Bad Boy Bubby (1993)

Bubby has spent thirty years trapped in the same small room, tricked by his mother. One day, he manages to escape, and, deranged and naive in equal measures, his adventure into the modern and nihilistic life begins.

Director:

Rolf de Heer

Writer:

Rolf de Heer

Stars:

Nicholas Hope, Claire Benito, Ralph Cotterill

9 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicholas Hope	...	Bubby
Claire Benito	...	Mam
Ralph Cotterill	...	Pop
Syd Brisbane	...	Yobbo
Nikki Price	...	Screaming Woman
Ullie Birve	...	Robbed Woman (as Ulli Birve)
Audine Leith	...	Fondled Salvo
Natalie Carr	...	Cherie the Salvo
Lucia Mastrantone	...	Pizza Waitress
Carmel Johnson	...	Angel
Jip De Heer	...	Treelopper
James Ammitzboll	...	Little
Grant Piro	...	Salesman
Celine O'Leary	...	Woman in Mercedes
Dave Flannagan	...	Cop / Warder (as Dave Flanagan)

Storyline

Bad Boy Bubby is just that: a bad boy. So bad, in fact, that his mother has kept him locked in their house he's not entering middle age, by convincing him the air outside's poisonous. After a visit from his estranged father, circumstances force Bubby into the waiting world, a place which is just as unusual to him as he is to the world.

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Plot Keywords:

captivity | resocialization | social adjustment | mentally handicapped person | animal cruelty | 

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Taglines:

All he needs is love.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The people with cerebral palsy Bubby meets at the 1 hour 30 minute mark are not actors, but actual disabled people.

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Quotes

Bubby: Me be pop now.

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Crazy Credits

The closing credits play over a scene showing Bubby playing in a garden with his children.

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Alternate Versions

The 18-rated UK release of this film was cut by 3s for the cinema version and a further 20s for video. The 3s cut for the cinema version was to remove a scene of a tethered cat being pulled by a string (a scene which contravened the UK Animals Act). All the cuts were waived for the 2007 DVD release.

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Connections

Referenced in Bad Boy Bubby: Christ Kid, You're a Weirdo (2005)

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Soundtracks

Largo from Xerxes
Written by George Frideric Handel (as G. F. Handel)
Performed by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Jose Serebrier
licensed from KEM Enterprises Inc USA

User Reviews

From His Head Down To His Shoe, He's Bad Boy Bubby Blue

This film is listed as a Comedy, Crime, Drama, and it definitely is. But know that this is definitely a comedy first and foremost, a comedy layered with a light dose of satirical social commentary.

This film came out before Forrest Gump, but it definitely is comparable in many ways. Try to imagine a darker Forrest Gump on hallucinogenic steroids and you basically have Bad Boy Bubby. Just like Gump, not much of the story is told in a very believable way. In the case of both films however, neither let that get in the way of telling a good story. And in the case of this film, there is definitely some hint of substance that accompanies the fantastical madness. When I first saw the film, I couldn't help thinking that this is just what Forrest Gump would have been like if a young David Lynch had written and directed it. Mainly because there is no film more comparable to Bad Boy Bubby than Lynch's intense social commentary masterpiece, Eraserhead. This film basically is a light Eraserhead, but with a darker Forrest Gump type character as the lead. Both films stories and commentary are delivered in a similar manner. Though it would also be fair to say that Eraserhead is definitely far more complex in it's detailed metaphors and far deeper in it's overall vision and social commentary.

All that said, this film is a well under the radar standout in its own right. Every adult film lover should see this film. It has a little something to say, and it also delivers a lot of laughs.

7/10

Details

Official Sites:

Blue Underground Umbrella Entertainment - Blu Ray

Country:

Australia Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 April 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bad Boy Bubby

Filming Locations:

College Street, Port Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$750,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bubby, Fandango, The South Australian Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1