Early in 2025, Papillion resident Scott LeRette and his family attended the red-carpet premiere of a movie called The Unbreakable Boy in New York City. They weren’t just moviegoers, though. They were the subject of the film. The movie is based on Scott’s memoir about life with his son, Austin, who has a rare brittle bone disease and autism.
Scott grew up in Iowa, went to college in Oklahoma, and met his wife, Teresa, in North Carolina. In those days, he described himself as single, irresponsible, and preoccupied with golf, mountain biking, and drinking. He was a long way from father material.
Once Teresa announced her pregnancy, Scott tried to step up. Marriage and fatherhood didn’t change him, and Austin’s medical challenges were only part of the problem. Eventually, Scott brought the family, including younger son Logan, back to Iowa.
Scott had been jotting down stories to help him process life. He wrote about Austin’s challenges and Logan’s loyalty. About Teresa’s strength and his doubts. Scott wrote about family dynamics, school bullies, and the best strawberry milkshake ever. He also wrote about how alcohol nearly cost him everything, including his sons’ lives.
Eventually, Scott wrote about faith and sobriety and how they worked together.
Writing a book was never Scott’s idea, so the process required research. One Friday, he sent fifteen query letters to literary agencies. By Monday, he had an agent. Before long, Harper Collins won a bidding war to publish through Thomas Nelson. They introduced Scott to best-selling author Susy Flory, who helped pull the book together.
The memoir came out in 2014, and Scott did all the usual promotion. The book sold well, but it didn’t change their world.
In his day job, Scott traveled and sold medical equipment. One day in Manhattan, he stepped into a local shop to meet a pharmacist he had connected with online. He was looking for shaving supplies, but he took along a copy of his book.
“You should talk to my brother-in-law,” the man said. “He’s in the movie business.”
Scott left his number, expecting it to come to nothing. Instead, the encounter led to a text from Peter Facinelli in Hollywood. When Scott flew to Los Angeles for business, he met Peter. That conversation led to friendship, which led to Lionsgate, Kingdom Story Company, and writer/director Jon Gunn (House of David). It also led to standing on the red carpet in New York City beside Zachary Levi (Shazam!), who portrays Scott in the film.
Before New York, though, the movie opened at Twin Creek Cinema in Bellevue, Nebraska, where Austin has a job.
Building a life for an adult with special needs isn’t easy, but Austin is finding his way. His brother, Logan, is an officer with the Omaha Police Department and is newly married to Alyssa, a physician assistant. Teresa remains the strength of the whole family, according to Scott.
As for Scott, fame hasn’t changed him. He may have movie star friends, but he still works the day job. He and Teresa enjoy life in Papillion, where Scott hosts The Green Pants podcast. He hopes to inspire people to achieve their dreams through his lessons, stories, experiences, failures, and triumphs.
“Underlying everything,” Scott says, “is faith.”
Scott prints 2 Timothy 4:7 on his business cards. “To fight the good fight, to finish the race, to keep the faith.”
“I know I’ll never fail,” he says, “as long as I don’t quit.” The Unbreakable Boy is only the beginning.