This movie, based on a remarkable true story, shows the many struggles (and triumphs) of the LeRette family, which consists of Scott, Theresa, Logan, and the oldest son, Austin, also known as Auz-Man.

Austin is born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a brittle bone disease, inherited from his mother. He is also a person with autism. Austin has moments of manic-like behavior, and he winds up breaking his bones more than 40 times, but through it all he displays a resolve and a shining spirit, which is just what his father needs. For, as Scott puts it near the end of the movie, “I didn’t need to fix him. He wasn’t broken. I needed him to fix me.”

Scott struggles through the birth of Austin, then marriage, a second son, and his difficulties with his job as a medical supply salesman. He also drinks way too much. Austin cries a lot as a newborn and it’s a mystery for Scott and “T” as he calls his wife. But later they learn that Austin’s ribs were cracked when he was born. But this is only the beginning.

The acting is superb by the entire cast and the script puts it right up front on the screen as the family struggles with Austin frequently breaking bones. Scott and T bicker from the tension and the stress. And Scott continues to drink beer, wine, and champagne.

It does feature enough humorous moments and pearls of wisdom from Austin so the viewer is not bogged down with the depressing moments. In one scene a kid at school teases that Austin’s brain is from another planet. “No, my brain is right here in my head on Earth!” he replies.

Austin narrates that his mom and dad had three significant dates when they met. Date number one included mom having dinner and wine with Dad. Date number two features Mom and Dad playing video games, which Mom dominated. Date number three features them walking on a bridge overlooking the city, and they make plans for the future. Scott tells T she has beautiful blue eyes, and she says her eye color is due to a defect in which the blue stood out more than the white. It seems to be a moment which defines the theme of the movie – that good can come out of bad situations.

Jacob Laval gives a strong performance as Austin, playing his various moods such as joy, being withdrawn and, on occasion, downright angry. In one scene he throws an object at his mother, hitting her in the forehead, but it is revealed that he was on the wrong medicine and this, added to his stress, caused him to have a bad reaction. Zachary Levi as Scott and Meghann Fahy as T, also give powerful performances.

Austin can and does bring magical moments to people’s lives, finding the good in situations and unintentionally being funny. In one scene his mother yells at him and says, “I have told you 100 times to eat your toast.” “No”, he replies, “you told me 4 times.”

The tensions are real, as Scott says he feels like “a failure,” but even though he doesn’t believe he’s a candidate for Father of the Year, he makes a difference in his kids’ lives, even going on a camping trip with Austin. When Austin hits a target with his arrow, it’s obvious that Scott is very proud of him. Both Scott and T struggle with their identities at times. T says she used to dream about being in a fairy tale but didn’t know if she was the princess or the ugly step-sister!

Another comedic scene happens when, attending church for the first time as a family, Austin strips down to his underwear in the restroom and then wanders out to the lobby of the church. Austin also likes to wear a funny “jester’s hat” and says that “chicks love it!” In a fantasy sequence we see Austin and Scott flying through the sky and clouds.

There are many rush-to-the-hospital scenes and Scott, commenting on Austin’s first day at school in one scene, says, “No meltdowns or calls from teachers. I’d call that a success, wouldn’t you?”

The family perseveres and T is seen praying in a chapel in one scene. The theme of the movie in many ways is about coping with what life delivers to you. And Austin is a good example of making people feel good about themselves. During a Thanksgiving scene Austin says he is thankful for mashed potatoes and Sponge Bob! The idea that little things are to be appreciated resonates with characters in the movie. And the use of one’s imagination is important, as demonstrated in one scene in which Austin imagines the kite he is flying looks like a dragon. And discovering that some things are not as bad as we thought is another theme in the film. Scott says he hates camping but when he goes on a camping trip with Austin, he has a blast and enjoys it. And Scott, who at times feels like a failure, is surprised when Austin tells him he is a great dad.

This movie has a few content issues but much of it is due to Austin’s medical challenges. This is a good film for families and their kids ages 12 and above to watch and to discuss. Important themes such as understanding someone with differences, persevering when life is difficult, forgiving one another, and praying to God are important themes which are dealt with in the film. Therefore, we are awarding our Dove Seal for Ages 12+ to the movie.

Content Analysis: Scenes of the family attending church are included in the movie and a scene of the mother praying in the chapel. The couple is not married at first and have Austin, but they do get married in the film. And the Serenity Prayer is read by Scott and others, and the name of Jesus is mentioned in a positive light. There are several scenes of Scott drinking and his son calls his dad a name (a**hole). But it is discovered his medication was not correct. There are a few utterances of language, but God’s name is not taken in vain.

Think About It: There are good discussion points in the movie, such as coping with life’s difficulties. And Scott finally gives up drinking and drinking is a good topic for discussion between parents and kids. There are arguments between the parents, but they always forgive each other and move on and that would be another good topic to talk about.

The Dove Take: How to cope with life’s difficulties with perseverance is a terrific theme, and this movie ultimately will inspire its viewers that anything is possible!