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Title: Bubble Boy (2001)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jake Gyllenhaal | ... | Jimmy Livingston | |
| Swoosie Kurtz | ... | Mrs. Livingston | |
| Marley Shelton | ... | Chloe | |
| Danny Trejo | ... | Slim | |
| John Carroll Lynch | ... | Mr. Livingston | |
| Verne Troyer | ... | Dr. Phreak | |
| Dave Sheridan | ... | Mark | |
| Brian George | ... | Pushpop | |
| Patrick Cranshaw | ... | Pappy / Pippy | |
| Stephen Spinella | ... | Chicken Man | |
| Ever Carradine | ... | Lisa, Mark's Sister | |
| Geoffrey Arend | ... | Flipper Boy | |
| Beetlejuice | ... | Li'l Zip | |
| Matthew McGrory | ... | Human Sasquatch | |
| Bonnie Morgan | ... | Rubber Woman | |
A young man who was born without an immune system and has lived his life within a plastic bubble in his bedroom finds out that the woman he has loved since childhood is about to be married at Niagara Falls, so he builds a portable bubble suit and ventures into the outside world to win her affections. Written by Anonymous
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A few months ago I had the opportunity to see Bubble Boy at one of those free screenings where they ask you to rate and analyze it (@ Thousand Oaks Janns Marketplace, CA). It was a rough cut at the time but it was enough to convince me now, that it could be one of the best movies of the summer. Let me explain. You see, at the beggining of the season I was hyped for the big stuff (AI, Jurrasic 3, Apes, Pearl Harbor,American Pie 2), so when I saw this little known movie called Bubble Boy, I really liked it and moved on, looking now for the real big name/budget films. A few months pass...
I've seen all the supposed good films (Except AP2) and my final conclusion is that Bubble Boy is better than all of them. It doesn't try to make a huge statement, it doesn't try to razzle/dazzle the audience, and it doesn't try to gross us out even more than recent and current comedies. It simply focuses on some very likeable characters who offer more than just name recognition and crude jokes. The characters all have heart, they all are positive role models, and they have great chemistry together. Is it possible that Hollywood has actually put out a decent story with decent values and developed characters??? YES they have, and Bubble Boy is it!
OK, so the plot is very basic. Boy is born w/o immunities, lives in bubble, falls in love with neighbor girl, journeys across the country to stop her marriage and declare his love for her. The story works and sets a perfect framework to learn with him about the real world as he influences the lives of some very diverse people. The ending is simply great. I was a litle worried how this was going to wrap up, but it did just fine.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays the Bubble Boy and plays him well. He's innocent, thoughtful, and humorously naive with the ways of the world. The girl he falls in love with is Marley Shelton, who is very different from the typical Hollywood bimbo. She can actually act, and she portrays the love of Jimmy's (the Bubble Boy) with more than just good looks.
I'm not going to undermine how hot she is, because she is, but there is so much more to her character. The mom played by (Swoosie Kurtz) also does a great job being the fanatical, protective mother. There are other great supporting characters that all add something to the Bubble Boy's journey. Two of my favorite characters were Pippy and Pappy, brothers who haven't spoken to each in over 86 years. They just add more subtle humor to all the physical comedy that is plentiful. That's what is truly great about this movie. It has the slapstick, the subtle witty humor, developed characters, and a touching finale. This is one well-rounded Bubble, and it deserves to be hit.