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Bubble Boy

  • 2001
  • PG-13
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
37K
YOUR RATING
Jake Gyllenhaal in Bubble Boy (2001)
Home Video Trailer from Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Play trailer1:42
2 Videos
99+ Photos
FarceQuirky ComedyRoad TripSatireSlapstickAdventureComedyRomanceSci-Fi

Bubble Boy's been in a bubble all his life due to no immune system. A cute blonde girl befriends BB. Her boyfriend proposes and BB decides to travel across USA to Niagara Falls to stop the w... Read allBubble Boy's been in a bubble all his life due to no immune system. A cute blonde girl befriends BB. Her boyfriend proposes and BB decides to travel across USA to Niagara Falls to stop the wedding.Bubble Boy's been in a bubble all his life due to no immune system. A cute blonde girl befriends BB. Her boyfriend proposes and BB decides to travel across USA to Niagara Falls to stop the wedding.

  • Director
    • Blair Hayes
  • Writers
    • Cinco Paul
    • Ken Daurio
  • Stars
    • Jake Gyllenhaal
    • Swoosie Kurtz
    • Marley Shelton
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.7/10
    37K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Blair Hayes
    • Writers
      • Cinco Paul
      • Ken Daurio
    • Stars
      • Jake Gyllenhaal
      • Swoosie Kurtz
      • Marley Shelton
    • 204User reviews
    • 46Critic reviews
    • 41Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination total

    Videos2

    Bubble Boy
    Trailer 1:42
    Bubble Boy
    Bubble Boy
    Trailer 2:00
    Bubble Boy
    Bubble Boy
    Trailer 2:00
    Bubble Boy

    Photos198

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    Top Cast72

    Edit
    Jake Gyllenhaal
    Jake Gyllenhaal
    • Jimmy Livingston
    Swoosie Kurtz
    Swoosie Kurtz
    • Mrs. Livingston
    Marley Shelton
    Marley Shelton
    • Chloe
    Danny Trejo
    Danny Trejo
    • Slim
    John Carroll Lynch
    John Carroll Lynch
    • Mr. Livingston
    Verne Troyer
    Verne Troyer
    • Dr. Phreak
    Dave Sheridan
    Dave Sheridan
    • Mark
    Brian George
    Brian George
    • Pushpop
    Patrick Cranshaw
    Patrick Cranshaw
    • Pappy…
    Stephen Spinella
    Stephen Spinella
    • Chicken Man
    Ever Carradine
    Ever Carradine
    • Lisa, Mark's Sister
    Geoffrey Arend
    Geoffrey Arend
    • Flipper Boy
    Beetlejuice
    Beetlejuice
    • Li'l Zip
    Matthew McGrory
    Matthew McGrory
    • Human Sasquatch
    Bonnie Morgan
    Bonnie Morgan
    • Rubber Woman
    Jason Sklar
    Jason Sklar
    • Shlomo
    Randy Sklar
    Randy Sklar
    • Dawn
    Ping Wu
    Ping Wu
    • Emcee
    • Director
      • Blair Hayes
    • Writers
      • Cinco Paul
      • Ken Daurio
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews204

    5.737K
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    Featured reviews

    5Bernie4444

    Good premise poor execution

    In a mother's (Swoose Kurtz) attempt to keep her little boy Jimmy (Jake Gyllenhaal), she convinces him that he needs to live in a bubble to protect him from germs, and "little girls". Well, it was inevitable that he should grow up. His favorite girl Chloe (Marley Shelton) is running off with another man and this will burst Jimmy's bubble.

    Slapstick's moronic attempts at humor mask this hero's journey through space-time. He learns more about himself as he encounters many new religions and cultures. All encounters are intertwined with each other in some fashion and there are no loose ends. It fits the formula well with a timeline and a direction to a goal that not even the hero is aware of.
    6dbisseker

    Strange... yet enjoyable

    You'll watch this and feel like you've seen it before.

    Jake Gylenhaal in a goofy, funnier role.

    This has all the typical silly gags of this era yet still has some wholesomeness to it.

    This was my first introduction to Beetlejuice, who I found terrifying back then but the more I looked int, is actually hilarious.

    This is a fun, dumb, flick.

    I can understand why people hate it as comedy as always been a hard one to master.

    It's either too juvenile or too serious.

    This falls into the juvenile category but may still get some laughs.

    Worth the watch if you're sick of the seriousness of the world and need an easy laugh.
    dr_mookie

    Not as Dumb as it Looks

    When I rented it, I was expecting to be disappointed. What a shock! An awesome film with a delightfully goofy plot. I did not find it offensive in any reagrd. In fact, I disagree with those who have called the film "stupid" or "dumb" or void of any real social commentary. In a nutshell, Almost everyone Jimmy encounters on his adventure is trapped in their own self imposed bubble. Truth is, we all find ways to insulate ourselves from the world, and impose "Bubbles" to convince ourselves of non-existent limitations that prevent us from being and doing what we want. The film's irony and beauty lies in the fact that while Jimmy's bubble is the most obvious, he is the free-est character in the film. He refuses to accept the limitations of his bubble, and will follow his heart no matter what the cost. How many of us can look in the mirror and say the same about ourselves? Well worth the cost of rental. One of the least recognized film jewels of the century so far.
    MLDinTN

    I wish my mom was like bubble boy's...

    well, NOT really. The mom is what made this movie very funny. Her character was great, especially with all the not so nice things she did and said, but then in the next sentence she would praise Jesus. I also got a kick out of all the weird characters bubble boy meets on his trip to Niagra Falls.

    This movie was so much better than a lot of other comedies. I guess all the controversy over the fact this movie makes fun of people who really live in bubbles is what killed it at the theater. If I'd known this was actually worth watching, I would have seen it a lot sooner.

    FINAL VERDICT: Remember this is a comedy. Don't take it so seriously. This movie is silly; it is not trying to be offensive. Just take it for what it is worth and you will laugh and have a good time. This is definitely worth the 90 minutes it takes to watch it.
    10jarnartharn

    What A Bloody GREAT Movie

    I caught this movie by mistake after it was broadcast on BBC1 at midnight last night, I just had to go straight out and get the DVD. It only had a one star rating in my television magazine which I think is terrible. It was a highly entertaining film which myself at 26, my 24 year old girlfriend, my 53 year old mother and even my very young daughter highly enjoyed - A really entertaining, pleasant family movie and obviously VERY under-rated in the UK. It was just one laugh after another, a really uplifting, funny story with a not-too over the top ending (although it was a little predictable). I would, however, like to send my respect to the family & friends of Matthew McGrory, as he always played great characters in all of his movies - I was very shocked and upset to hear that he passed away earlier this year, he will be immortalised by all of the great roles that he entertained the world with.

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    Related interests

    Leslie Nielsen, Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, and Lorna Patterson in Airplane! (1980)
    Farce
    Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Cate Blanchett, Bud Cort, Anjelica Huston, Michael Gambon, Noah Taylor, Matthew Gray Gubler, Seu Jorge, and Waris Ahluwalia in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
    Quirky Comedy
    Sasha Lane in American Honey (2016)
    Road Trip
    Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
    Satire
    Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
    Slapstick
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The scene in the club before the mud wrestling was all improvised by Jake Gyllenhaal and Ping Wu, including the "FIVE HUNDRED DOLLAR!" line.
    • Goofs
      In the scene where Bubble Boy is making his escape from home, he rolls down the stairs and bounces into the living room. In this shot you can clearly see another layer of the clear bubble material encasing/suspending him for protection during the stunt. In the very next shot, this layer is gone and the bubble moves freely around him.
    • Quotes

      Jimmy: I saw the sign outside and it said that you had five hundred dollars.

      Emcee: You want five hundred dolla?

      Jimmy: Yes, I would like five hundred dollars.

      Emcee: You want five hundred dolla?

      Jimmy: Yes please, I would like five hundred dollars.

      Emcee: You want five hundred dolla?

      Jimmy: Yes I want five hundred dolla!

      Emcee: Five hundred dolla!

      Jimmy: Five hundred dolla!

      Emcee: Five hundred dolla!

      Jimmy: Five hundred dolla!

    • Crazy credits
      At the end of the credits, the phreaks can be heard shouting: "Oh, I love Cadillacs!" "Shotgun!" "Shut up, Chicken." "We'll never fit." "Whup that ass!"
    • Connections
      Featured in Beyond Clueless (2014)
    • Soundtracks
      Dammit (Growing Up)
      Written by Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Scott Raynor

      Performed by Blink-182

      Courtesy of MCA Records

      Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 24, 2001 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Хлопець із бульбашки
    • Filming locations
      • Palmdale, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Touchstone Pictures
      • Germ Free Productions
      • Bandeira Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $13,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $5,007,898
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $2,038,349
      • Aug 26, 2001
    • Gross worldwide
      • $5,007,898
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 24m(84 min)
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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