Bubble Boy

Infobox_Film
name = Bubble Boy


director = Blair Hayes
writer = Cinco Paul
Ken Daurio
starring = Jake Gyllenhaal
Swoosie Kurtz
Marley Shelton
Danny Trejo
John Carroll Lynch
Verne Troyer
producer = Beau Flynn
Eric McLeod
distributor= Touchstone Pictures
budget = $13,000,000 (estimated)
released = August 24, 2001 (USA)
runtime = 84 min.
language = English
imdb_id = 0258470|

"Bubble Boy" is a 2001 comedy film directed by Blair Hayes and stars Jake Gyllenhaal in the title role.

Cast

*Jake Gyllenhaal as Jimmy Livingston
*Swoosie Kurtz as Mrs. Livingston
*Marley Shelton as Chloe
*Danny Trejo as Slim
*John Carroll Lynch as Mr. Livingston
*Verne Troyer as Dr. Phreak
*Dave Sheridan as Mark
*Brian George as Pushpop
*Patrick Cranshaw as Pappy/Pippy
*Stephen Spinella as Chicken Man
*Ever Carradine as Lisa
*Geoffrey Arend as Flipper Boy
*Beetlejuice as Lil' Zip
*Matthew McGrory as Human Sasquatch
*Bonnie Morgan as Rubber Woman
*Stacy Keibler as Working Girl
*Midajah McCullum O'Hearn as Red Hot
*Fabio as Gil
*Anthony Porter SR l

Plot

Jimmy Livingston is a boy born without an immune system. Because of this, he is forced to live in a bubble dome in his bedroom in Palmdale, California, which has led students at a local high school to nickname him "Bubble Boy". Because of his condition, Jimmy's extremely religious mother forbids him to leave the bubble dome, only allowing him Highlights magazine and the "Land of the Lost" television show as recreation. When Jimmy discovers that a new girl, Chloe, has moved in next door, he is immediately taken with her. They immediately become fast friends, much to Mrs. Livingston's jealousy. They develope a close relationship with each other and Chloe tries to come into his bubble. Jimmy is too afraid and won't let her. One day, Chloe announces that she is leaving for Niagara Falls to marry the boorish rock-star Mark. Jimmy becomes upset and demands that she leave. Furious and sad at the same time, Chloe leaves him a present and disappears. Jimmy opens the present to find it is a snow globe that says "I Love You". Overcome with guilt for having driven Chloe away, Jimmy builds a mobile bubble suit and sneaks off into the night, determined to stop the wedding.

Throughout his journey to Niagara Falls, Jimmy meets many zany and odd people, including the Bright and Shiny cult, The Dr. Phreak traveling sideshow circus, Slim the biker and his gang of motorcyclists, and Pushpop the Indian ice cream man. In the end, Jimmy stops the wedding and takes off his bubble suit so he can finally touch the girl he loves. Jimmy's mother confesses that Jimmy has had an immune system since he was four years old, but she hid this fact from him in order to keep him all to herself. Jimmy forgives her, then grabs Chloe and kisses her. Jimmy and Chloe get married with all of their new friends in attendance. Then, Pippy and Pappy drive the two of them to their honeymoon.

Criticism

The film was criticized upon its release [ [http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/bubble_boy/ Bubble Boy Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes ] ] , partly because it makes light of a real-world condition, and partly because of the way religions are depicted. Some examples of the latter are: the bubble boy's mother, an extreme Christian who even has a cross shaped cookie cutter; the Hindu ice cream man who attempts an atonement while a cow's carcass is repeatedly run over in front of his eyes; and the Bright and Shiny cult, which seems to parody the Heaven's Gate cult, as it involves castration and being taken away by aliens.

Trivia

*"Bubble Boy" features two different members of the Howard Stern Wack Pack in supporting roles. Beetlejuice, who is probably the most prolific packer of all, plays the character Lil' Zip. The late, somewhat less known, but more mainstream Matthew McGrory, who was known as "Bigfoot" on the Stern show, plays a similarly named character, Human Sasquatch, in the movie.

*This feature was filmed using Panavision cameras, the type of motion picture film format that was used was Super 35 mm film. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258470/technical]

*In the scene where Jimmy discovers the gift snowglobe that Chloe gives him and cries, downstairs his mother says "That nasty little slut left in just the nick of time!" The TV is on and you can see the "Bright and Shiny" cult dancing and singing across the stage.

*Susan Hawk of and played Perris Waitress on this film.

References

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258470/ Bubble Boy at IMDB]
* [http://www.midnight-diamonds.com/bubbleboy Bright and Shiny - The Bubble Boy Fanlisting]