Product Details

• Actors: Jake Gyllenhaal, Swoosie Kurtz, Marley Shelton, Danny Trejo, John Carroll Lynch
• Directors: Blair Hayes
• Writers: Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio
• Producers: Beau Flynn, Eric McLeod
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Walt Disney Video
• VHS Release Date: August 13, 2002
• Run Time: 84 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000067JHX
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #241,994 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Innocuous, innocent, and somewhat idiotic, Disney's bubbleheaded road-movie comedy plays as a farcical remake of the 1976 cult TV-movie melodrama The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. Jake Gyllenhaal is the goodhearted innocent raised in a sort of human Habitrail of plastic rooms and rubber tunnels. To win back the girl of his dreams (Marley Shelton), he steps out of his indoor greenhouse and into a homemade Ziplock bubble suit. It's the usual story: naive innocent bounces down the highway like a beach ball with legs and wins over the wacky supporting cast of soft-hearted bikers, zombielike teenage cultists, and orphaned "freaks" through purity and pluck. The premise wears thin after a while, but Gyllenhaal keeps the film bounding along with goofy innocence and energetic eagerness. Swoosie Kurtz costars as his religious-zealot clinging mom. Watch for Fabio in an inspired cameo. --Sean Axmaker

From The New Yorker

Not exactly a comedy and not exactly funny, this picture is a weird Disney misfire. It's a classic American tale that involves making fun of Republicans, midgets, decapitated cows, Jews, Hindus, and Christians. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jimmy, a boy born without immunities who travels, encased in a bubble, to Niagara Falls where his childhood sweetheart (Marley Shelton) is about to marry a sideburned loser. There are a few clever comic touches, such as the way actors keep checking their reflections in Jimmy's bubble, but mostly the film is of interest as a pop-culture accident. The pièce de résistance is Bright and Shiny, a freaky cult of brainwashed yuppies (their leader is the golden-tressed Fabio) who have a disturbingly catchy theme song. -Michael Agger
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabio and a Bubble Kid...How could this NOT be funny?, September 12, 2002

By 

"goven" (Azores) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bubble Boy (DVD)

Ah man! This movie has it all: a singing, happy psycho-brady bunch cult, old people, a Hindu ice cream man, the mini-me guy being tossed around, a guy in a bubble, and Fabio. I apologize to all the people who missed this one because it slipped by through the theaters and to video without anyone noticing because everyone's so PC-friendly, but the truth is, this movie was made by Disney. I don't want to get too deep about the movie because if you want substance, this certainly is not the one for you, but it's also not as shallow as it seems...there is substance in it, amazingly, thanks to the acting chops of the Bubble actor; he did a good job humanizing the wierdo. It's cleverly written, cleverly acted, and man, did I mention Fabio is in it? I bet even Disney was surprised it was funny and then I bet Disney was even more surprised it did lousy. Don't let the concept scare you, it's on the floor funny in the tradition of Rat Race (not that Rat Race was so great, mind you), Road Trip, and Zoolander. It the perfect friday night movie...I recommend, I recommend! Oh, one last thing, there's a girlie mud wrestling thing with the bubble boy...curious? yes, the irrevent humor of it all! Go rent, then buy. (moment of seriousness: it really is a very funny movie, i think even Ebert liked it...didn't he?)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally surprised by this film, March 18, 2002

By 

Serrell Ross - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bubble Boy (DVD)

I must say that I was shocked at just how funny this movie was. I put off seeing it for a while because I figured it would be a let down. I cannot believe how wrong I was. This movie was hysterical from beginning to end. The entire concept of the movie was great and it was played out perfectly by the case of characters involved. Somewhere along the line I did begin to realize that the movie would have to end with him not having to live in the bubble anymore, but even if you know that much there is still nothing spoiled. The biker gang, the cult and the phreaks were all funny and very much likeable. I cannot think of any part of this movie that should have been done differently. The cow scene was funny, the cult running over motorcycles was great and the scene in the plane and car with the kid talking to the old guys about the woman was hysterical. Do not overlook this movie. It was a feel good, life is great type movie that just makes you feel like everything is going to be ok afterall. Check it out, it's a definate must have addition to anyones DVD collection. One last thing, it has a scene with an all chick band named Betty Blowtorch, the lead singer/bass player (Biannca Halstead, pretty sure that is her last name) was killed in a car accident in December of 2001. So it was cool to see her in the quick cameo.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suprisingly intelligent yet Goofilicious!, October 22, 2002

By 

Cambel "cambel" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bubble Boy (DVD)

Too many times are funny movies, comedians, ect... sacrificed to the alther of Political Correctness. I think this movie is one case. The main character in this movie, played extreamely well by Jake Gyllenhaal is a victim of an auto immune disease that makes him unable to live outside his artificial plastic room his parents of built for him. Sounds depressing? Well it isn't, his mother, a neurotically clean, religeous, uptight lady played by Swoozy Curtz and his father are the perfect foil to the main characters naive charm and goofy attitude. When he first meets the sexy neighbor girl that he has been staring at for years he thinks that the proper way to greet her is as "The Whore next door" since thats all he's ever heard her called.
They slowly become friends and there are several great scenes as when he dresses up as a gold fish swimming in a bowl for Halloween. You also start to get the idea that she is attracted to him. However, she eventually starts dating a motorcycle riding tough guy who has no redeeming qualities and goes off to Niagra falls to get married.

this is where the road film takes off. The main character gets into his bubble suit to try to prevent the wedding, I won't go into ever great joke, situation, or character actor, although I could spend several minutes on the hilarious scene when he is picked up by a cult. He eventually makes it to niagra falls but the journey was the great part of this film
Suffice it to say that if you liked something about Mary, The Big Lebowski, and Rat Race, you will love this film.

If you didn't like those movies, then by all means, agree with the PC police, make a comment such as "How can they make a film about this, that is terrible" and do not see this film.