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.

---

Plot Keywords:

adult son lives with mother | captivity | resocialization | social adjustment | mentally handicapped person | 

---

Taglines:

He's been in his room for 35 years. It's time to let him out!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original idea was for the first half of the movie (the scenes in Bubby's house) to be shot with the left and right sides matted, to make the viewer feel more claustrophobic, and then when Bubby finally goes outside the picture was going to expand into full widescreen. Rolf de Heer decided not to do this because he felt it made the first half of the movie unwatchable.

---

Quotes

Bubby: Me be pop now.

---

Crazy Credits

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

---

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.

---

Connections

Referenced in Bad Boy Bubby: In Conversation with Nicholas Hope at Popcorn Taxi, ACMI Melbourne (2005)

---

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

Original, powerful, hilarious study of an outsider

The first thirty minutes of "Bad Boy Bubby" are great horror. Bubby (Nicholas Hope), a strange, retarded man-child, has been imprisoned by his mom (Claire Benito) for thirty years. He hasn't left the house, can't leave the house, because mom's been busy having sex with him and perverting his sponge-like mind. Early on, the film alienates viewers by throwing in a scene involving the killing of a cat. We then follow Bubby as he ventures into the outside world and has a series of amazing, hilarious adventures in which his outsider status is often misinterpreted. He fronts a rock band, gets intimate with a real disabled woman (Heater Slattery), and discovers life beyond the walls of his prison. The film is extremely original and daring, and Hope's performance as Bubby is totally believable. It was shot over a long period by a number of cinematographers, although only Ian Jones gets IMDb credit. It has a unique, anarchic tone, and it is amazing watching how "normal" people interact with the unpretentious, unhinged protagonist. Ultimately, Rolf de Heer succeeds in creating a dark, surreal, powerful study of an outsider in a film that someone ought to double bill with Hal Ashby's "Being There". It's a triumph.

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