The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976 TV Movie) User Reviews

Despite the rather contrived ending, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It's pretty good for a T.V film

[callanvass · 7/10 · 23 August 2013]

I'm not sure why this movie is disliked among some, maybe because it's loosely based on a true story? A 5.6 rating certainly isn't bad, but it's way too low for a quality film like this one. Sure. It's corny at times, but that doesn't make it any less moving. I have to be honest. I was one of those people that thought I was gonna dislike it after the groan inducing opening, but it proved me wrong. It was one of John Travolta's first starring features and it shows why he went onto super stardom. I don't think I've seen someone with a handicapped be this cool to be honest. What I liked about it is it managed to balance all the sentimentality with sharp humor. When I first went into this one, I thought it was gonna be full of sap, but I was pleasantly surprised at all the sharp humor. It also helps that Tod (Travolta) is very likable and sympathetic. If the lead was unsympathetic, then it probably wouldn't have been as entertaining as it was. I also dug the cute little love story between Tod & Gina. It is somewhat forbidden due to Tod's condition, but I loved watching it unfold the way it did. I also dug how Tod's parents were written. They felt and acted like natural, caring parents should. You do have some clichés like the typical bully fodder, and the ending was rather artificial, but other than that, I really don't have much to complain about. John Travolta is excellent as Tod. His charm is undeniable, and he gives a really sympathetic show. He was perfect for the part. Glynnis O'Connor is a total cutie. She has her wooden moments, but overall I dug her for the most part. Her chemistry with Travolta is good. Robert Reed & Diana Hyland are very effective and natural as the parents of Tod.

Note: Interestingly enough… Thanks to some IMDb Trivia. I found out Diana Hyland & John Travolta fell in love off screen before she sadly passed away.

Final Thoughts: Everyone has a right to their opinion, but this is a good film. I really don't understand the average rating for this film. Travolta proves why he was meant for super stardom here. It's on You Tube, so I'd definitely go and watch it if I were you. Give it a chance!

7.5/10

I would have cried if i was by myself

[BrotherNumpsie · 7/10 · 24 September 2002]

Spoiler Alerrt So, me and some mates were bored and my friend wanted to watch this movie, and i thought it sounded terrible, especially when 'produced by Aaron Spelling' came up on the screen! But, i gave it a go, and by the end i was so glad I'd stuck it out. At first it had a TV movie feel about it, and the early 70's technicolor didn't help. But the powerful performances by Travolta and his mum made it stand out from the rest. The plot itself is quite dreary, and the fashion (especially todds orange suit) were hilarious! But by the end we were all rooting for him to step out and go get his girl!

Some people have complained in their comments that there should have been a definite ending, but personally i think it was a brave decision to leave it open ended. The beauty of this movie is the uncertainty of todds future, Think about it, if they showed us what happened next, would you still remember the film today? He could have died, but in my head, todd has enough immunities built up over the years to survive. He and the girl marry and have kids, who are perfectly healthy, and when new drugs are invented for AIDS victims, he becomes an astronaut!

Travolta coming of age... in a germ-free zone; plus charming Glynnis O'Connor

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 31 July 2018]

RELEASED TO TV IN 1976 and directed by Randal Kleiser, "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" is a youth drama inspired by the true-life stories of David Vetter and Ted DeVita, both of whom lacked effective immune systems. John Travolta plays Tod Lubitch, a teen born with immune deficiencies in Southern Cal while Glynnis O'Connor is the girl next door with whom he slowly develops a relationship and inspires him to crave freedom from his germ-free 'prison.' Robert Reed & Diana Hyland are on hand as his parents.

The opening act is relatively dull, but it's necessary because it establishes Tod's situation. Thankfully, the story perks up with the star power of Travolta and O'Connor. The former was 21 during shooting and is quite good as the protagonist while O'Connor is winsome as ever. She was almost 20 during filming and has a bikini sequence for those interested.

At its heart, this is a coming-of-age movie but with a unique twist (the bubble boy). There are several well-done high school sequences, like the football field scene where the kids sneak away to smoke pot. Unrealistic? Not at all.

The best part is the ending where we share in Tod's joy and sense of wonder at the most simplest things that normal people take for granted. I can relate because when I was his age I fell off a cliff and ended up in traction and a body cast for four months. While in the cast, I was laid-up at home on a lake, just like in the movie. When the cast was removed I walked with crutches to the woods & lake with sheer delight.

The real-life bubble boys David Vetter and Ted DeVita were still alive when the movie was released. The former died in 1984 at the age of 12 & a half while the latter died in 1980 at the age of 18.

THE FILM RUNS 1 hour, 36 minutes and was shot in Malibu Lake and Century City, California. WRITERS: Douglas Day Stewart and Joe Morgenstern.

GRADE: B

Refreshingly unsentimental

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 1 March 2018]

THE BOY IN THE PLASTIC BUBBLE is another interesting US TV movie of the 1970s, a time when the stations seemed to make one quirky little gem after another. This one stars John Travolta right on the cusp of stardom, playing a miracle kid born with a compromised immune system which means he has to live inside plastic sheeting to separate him from the rest of the human race. If he catches a common cold then it could well kill him. That's a tragic premise for sure, but one which is handled sensitively here and with a surprising (and thankful) lack of sentimentality. The production values are solid and the supporting cast features Buzz Aldrin, no less. I've always liked Travolta and even though he's too old for his role here he's likeable and goofy enough to make his character work. This reminded me a lot of the kind of Children's Film Foundation movies that Britain was making during the same era.

Touching story marred by unclear ending

[leczorn · 7/10 · 4 January 2005]

During one of my frequent raids of the $1 DVD bins, I found this 1976 made for TV movie. When reading the synopsis on the package I saw that it was "based on a true story" of a boy named Tod Lubitch (played by John Travolta) who was born without an immune system and had to live in a sterile environment. That brought to my mind a Houston boy named David Joseph Vetter III who was in the news a lot when I was growing up. David had the same problem, lived in the same environment and died at the age of 12.

Upon my research I discovered that this movie is fictional. There was no Tod Lubitch. "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" was inspired by the aforementioned David but isn't about him. $1 DVDs have a bad habit of providing false information and the "true story" claim is yet another example, as is the cover photo of Travolta, which appears to be only a few years old. He was actually in his early 20s when this movie originally aired.

Now for the movie. After spending a few minutes each showing Tod's life as an infant and a four year old - when he begins spending some time at home, where a sterile room is set up for him - the remainder of the movie shows him around the age of 17.

Despite the way he's forced live, Tod is a happy kid who has a close relationship with his parents. But he holds out hope that someday his body will build up enough immunities for him to leave his sterile environment.

Gradually, Tod is able to live a more normal life. He is sometimes wheeled outside in a protective cart. He participates in high school through televisions and cameras set up in his room and the classroom. And later he begins attending school in person by wearing a protective suit much like one an astronaut wears. Tod actually blends in fairly well with the other students. He is a victim of some insensitivity but not a lot and he ends up graduating.

As the movie progresses, Tod falls in love with classmate and next door neighbor Gina Biggs (Glynnis O'Connor). In one scene about midway through the movie, she pretends to express romantic interest in him but then he realizes she was just trying to win a bet with two of her male friends, which devastates Tod. But she later has a change of heart and falls for Tod, too.

This leaves Tod with a monumental decision - continue to remain in his sterile environment, in which is only human contact is gloved hands, or risk his life to be with Gina.

For the most part, I like this movie. It tells a bittersweet story in a very moving way. Travolta's performance is convincing and he shows great signs of things to come. I found myself feeling really sorry for Tod. The supporting cast is also strong and includes the late Robert Reed ("The Brady Bunch") as Tod's father, Johnny Lubitch. I think this is the only role I've ever seen Reed play other than Mike Brady. He displays good serious acting skill.

But the movie is marred by its unclear ending. And I noticed one other significant flaw - in a scene in which Tod's protective suit runs out of oxygen, he rushes into the sterile section of his classroom, aided by classmates, and takes the suit off inside. It seems to me that the outside of the suit would be carrying germs, which would contaminate the sterile section and open Tod to germs that very well might kill him.

The technical quality of the DVD that I have isn't great and looks like it might have been a direct transfer from a master tape that had been sitting on a shelf for years. But the quality is decent enough to watch comfortably.

Overall, this is a very good movie that is well worth the dollar. 7/10.

One of Many

[Sargebri · 29 April 2003]

This film will always be one of many in the long line of disease of the week movies that were, and still are, so prevalent. The only thing that differentiates this film from the others is the fact that it introduced John Travolta to the woman whom many have said was his greatest love, Diana Hyland. Its almost weird to think that Travolta would fall in love with the woman who played his mother. The other crazy thing is looking at him all of a sudden playing a sensitive, almost sympathetic character as opposed to the cool, but dumb, Vinnie Barbarino.

"My son is not a freak!"

[bensonmum2 · 4/10 · 15 March 2017]

Several years ago, when $1 DVD bins were in the front of every discount store in America, you could find hundreds of copies of The Boy in the Plastic Bubble – many with different artwork. It was one of those movies that budget DVD companies just loved – a (I'm assuming) public domain movie you could slap John Travolta's face on. I'm sure they sold thousands of those things.

The Boy in the Plastic Bubble tells the story of Tod Lubitch – a boy born without an immune system. The slightest hint of a germ could kill him. He spends the first few years of his life in a hospital until his parent decide to bring him home. Tod lives in an enclosed, sterile environment inside the Lubitch house. Jump forward about 12 years and we see Tod as a fairly normal teenager – well, as normal as you can be living inside a plastic tent. He's smart, gets along with his parents, and enjoys spying on the neighbor girl, Gina. Tod takes classes via closed circuit TV and eventually attends real classes in a special enclosed suit. He's doing all this to be closer to Gina, not necessarily to learn. But in the end, will this be good enough and will he ever get out of his bubble?

I sat down to watch The Boy in the Plastic Bubble the other night. I don't think I'd seen it since it originally aired back in '76. I had two distinct memories of the film – 1. It was incredibly sad. 2. Glynis O'Connor's bikini (the stuff of 13 year-old dreams). How did it hold up 40 years later? Not as well as I had hoped. It's still a decent enough story, but now I see problems I didn't necessarily notice (or care about) before. There are way too many moments that make me cringe as I watch them now. Travolta overacts in a lot scenes to the point that I felt embarrassed for his character. I know he was meant to show innocence and all that, but he just looks stupid. Another thing that bothered me after this view was the ending. I don't care for it. (SPOILER) What are we supposed to think? Are we supposed to think that Tod just walked out of his bubble and he and Gina lived happily ever after? Are we supposed to think she threw away her dream of going to New York for some guy she's had minimal feelings for? And are we supposed to assume that Tod didn't just keel over a few weeks after stepping out of his bubble? If he did die, what a guilt trip to lay on Gina. (END SPOILER)

I've watched several movies and TV shows from my childhood recently. Many of them are still as good as I remember. But not this one. The Boy in the Plastic Bubble didn't hold up for me. I'll rate it a 4/10.

TV charmer

[Red-Barracuda · 6/10 · 4 November 2021]

Here is a film for the pandemic! This is the story of a boy born with no immunity from disease, meaning he has to spend his life living in a germ-free bubble. This is one of the first starring roles from John Travolta and its one which relies on the goofy, dumb charm he brought to his early appearances. It's a TV movie from Aaron Spelling and it is melodramatic with a requisite romantic sub-plot involving the girl next door but all that basically works and we are rooting for germ-free John the whole way and we hope he gets the girl! Scenes of him wearing a space suit to school or chilling on the beach in a plastic box, are a bit dorky but that's part of the over all charm. Pretty good!

That's not a ghost

[blackmarketkidneysless · 5/10 · 9 October 2009]

They live next to a lake (Every guy who ever watched the movie remembers Gina in her bikini). It's a sailboat. You can see it turning around. Given the production value, it was probably someone who lived near the location, and they made no attempt to dissuade them, because it would look more natural.

I agree with the assessment that notes if they didn't leave it open ended, you wouldn't remember it.

Given our culture's obsession with gaining answers, and that the actors are both still alive, I'm sure someone has pitched a sequel to John and Glynnis about reprising their roles, with them deeply involved in their immunodeficiency research foundation. Or, if you prefer ironic plot twists, he's fine, and she now has HIV from a transfusion...

It's okay...but the end is a bit of a cliffhanger

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 8 August 2015]

"The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" was a made for TV movie which gave John Travolta a chance to do something beyond his lunk-head character on "Welcome Back Kotter"...and just before he shot to super-stardom with "Saturday Night Fever". He plays a young man who was born without an immune system and the show details his difficulties dealing with having a plastic wall always between himself and the outside world. The problem becomes MUCH worse when he falls in love with the girl next door and he realizes he probably will never be able to touch her.

The story is based very broadly on a real case. Travolta is decent in the role and the film is a decent family movie, though the ending is a bit bizarre as it leaves you on such a cliffhanger. I liked it as lot as a kid--seen now, it just seems okay. Generally enjoyable and well written but the ending is a letdown...at least for me.

Don't pay more than a couple of quid

[marqymarqy · 5/10 · 16 September 2012]

I last saw this film on TV around 1980 - I think it was shown to cash in on Travolta's success in Saturday Night Fever and Grease - to the best of my knowledge it hasn't been shown since. I was surprised and pleased to find it readily available to buy on DVD (and VHS),and although the picture quality is poor compared to modern standards it's worth every penny of the 1.77 GBP I paid for my copy. It looks like a video tape that's been copied three or four times - or could it be the film maker's use of humour ? - Robert Reed (the Brady Bunch; Rich Man Poor Man; Scruples) as Travolta's dad begins the film looking as though suffering from a severe case of sunburn; two thirds in John tells him he's looking pale and needs to get some sun. Reed returns from his holiday looking as if he's done a shift in a flour factory. Travolta plays a lad with no inbuilt immunities and has to live in the plastic bubble of the title. He is soon attracted to the pretty girl next door (Glynis O'Connor)and it is she who literally and figuratively brings him out of his shell. Travolta claims he doesn't smell even though he can't wash, and how lavatory hygiene is managed is not dealt with satisfactorily. This is an old fashioned feel good movie suitable for anyone who likes John Travolta or doesn't mind a large dose of sentimentality. Travolta covered Paul Williams' end theme song What Would They Say on his 1977 album - subsequently re-issued including two of his songs from Grease to cash in on his success. Recommended - but don't pay more than a few quid.

John Travolta's dramatic breakthrough

[kevinolzak · 8/10 · 1 March 2014]

1976's "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" has gained legendary status in the careers of both John Travolta and Glynnis O'Connor, for it is due to their performances, and the genuine anguish in its depiction of budding adolescent love, that this TV-movie still endures beyond what all of the naysayers would have you believe. The early scenes with the very young Tod do tend to be overtly cloying, but it immediately establishes the young Gina's attitude toward her new neighbor, at one point actually calling him a 'monster.' As the years pass, she really only sees him once a year on his birthday, the only girl in attendance, now simply looking at him as a curiosity. Once the exposition concludes, the film can take its time with their relationship, how he's always watching her from his expansive pad, isolated from any germs that could easily spell death for him. It really is a marvelous script, Glynnis O'Connor's Gina at first willing to humiliate Tod just to impress her friends (among them Kelly Ward, Vernee Watson, and P. J. Soles), but gradually coming to realize how much he has idolized her, which both flatters her and scares her ("Tod, what are you doing to me?"). Yes, it may be carefully calculated, even contrived, but when the actors deliver, it has the desired effect. As for the ending that so many dislike, how could they conclude it any other way? SPOILER AHEAD- As Paul Williams sings "What Would They Say" (uncredited in the film itself), Tod chooses to be free to pursue his only love, leaving behind the dedicated parents responsible for his well-being, still asleep and unaware, equal parts heart warming and tragic, just like the angst of teenage love. No matter how old we get, we never forget that first love, or the obstacles that needed to be overcome, which Williams beautifully renders as Gina rides away with Tod at her back, toward a future unknown. What a delicate balance that couldn't be bettered, and it remains difficult to watch to this day without tearing up. Robert Reed, just as in THE BRADY BUNCH, is a warm and loving father, and this film, along with ROOTS, reignited his career back toward drama. Diana Hyland will always be remembered as John Travolta's first true love, tragically dead of cancer less than five months after this broadcast. The natural smile, fresh wholesomeness (even in a revealing bikini), a sweet girl next door quality that every boy fell in love with- the 19 year old Glynnis O'Connor was a huge cult figure at the time, on a par with Maureen McCormick, Jodie Foster, Tatum O'Neal, or Kristy McNichol, but appears to be criminally forgotten nowadays; she would continue to score impressively in films such as "California Dreaming" and "Those Lips, Those Eyes." Only months away from "Saturday Night Fever," John Travolta's movie career consisted of a bit in "The Devil's Rain" and a supporting villain in the just completed "Carrie," his dramatic capabilities as yet untested, so this sensitive but not saccharine portrayal was very real and precise (how about the reference to masturbation with fellow inmate John Friedrich, when they easily could have shied away from an honest depiction). This movie's cult should continue to grow, in spite of the dated 70s fashions, despite the raspberries from numerous hipsters, simply because the heart never stops yearning and no one forgets their first love.

Reminecences!!

[elo-equipamentos · 6/10 · 14 June 2017]

Remenbering my teenagers years when this movie aired for first time in Brazil by Globo TV in 1978, based in real facts about the boy who was born without immune system, so the doctor developed a bubble added with device to supply sterile air to secure him against bacteria, so he lives inside the bubble since then, the movie made a huge success at this time even though it a low budge and lousy work, also catapulted John Travolta's career before Staying Alive, unfortunately the DVD released here has a poor image needing a complete restoration, it's a crying shame that so important movie didn't has it before to sell, but even so brings me good memories from this time!!!

Resume:

First watch: 1978 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 6

Laughable!

[LeRoyMarko · 3/10 · 27 March 2001]

The director of this TV-movie wants to make you cry, but it's mostly laughs that he'll get out of you. This is the story of a kid born with no immune system. At 16 or 17, the kid, played by John Travolta, is quite attracted to the girl next door, played by Glynnis O'Connor. But what can you do when you're stuck in a plastic bubble? Why not just walk out of there and go ride a horse! That's exactly what's going to happen. This movie is ridiculous but gives you a good laugh. Good when you have nothing else to do... I give it a 3, and I'm generous.

Back around the circle to great

[bek6c · 15 August 2001]

I caught this movie on HBO late one night recently, after hearing about it for years as "that John Travolta movie about the boy in the bubble."

It was bad. No, it was awful. As someone suggested earlier, it's a wonder that MST3K never got a hold of it. But a funny thing happened on the way - the movie went around the circle of quality until it got to bad. It then kept going, getting worse and worse, until it made its way full circle back to great. I'll admit - Citizen Kane this ain't, but it's great for a really, really, bad movie.

Just for laughs, imagine Travolta in his Vinnie Barbarino voice saying "Heyyy... I'm in a bubble heah..."

It's too bad he couldn't have stayed in that bubble, sparing us the agony of Battleship Earth and the Look Who's Talking series.

Not Terrible

[DVK1234 · 6/10 · 27 September 2021]

I remember watching this movie as a kid back in the seventies. All I could think about was that John Travolta and Diana Hyland became a couple.

Lots of memories of other made-for-TV movies featuring Glynnis O'Connor. Mike Brady played the dad - was nice to see him in a movie.

Overall not terrible but not completely believable. I know there were children in real life who had no immune system and this movie portrayed that, but I doubt that the real-life boys with this condition ventured to school and had relationships like Tod Lubitch did.

Ending was artsy fartsy.

Leave the cynicism outside. Life was once this sweet.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 1 August 2016]

O.K., perhaps sweet isn't the right word for what John Travolta goes through in this T.V. movie that ranks up there with the best of them from the 1970's. It was a big deal in 1976, and while today's audiences might either look at Travolta as an aged joke or view sentimentality as dated as rotary phones, but that aside, this was a daring view of a potentially tragic story that needed to be told.

Playing the supposed real life Todd Lubitch (actually fictional) who spent years in a totally germ free and sanitary environment while trying to live life like a normal teenager. Falling in love with next four neighbor Glynis O'Connor, he decides to try to go to school, all the while hoping for some kind of release. Health scares involving lack of air, causing more concerns for his guilt ridden and overly devoted parents (Robert Reed and Diana Hyland).

As far from his early successes on T.V. and in movies as he could be, Travolta shows tremendous vulnerability. It's easy to see why he got the breaks he did. Ralph Bellamy gives a sincere performance as his lifelong doctor, with future "mama" Anne Ramsey in a small role as his prickly, sherry drinking nurse. There's one scene in a hospital with another boy in a plastic bubble that has unintentional gay connotations as they broach the subject of masturbation. This ends up being a nail biter towards the end because it never is clear as to what the worst that could happen would be. This was said to be a true story but evidence has proved that not to be true, although there were similar cases with younger real children. That doesn't diminish the impact even though it did provide false hope for the real life victims of similar ailments.

Staying Alive

[juliankennedy23 · 4/10 · 25 April 2017]

The Boy in the Plastic Bubble: This is going to be a weird one. There is so much to unpack here. First of all, let me confess I watched the Rifftrax version of this film. It is a bit of a strange choice for Rifftrax. This, after all, is a drama writ large. It would be like a Rifftrax of Love Story or Terms of Endearment.

The next thing to unpack is Seinfeld's Bubble Boy. He haunts this movie as it was such a wonderful parody of this film and circumstance. I spent the entire movie with the phrase "It's Moors" stuck in my head.

The third unpacking is the cast of the film. You, of course, have John Travolta in short shorts. His real life love interest Diana Hyland who was 18 years his senior, divorcing her husband and unknown to both of them was about to get a tragic fatal disease that would not be out of place in the film itself. She, in a creepish aside, plays his mother in the film. I know I know it shouldn't matter. But like the actor playing Dexter marrying the actress playing his sister it illogically just seems. Well creepy.

On the plus side, we have Robert Reed, Mr. Brady himself, as the father and a very young PJ Soles as one of the high school kids. Also on the plus side, this really isn't that bad a movie. Though based on a true story it really doesn't tie itself to the true life (and much more depressing) real life escapades. Travolta has a light touch and the film seems to do a nice job humanizing the issues at hand. In addition, if you are watching the Rifftrax version there are some pretty good riffs to keep you smiling through the slow bits. Definitely a fun time with Rifftrax and an interesting curiosity piece for those watching without.

serious camp

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 23 March 2024]

Tod Lubitch (John Travolta) was born with an immune deficiency and forced to live in a sterile bubble. He cannot touch anybody. He lives with only his parents and the few visitors are mostly doctors like Dr. Gunther. Gina Biggs has lived next door since her childhood.

Here's the thing. This is all about the two teens and they're both a bit too teen. When they're behaving like teens, it can be hard to take. The movie has a romance tone but I question whether this is romance or lust. It probably doesn't matter. Quite frankly, Glynnis O'Connor has limitations as an actress. She has only one or two gears to play with. It's also very weird to see a half-naked Travolta in a bubble. It's close to camp. That one image of Travolta in short-shorts inside the bubble is worth a thousand words. As for the spacesuit, it needs to be white to be a cinematic spacesuit. The biggest aspect is Travolta. He has his boyish charms. He has the million watt smile and that's a little problematic. He's a superstar trapped in a bubble. It's weird.

Worth watching for nostalgia

[juneebuggy · 6/10 · 22 August 2020]

I remember seeing this on tv when I was a young teen, I enjoyed it much more back then. It's pretty corny and after school special in its style, very much a product of the 70's, cheesy. Good nostalgia buzz all the same. Story follows a boy born without an immune system, doomed because of his birth defect to live in a completely sterile environment, never knowing human contact. His parents set up a germ free plastic room in their house and the boy grows up to be teenager John Travolta.

The Brady Bunch dad (Robert Reed) is the dad here again, Travolta is very young, he does a decent job, its just feels awkward to see him acting so childlike, temper tantrums etc. His character is also a bit strange. He falls in love, attempts high school in a spacesuit. The ending is weird, not sure what happens there, one of those and then what?

Great Movie

[m92603 · 8/10 · 13 March 2006]

I thought this movie was very good. You must consider that it was made in 1976 and also made for TV. Therefore it is not going to look like the movies we are used to seeing. I feel that it told the story very well. The movie IS based on a true story. It is not a made-up story of Hollywood, like a lot of people think. The only thing I did not like about the movie was the fact that they didn't take the story to the end. The movie leaves you hanging with questions. I feel that it did a good job conveying the emotions that Todd had. The camera positions in some shots really helped the viewer understand Todd's life and struggle. I would recommend this movie to all especially those who like movies based on true stories.

"Aren't you ever gonna get out of this thing?"

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 29 July 2016]

John Travolta effortlessly made the leap from TV Sweathog to teenage heartthrob with this popular ABC movie-of-the-week, executive produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg, about a boy born without immunities who is taken out of the hospital after his first four years to live at home in a germ-free zone. The adults of the piece (Robert Reed and Emmy-winner Diana Hyland as Travolta's parents, Ralph Bellamy as his doctor) are good, but audiences in 1976 were mostly interested in Travolta's presence. He doesn't give a multi-layered performance--he's overeager when trying for simple charm, and he's least convincing in situations where he's meant to be hurt--but, for a newcomer, he certainly displays enormous self-confidence and charisma. Girl-next-door Glynnis O'Connor rolls her eyes and grins like she's never talked to a boy before (which may be the fault of director Randal Kleiser), although the two match up well in the puppy love department. The film's final moments--aimed directly at budding romantics--is a bit much, yet overall it's well-made and memorable, a touchstone movie for kids in the '70s.

Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976) vs. Bubble Boy (2001)

[Brenda_LaMora · 10 August 2001]

I just read that there's a movie coming out this year (2001) called Bubble Boy. It sounds like a take off of The Boy in the Plastic Bubble with the exception that it's a comedy. This was one of those great chic flicks in 1976, where you could have a great emotional moment with the girls. I can't believe anyone would make this story into a comedy.

A Few Holes In The Story, But A Pretty Good Early Role For John Travolta

[sddavis63 · 7/10 · 3 November 2009]

When this movie was made, John Travolta was at the height of his popularity as the tough guy sex symbol "sweathog" Vinnie Barbarino from the TV series "Welcome Back, Kotter." Obviously, he had plans to become a major star and to do that he would have to demonstrate some range of ability; he would have to show that he had the capacity to take on a very different role and make it work. Certainly he managed to do that as "Tod Lubitch - "The Boy In The Plastic Bubble." This is an obviously made for TV movie in both budget and quality. In fact, I think I remember watching it when it first aired. Still, it's a pretty good movie with an interesting subject. In spite of what it claims, I don't believe it's really "based on a true story" except in the sense that there are people who live with this problem. There was no Tod Lubitch, though. The character is (at best) a composite of people who live with the condition and an imagining of what their life must be like. According to the movie, Tod is born with an immune deficiency - in fact, with no active immune system - so that he has to be constantly kept in a sterile environment, able to interact with people only through the plastic walls that constantly surround him. Travolta, who takes over the role after brief accounts of Tod's life as an infant and as a 4 year old, does a good job of showing Tod's growing frustration with the limitation he has to live with and of his desire to be free of it, as well as of his growing feelings for his neighbour Gina, with whom he falls in love. Tod experiences a growing independence, up to and including attending high school in a sort of space suit and graduating. When Gina makes her decision to go to art school in New York City, Tod is left with a decision - to stay in his safe but sterile (in every way) environment, or to take the risk of walking out into the world. In the end, he enters the world, and the last scene is of Tod and Gina riding off on a horse together (a bit too romantic a scene, perhaps) so that Tod's ultimate fate is left unknown to the viewer. Instead, we're left with a strange combination of hopefulness but also anxiety - a somewhat unsatisfying ending, I thought.

The supporting cast was good, but this was Travolta's movie. There were some plot problems created by the scene in which Tod runs out of air in his suit and has to run back to his "bubble" in the classroom before he suffocates. He just runs right into the bubble. Wouldn't his suit have been contaminated? And after he goes in, a classmate - who lost a $10 bet to him - slips the $10 bill right into the bubble. Again, wouldn't it be contaminated? Plot oversights aside, it's a pretty well done and interesting story. 7/10

Brings Back Memories

[mchl88 · 7/10 · 31 March 2024]

I saw this when it first aired as a Movie of the Week on ABC in 1976. I already knew John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino from Welcome Back Kotter but little did I know he was about to star in two of my all time favorite films. Nor did I know anything about his strange and tragic on-set romance with Diana Hyland (who played his mother in the film). I just remember enjoying the movie.

As I did this week.

The movie itself is pretty good, especially if you judge it on a made-for-TV scale. The cast is superb, including Mike Brady (Robert Reed) as the ever-caring father (he knew his strength) and Glynnis O'Connor who I also just saw in Ode to Billy Joe. And the story line is emotional if a little forced at times.