The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976)

You won't be disappointed!

hyped garbage

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

THE BOY IN THE PLASTIC BUBBLE is another interesting US TV movie of the 1970s, a time when the stations seemed to make one quirky little gem after another. This one stars John Travolta right on the cusp of stardom, playing a miracle kid born with a compromised immune system which means he has to live inside plastic sheeting to separate him from the rest of the human race. If he catches a common cold then it could well kill him. That's a tragic premise for sure, but one which is handled sensitively here and with a surprising (and thankful) lack of sentimentality. The production values are solid and the supporting cast features Buzz Aldrin, no less. I've always liked Travolta and even though he's too old for his role here he's likeable and goofy enough to make his character work. This reminded me a lot of the kind of Children's Film Foundation movies that Britain was making during the same era.

"John Travolta stars as Tod Lubitsch, a teenager who was born without disease immunities. Tod is forced to live out his life in incubator conditions. When he ventures outdoors, he must be encased in a huge plastic bubble. He falls in love with Gina Biggs (Glynnis O'Connor), and must decide between following his heart or facing near-certain death," according to the DVD sleeve description, "Diana Hyland won an Emmy for her portrayal of Travolta's mother." Ms. Hyland was nominated posthumously, as "Best supporting Actress"; and, Mr. Travolta accepted the award.This corny "ABC Friday Night Movie" was, nevertheless, a TV winner. There seems to be a serious mistake is storytelling as, following Mr. Travolta's clapping push-up contest with Kelly Ward (as Tom Shuster), we see Travolta's perfect "bubble" environment contaminated by both his young co-stars and a dirty $10 bill. You could also point out Travolta was well past high school age - then again, he spent more years there on "Welcome Back, Kotter" than he did in reality.Changing hairstyles and demeanor, Hyland and father Robert Reed (as Johnny) manage the passing decades well.This drama is not about the lead character's medical condition. It is about sex - specifically, about the desire for sex between two young people who are obviously falling in love. Teenagers who saw this movie on television in 1976 (and in rerun) surely made the connection. Travolta looks very sexy in his gym shorts and eye make-up. And, Ms. O'Connor appears in an eye-popping baby-blue bikini which would have, if applicable, worn off many a remote's rewind button."I wanna be dirty!" Travolta's roommate John Friedrich exclaims, "I wanna make it with everything that walks!" The sexual content didn't stop at the cutting room floor, with Travolta letting known an affair with one of his co-stars. If you're NOT already "in the know" you'd surely think it was O'Connor. Well, surprise, you're wrong… You're next guess is Mr. Reed. Good one. But, wrong again… It was revealed to be movie "mother" Hyland. An familiar American TV favorite, she tragically died of breast cancer within a year. This movie was an important part of Travolta's post-"Kotter" stardom.Neatly directed by Randal Kleiser, the ending is an exhilaratingly symbolic release of tension.***** The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (11/12/76) Randal Kleiser ~ John Travolta, Glynnis O'Connor, Robert Reed, Diana Hyland

I'm not sure it is possible to make a bad movie that has Robert Reed, Buzz Aldrin, and P.J. Soles in it. I think Boy In The Plastic Bubble proves that often only brilliant cinema can result from such sublime casting. The main story is that John Travolta can't handle germs, but there is a subplot in which Ralph Bellamy doesn't age at all in 18 years. Robert Reed shows the same versatility he displayed in "The Brady Bunch" by sporting two hair styles. Travolta shows his ability to pout is not to be underestimated and that it was a key ingredient in his acting arsenal that launched him into super stardom. I wish there were more characters named "Tod" in movies.

Cheap melodramatic made-for-TV production (supposedly based on a true story) about a young man (John Travolta) who has a rare immune disease that prevents his body from keeping out deadly germs, so he spends his days in a gigantic plastic bubble. Very predictable and full of sappy TV cliches. It's just not very good. I refer the comedy remake of 2001, "Bubble Boy," despite its critical insultations.