bensonmum2 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.

ShelbyTMItchell John Travolta before his Saturday Night Fever and Grease fame, really got to show his acting shops. As a teenager born with a rare immune system. And that he can't even go outside the world. And has to live it in a plastic bubble.As he grows up, he wants to go outside the world. And wants to see it beyond his bubble. But that is hard to do. Due to his rare disease he has. And the overprotection of his parents, played by the late Diana Hyland and the late Robert Reed.He falls in love with pretty Glynnis O Connor who is cruel to him at first due to his condition. But then, after what happened at the beach changes her attitude on him.He must decide either to follow his heart and love meaning impending death. Or stay in a bubble for his health and protection.Travolta was in love with Hyland eighteen years his senior and would later die of breast cancer. He dedicated his Emmy Award to her. Touching and great TV movie!

hello94960 1. I truly believe if this is Travolta's best movie.2. Glynnis O'Conner never got the respect she earned.3. Plus--she was Adorable.4. If Twentieth Century Fox could send the Master to Lucas and one of his Yodas' cleaned up the film technically-- people would pay 10 bucks to see it.5. It a shame the celluloid degraded. It almost aged like the actors?6. If anyone know who owns the master, please email me.7. I know a non-profit in San Francisco archived the movie, but it's the same horrid quality.8. A film like this should have been preserved.9. I hope someone is preventing this careless destruction of old movies?10. Maybe the actors have a better copy?11. I saw the original as a kid, and it was crystal clear; I think?

classldy the only thing I have to say about this movie; is that Travolta got paid the measly salary; and an affair from Hyland for this piece of dreck. Probably after Kotter and before Saturday Night Fever; he may have taken any God Awful script to keep in the acting business.Seeing it was produced by Spelling is another hallmark of bad taste. Even though it was based on a true story the extents that the parents had to go through to keep him alive. I don't know any family who could considerably bare the expenses that the enclosures would cost; seeing that they did live in a log cabin. To through all that away he should have died at the beginning; and left questionable about his future.