By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Friday, February 21, 2025

NEW YORK — The cast and crew of "The Unbreakable Boy," including stars Zachary Levi and Patricia Heaton, gathered for the film’s long-awaited red carpet premiere to discuss the film’s themes of hope, resilience and the power of unconditional love.

Speaking to The Christian Post, Levi shared how he was deeply impacted by the story he helped bring to life, emphasizing that it gave him a deeper understanding of God and fatherhood.

“Everything was deepened,” the 44-year-old “Shazam” actor said. “Every experience you have, hopefully, you’re learning more about you, you’re learning more about others, you’re building more empathy. Every step that we take in the journey of life is another step in experience. As an actor, with this film, I was walking a mile in another’s shoes. I was gaining a deeper understanding of another person’s life, which helped me understand life, in general, better and myself better, God better, and love better.”

Directed by Jon Gunn ("Jesus Revolution"), "The Unbreakable Boy" tells the true story of Austin LeRette, a boy with autism and brittle bone disease whose unwavering optimism transforms the lives of those around him. Adapted from the memoir The Unbreakable Boy: A Father’s Fear, a Son’s Courage, and a Story of Unconditional Love, the film captures the struggles and triumphs of a family navigating the complexities of raising a child with special needs.

In the film, Levi portrays Scott LeRette, a father grappling with his past while attempting to raise his son alongside Austin's mother, Teresa, (played by "White Lotus" actress Meghann Fahy).

Levi, who recently announced he’s expecting his first child, shared how stepping into the role felt deeply personal, as he could relate to LeRette’s journey of overcoming past traumas and finding strength through family and faith.

“All of the things that are in the script that I got to do as Scott were all things that I kind of already deeply understood,” Levi said. “Like the fun and how not to be a dad — the ways in which he was very neglectful because he was lost in his own trauma and alcoholism. Fortunately, I’ve gone through seasons of my life that are not where I’m at now, where I have gone to self-medication because of the trauma I was dealing with. So I can relate a lot to Scott’s journey.”

As Levi prepares for fatherhood, he said the film’s themes of family and faith have become even more meaningful. “Our children are our mirror — the greatest mirror we will ever look at,” he reflected. “So I can’t wait. I can’t wait for all that to deepen me even more as a human.”

“I’ve always had the dad in me, always,” he added. "Since I was a kid, I wanted to be a dad, and so I’m so, so grateful that that time has come and I get to step into that role. I know that it’s only going to make me a better human being.”

“Everybody Loves Raymond” actress Patricia Heaton, who plays Scott's mother in the film, emphasized the importance of recognizing and nurturing children’s individuality — themes she said the film highlights.

“I think you want to look at your child as who he is and who God made him, and not put your own expectations on them. So figure out what their gifts are and encourage those gifts,” she said. 

A delayed but timely release

Filmed in Oklahoma in 2020, "The Unbreakable Boy" was initially slated for a 2022 release but faced multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, five years later, the film is finally hitting theaters.

Jacob Laval, who plays Austin, said he believes the film is arriving at the perfect moment despite the many setbacks it faced.

“I did wait a long time for this,” he said. “However, I’m excited because it finally came out after all this time. I do think it came out at the right moment. It was supposed to come out in 2022, and it felt like people weren’t really going into theaters at that time […] but now people are more willing to come out.”

Kevin Downes, producer and CEO of Kingdom Story Company, echoed that sentiment. “It’s always a miracle to get a movie made and then released. And here we are with 'The Unbreakable Boy,' which the movie itself has proven to be — unbreakable.”

A story of gratitude, authentic representation

While "The Unbreakable Boy" highlights faith, its creators stress that it is not necessarily a “faith-based film." Instead, it's a universal story of gratitude, resilience and love.

“I hope that everybody who watches this film is inspired by the spirit of Austin and his family,” Gunn, who also directed "The Case for Christ," said. “It’s a movie about gratitude. It’s about being able to appreciate every moment, even when we’re struggling, even when we’re in pain, even when we’re insecure, even when we’re afraid, and about how family can help each other to heal.”

"Twilight" star Peter Facinelli, a producer and actor in the film, described his passion for storytelling as a means of spreading light.

“For me, I just love stories that are moving. If it has faith elements, great. But for me, it doesn’t have to be faith; it just has to be a story where there’s a beacon of light that makes people better when they walk out of the theater.”

The creators also reflected on the importance of authentic storytelling, particularly in representing the autism community. The real-life Austin LeRette, as well as several members of the special needs community — including “Love on the Spectrum” star Tanner Smith — attended the premiere.

The filmmakers revealed they worked closely with autism advocates to ensure authenticity. Gunn told CP he wanted to avoid telling the story solely from an outsider’s perspective.

“Not a lot of movies get made about autistic people from the point of view of the autistic person,” he noted. “And I thought that would be a really interesting opportunity with this story, because the book was Scott’s story about being a father of an autistic child, but I wanted to narrate it from Austin’s point of view.”

Scott LeRette, who told CP it was "surreal" to see his family's story on the big screen, acknowledged the challenges of representing autism on screen.

“We’ve made a film about my family. It’s my memoir. So it’s my experience, and we just so happen to have a child that is verbal and social,” he said. “And I know some folks say, ‘Well, we’d love to see an autism movie about someone that’s nonverbal.’ And I hear that, but this is our story, and this is what we are and who we are.”

For LeRette, the film is about far more than autism: “It’s not a story about autism, and that’s what I think a lot of people who may see the trailer might think. It’s about so much more — special needs, addiction, parenting, marriage, suicide. Autism is just one small piece.”

Yet, he told CP he remains hopeful that the film will foster awareness and understanding while offering an honest portrayal of special needs within the larger context of family and personal growth.

“Austin is a pivotal character, but he’s not pivotal because he’s autistic,” he explained. “He’s pivotal because he’s this force of nature that everybody who meets him is changed by. Everybody who meets him loves him, and he is a force for change.”

“I just hope everybody goes to see it,” he said. “Because when people support movies like this, more stories like ours will get made.”

"The Unbreakable Boy" hits theaters on Feb. 21.

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/the-unbreakable-boy-cast-crew-talk-faith-at-film-premiere.html