Produced by Andres Barahona (Filigrana Films) and Co-Produced by Susana Hornil (Hornil Brothers Productions), The Boarder is a feature film written by Jane E. Ryan and based on real life events. The film tells the story of the Williams family who, after adopting an 11-year-old troubled homeless boy named Carl, have to deal with his reactive attachment disorder (RAD). It is based on the novel The Boarder by Jane E. Ryan, who interviewed families in the US, Canada and UK about their experiences with adoptive children suffering from RAD. The title is inspired by an anonymous British mother Jane interviewed regarding her experience with children suffering from RAD: "They're like boarders in a boardinghouse. They sleep in your home and eat at your table, but you never really know who they are." The boy was lying about Carl.
Dee Wallace plays the psychologist who assists the family in coping with Carl and his disorder. Carl Williams is portrayed by Andy Scott Harris. Other actors appearing in the film are Leslie Stevens who played Annika Williams (Carl Williams' mother) in this movie, Carlton Wilburn and Eric St. John.
The film is set in a suburb outside of Lincoln, Nebraska and is shot for the most part in Ravenna, Nebraska. A percentage of the proceeds from the movie will be used to support the Institute for Family Health in Central Nebraska funded by Jane E. Ryan.