| "Bubble Boy" Movie Review | ||||||||||||||
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Let me start this with a disclaimer - this review isn't going to tackle the subject of whether or not a romantic comedy movie should have as its central character, a boy in a plastic bubble. And, this review isn't going to address the controversy surrounding the subject matter of the film. My review is based solely on the movie's entertainment value. That said - here's my take on this interesting film.
This version of "Bubble Boy" has little in common with the 1976 John Travolta film, which chronicled the true story of Tod Lubitch. The boy in the bubble in this film is a fictional character, Jimmy Livingston, who was born without immunities and must reside in a sanitized, protected environment (otherwise known as a plastic bubble). Jimmy grows up alone in his insulated, isolated world, viewing the outside through his bedroom window with only the very strict, limited, extremely puritanical teachings of his slightly crazy mother to help him absorb the outside world. Even with all this going against him, he's a relatively happy kid who loves “Land of the Lost” and his parents - though not necessarily in that order.
The film takes off from there, with Jimmy constructing his own portable bubble, allowing him to chase after Chloe. His goal - to stop her before she reaches Niagara Falls and says “I do” to her dim-witted fiancée, Mark (played by Dave Sheridan). Jimmy's travels lead him to cross paths with a fanatical religious group (think “Up with People” mixed with alien abductees), a motorcycle gang, a Hindu ice cream salesman, and a trainload of circus freaks. Each encounter helps him learn about life, and brings him closer to Niagara Falls.
While that pretty much sums up the story, the film itself is much more difficult to describe. Just about every group - political, social, or religious - is poked fun at, sometimes in ways that make you flinch. However, if you don't care about politically incorrect humor, if you can laugh at jokes that are meant to shock, but not inflame, then you'll find this film to be laugh-out-loud funny. I couldn't believe some of the stunts they pulled off, and better yet, I couldn't believe some of the lines and scenes that had me laughing almost to the point of tears.
Overall Grade: B- Previous Articles |
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"Bubble Boy" is a strange, bizarre, twisted romantic comedy. The talented young actor, Jake Gyllenhaal, who many people expected to be the next big thing, plays the film's main character. Gyllenhaal seems to have chosen a role as diametrically opposed to his breakout role in "October Sky," as possible. Joining Gyllenhaal are Swoosie Kurtz and John Carroll Lynch, as his loving, overly protective, intensely religious parents. Jake's love interest is played by the sexy Marley Shelton, recently seen in the twisted romantic thriller, "Valentine" and the teen comedy, "Sugar & Spice."
Things begin to change in Jimmy's orderly, uneventful life when he discovers the sexy girl next door, Chloe, and his hormones start raging. Chloe has a jerk of a boyfriend, but befriends Jimmy anyway, joining him for, among other things, guitar lessons to learn the theme song from the ever-popular "Land of the Lost," and bringing him a guinea pig to keep him company. They grow and Jimmy's feelings toward Chloe deepen. When she unexpectedly tells him she's leaving to get married, Jimmy's carefully constructed world falls apart.
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