Over the years, television has shown its fascination with bubble boys--boys who, for some health reason or another, have to live their lives in a bubble environment that protects them from outside germs. For some reason, viewers seem fascinated with this subject, perhaps because it represents the most severe form of life long deprivation of freedom one can imagine. Hollywood has told the story many times over the years. Sometimes touching and serious, sometimes humorous, televisions' bubble boys have given several generations of television viewers a lot of food for thought.
The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976)
Television's first bubble boy burst onto the scene in 1976 in a made for television movie called "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble." Seventies heart throb John Travolta starred as Todd, a teenage boy who has spent his entire life living inside a germ free environment. He is unable to leave his plastic bubble environment because of his body's failure to develop immunities. Even the simplest cold could kill him. Todd falls in love with the girl next door, played by Glynnis O'Connor. Todd's parents are played by Brady Bunch dad Robert Reed and John Travolta's then real life love, Diana Hyland. This is the warm and touching story of a young man trying to come to terms with the normal events of teen life, compounded a hundred fold by his unusual living situation. Repeatedly reassured that the world is searching for a cure or that his body may someday develop immunities on its own, Todd longs for the day when he can walk out of his plastic bubble. Will he ever be able to? Much of this story's fascination lies in the viewer's attempt to decide what he or she would do under the same circumstances. The story culminates with a beautiful song written by and sung one of the major songwriters of the day, Paul Williams. John Travolta himself recorded the song, called "What Would They Say?" on his solo album effort.
Seinfeld's Bubble Boy (1992)
In 1992, the concept of the bubble boy resurfaced on an episode of Seinfeld. In the classic episode, written by Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Jerry and the gang are on a road trip. Jerry has agreed to stop along the way to visit a sick fan, a young boy who has not developed immunities to disease and who has lived his young life trapped in a plastic bubble environment in order to avoid germs. During the visit, George agrees to play a game of Trivial Pursuit with the Bubble Boy and gets into an argument with him, insisting that the answer on the card is correct while the Bubble Boy insists it is a misprint. The hilarity of this episode lies in George's being so very George--he is concerned only with proving himself right and completely disregards the Bubble Boy's situation.
Bubble Boy (2001)
Perhaps the funniest depiction of the bubble boy is 2001's "Bubble Boy," a movie that appeared in theaters but is now available on DVD for television viewing. This film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Jimmy, a young California man who is forced to live in a plastic bubble environment due to his body's inability to develop immunities from germs. Like Todd in the "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble," Jimmy falls in love with the girl next door, Chloe, played by Marley Shelton. When Jimmy finds out that Chloe is getting married to another man on the east coast, he devises a mobile bubble so that he can travel across country to stop the wedding. Hilarity ensues. None of these portrayals attempt to make fun of the situation, and although it may seem differently, neither does this film. Jimmy's entrapment in the bubble in this film seems to be a metaphor for entrapment in an environment stifled by any number of things, including overly protective parents. Swoosie Kurtz is outstanding in her role as Jimmy's mother.
Copyright (c) 2005 by Leanne Phillips
