release, American Underdog. “He doesn't understand why he has a son that is being dealt this hand that seems to be imperfect. But he's seeing that his son is not just accepting who he is and where he is, but doing it with such joy, with such faith that it really forces him to have to go deeper into that.

He's trying to deal with his stress and deal with his anxieties in the opposite of that. That, to me, is a huge example of how God works in our life. We think that we'll try and find some kind of release or some kind of peace or some kind of faith outside of that and it doesn't work. None of that will ever ultimately add up to being the journey that we're supposed to be on. And God is very good at allowing us to wander outside of that in order for us to learn the lessons that we need to learn.”

Ultimately, The Unbreakable Boy is an exercise in questioning God’s plan for our lives and eventually arriving at a place of acceptance. It is when we make this realization that we discover a world filled with joy, hope, and gratitude.

Says Facinelli, “It feels like there's a little bit of brokenness in everyone. We're all trying to heal and a movie like this just gives you that inspiration because of Scott's story. He was kicked down so many times, as well as his wife, and also his son. They just kept getting back up, and there was a family bond that allowed them to come together and overcome. And that's a beautiful thing.”

The Unbreakable Boy opens in theaters nationwide next Friday, February 21st.

WATCH A TRAILER FOR THE UNBREAKABLE BOY: