The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976) Online

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

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.

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!

Indeed,what would they say? That is,the cast of this film if they could see how time has only served to treat this above par TV movie,like it's some sort of 1970's retro-joke?!

I'm sure if Robert Reed were alive today he'd be outraged! My main thought though,does Travolta know about this? ...and if he does,why hasn't he done something about it? If I were an actor I'd certainly find a way!

I bought this on VHS in 1997 after having not seen it for over 18 years. On the cover of mine is a fairly young Travolta wearing a white turtleneck. (Ick!) It was a mere $2 at Montgomery Wards and here's why...it was a cheap knock-off recorded off FOX Channel 32 in Chicago! The stations logo briefly appearing during the scene of Todd's fist day in High School.

Okay,enough of the tirade! My opinion of the movie itself? I think it's one of the finest "movies of the week" ever made at the time and in some cases,since. I saw this in it's initial airing on Nov. 12th,1976 and never forgot it. Travolta gives us a waterfall of emotions in this film:Joy,Sadness,Anger,Fear,etc. Films about medical conditions usually would have been preachy or maudlin. This treats Todd's condition like it should be, not "oh poor Todd,he's an outcast!"

Like Robert Reed says to the reporters,"My son's not a freak!" He turns in a very good performance as well. He doesn't completely do a 360 from Mike Brady but it was a good start. The other young actors do a fine job of being exactly what kids are like when faced with something they don't understand.

They talk about Todd behind his back and Gina plays a cruel joke on him at a beach outing. I wont say more about them,I don't want to ruin it for those who haven't seen it.

It's no wonder that Travolta became as big as he did! "Welcome Back Kotter" was a mere stepping stone compared to this. This was his spring- board to "Saturday Night Fever" and beyond,in my view. To all those under 30 who haven't seen this....forget that it's made in the '70s and watch it for the story alone. I know you will not be disappointed.

In closing,one amusing thing I remember. Without giving away anything,when I saw the ending back in '76 at age 8,I thought he was "all better"! (Ha-ha,talk about innocence).

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.

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.

This tv movie provided a big stepping stone for John Travolta, but its 70s sensibilities provoke more laughter than empathy for the plight of the title character. The "disease of the week" plot makes Glynnis O'Connor into a cruel and easy highschool bimbo, smoking cigarettes and parading about in a bikini. All to the frustration of trapped Travolta, who is desperate for companionship other than that of his dreary parents.

Does anyone still remember that Travolta had a passionate love affair in real life with the actress Diana Hyland, who played his mother here? He was devastated when she died of cancer a few years later. It's riotous fun to see his pre-"Saturday Night Fever" dance steps as he boogies down inside his bubble. It's obvious that he had some training before that other movie!

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.

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...

I remember seeing this movie when it first aired and was happy to watch it again, this time with a new perspective. Now I am a mother and grandmother. However the greatest shift in perspective comes from being married to a man who has been in prison for 20 years. At odd moments I am given the opportunity to have a glimpse of what it might be like for him to come home one day. This was such a movie. Another was "The Terminal" with Tom Hanks. I couldn't contain my sobs when he was finally able to step through the doors to freedom. Freedom, perhaps the most taken for granted and wonderful blessing allowed to anyone.

As in the story of Todd in "The Boy In The Plastic Bubble" something or someone not understood is easy to discount or hate. When there is an opportunity to understand and feel compassion it doesn't diminish us, it brings growth and maturity.

I can still remember this movie when it was shown on TV back in 1976. I thought it was a good story. It still is, but I was extremely disappointed in the DVD release of it. It's a really bad transfer & the packaging that it came in is really pitiful. I can't understand why they (Essex Entertainment) would want to cheapen the best format in the world?

There was also a huge error on it as well. On the disc they have: "The Boy In The Bubble".

It's a shame that this great movie had to be wrecked by a very poor DVD release.

I remember watching this on TV the first (only?) time it was run. I don't remember why I watched it; although I was a teenage girl when he was at the height of his popularity, I was never a Travolta fan and never got the hype about him. (One English class assignment in the 9th grade was to watch "Welcome Back Kotter" with the sound off and try to follow the story... I complained long and loud about having to waste a valuable half-hour of TV time watching "Kotter", although I'm sure the teacher chose it because almost everyone would have been watching it anyway.)

I found the film on streaming last weekend and watched it again for a nostalgia buzz; discovered that the only thing I remembered was a few bars of Paul Williams' song at the end (never got the hype about Williams either). Strangely, the streaming version seems to have the same flaws other reviewers have mentioned about their DVDs; at times it squiggles up like I remember VHS recordings doing when they'd been over-watched or stored improperly.

I guess the biggest problem I had with this film overall was the almost complete lack of tension. Todd seems reasonably content to stay in his bubble, with only occasional displays of frustration or unhappiness at his isolation. Okay, if he's fine with it, let's leave him in there and go make a movie about someone who throws hissy fits; it's more interesting. (Well, Todd did have one hissy fit... but it seemed over the top and out of place since he was so placid the rest of the time.)

The supporting cast was kind of cool... you get to see P.J. Soles who was in "Carrie" (with Travolta), and Kelly Ward and Darryl Zwerling who were in "Grease" (with Travolta).

Inconsistent, dull, simplistic. If it had a different actor in the lead I don't think I would have liked it any better, so I'm not hanging all the blame on Barbarino. There just isn't much here substance-wise.

P.S. Add me to the list of people who are positive that's a sailboat, not a mysterious white-robed figure, in the background at the end... although I'll admit it gave me a start and I said out loud "what the heck is THAT?" before figuring it out.

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.

"John Travolta stars as Tod Lubitsch, a teenager who was born without disease immunities. Tod is forced to live out his life in incubator conditions. When he ventures outdoors, he must be encased in a huge plastic bubble. He falls in love with Gina Biggs (Glynnis O'Connor), and must decide between following his heart or facing near-certain death," according to the DVD sleeve description, "Diana Hyland won an Emmy for her portrayal of Travolta's mother."

Ms. Hyland was nominated posthumously, as "Best supporting Actress"; and, Mr. Travolta accepted the award.

This corny "ABC Friday Night Movie" was, nevertheless, a TV winner. There seems to be a serious mistake is storytelling as, following Mr. Travolta's clapping push-up contest with Kelly Ward (as Tom Shuster), we see Travolta's perfect "bubble" environment contaminated by both his young co-stars and a dirty $10 bill. You could also point out Travolta was well past high school age - then again, he spent more years there on "Welcome Back, Kotter" than he did in reality.

Changing hairstyles and demeanor, Hyland and father Robert Reed (as Johnny) manage the passing decades well.

This drama is not about the lead character's medical condition. It is about sex - specifically, about the desire for sex between two young people who are obviously falling in love. Teenagers who saw this movie on television in 1976 (and in rerun) surely made the connection. Travolta looks very sexy in his gym shorts and eye make-up. And, Ms. O'Connor appears in an eye-popping baby-blue bikini which would have, if applicable, worn off many a remote's rewind button.

"I wanna be dirty!" Travolta's roommate John Friedrich exclaims, "I wanna make it with everything that walks!"

The sexual content didn't stop at the cutting room floor, with Travolta letting known an affair with one of his co-stars. If you're NOT already "in the know" you'd surely think it was O'Connor. Well, surprise, you're wrong… You're next guess is Mr. Reed. Good one. But, wrong again… It was revealed to be movie "mother" Hyland. An familiar American TV favorite, she tragically died of breast cancer within a year. This movie was an important part of Travolta's post-"Kotter" stardom.

Neatly directed by Randal Kleiser, the ending is an exhilaratingly symbolic release of tension.

***** The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (11/12/76) Randal Kleiser ~ John Travolta, Glynnis O'Connor, Robert Reed, Diana Hyland

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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

What a wonderfully God-awful movie. Bears all the hallmarks of a mid 70's tv movie including woeful acting and a dreadful storyline. I'm not sure I've even laughed as much with this movie than I have at comedies.

John Travolta plays a boy born without an immune system back in the days before AIDS - before people said "well, these actors... you have to wonder." Based on a true story? Maybe, but if this were based on *my* true story, I wouldn't spend so long trying to get *out* of the bubble... I'd be trying to find more ways to hide.

The biggest surprise of the movie? The fact that the tv show "Mystery Science Theatre" didn't get their hands on it.

A previous contributor got it right, the DVD release is awful (fitting really, given the quality of the movie itself), bad transfer from a bad video copy. I swear, it looks like someone recorded it off a broken Betamax VCR. They even go so far as to proudly add to the flimsy packaging "This movie DOES NOT feature: scene access, dual dialogue" Still... what do you want for $5?

A great way to spend a Saturday evening with beer and pizza, making fun of the movie. And you can make fun of it over and over again, it never gets tired. Well worth spending $5 on for a lifetime of fun....

I'm not sure it is possible to make a bad movie that has Robert Reed, Buzz Aldrin, and P.J. Soles in it. I think Boy In The Plastic Bubble proves that often only brilliant cinema can result from such sublime casting. The main story is that John Travolta can't handle germs, but there is a subplot in which Ralph Bellamy doesn't age at all in 18 years. Robert Reed shows the same versatility he displayed in "The Brady Bunch" by sporting two hair styles. Travolta shows his ability to pout is not to be underestimated and that it was a key ingredient in his acting arsenal that launched him into super stardom. I wish there were more characters named "Tod" in movies.