Line #5 Film/TheBoyInThePlasticBubble

Context Film / TheBoyInThePlasticBubble

Go To


1	[[quoteright:333:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/plastic_bubble.jpg]]
2
3	''The Boy in the Plastic Bubble'' is a 1976 MadeForTVMovie directed by Randal Kleiser and produced by Creator/AaronSpelling. It stars Creator/JohnTravolta, Creator/GlynnisOConnor, Diana Hyland, Creator/{{Robert Reed\|Actor}}, Creator/RalphBellamy and Creator/PJSoles.
4
5	Based on the real-life stories of David Vetter and Ted [=DeVita=], the film follows Tod Lubitch, born with an improperly functioning immune system. This means that contact with unfiltered air may kill him, so he must live out his life in [[BubbleBoy incubator-like conditions]]. He lives with his parents, since they decided to move him from Texas Children's Hospital where he was being kept as a boy. He is restricted to staying in his room all his life, where he eats, learns, reads and exercises, while being protected from the outside world by various coverings.
6
7	The film was well received, and won a posthumous MediaNotes/EmmyAward for Hyland's performance as Mickey Lubitch (Hyland died of breast cancer four months after initial airing).
8	----
9	!!The tropes outside the plastic bubble:
10	* AlternateDVDCommentary: Podcast/{{RiffTrax}} recorded a [[https://www.rifftrax.com/the-boy-in-the-plastic-bubble comedic commentary]] in 2010. You can view it on their Website/YouTube channel [[https://youtu.be/kdHt_4ui5Q4 here]].
11	* ArtisticLicenseMedicine: One of the real life inspirations pointed out that Tod would have brought several outside contaminants into his bubble by walking back into it wearing his protective suit.
12	* BubbleBoy: The title character.
13	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After Gina and her friends pull a mean prank on Tod (she pretends to fall in love with him on a dare and ''[[KidsAreCruel tells him so]]'' immediately after), they feel horrible about it and make sure their next attempts at befriending him are sincere.
14	* NoEnding: After we see [[spoiler:Tod kiss Gina, then go off to ride her horse (not a euphemism)]], the credits roll. We don't know if Tod lived for the next hour or next decade. Probably the point.
15	** The most we get is Tod's doctor telling him that he's built up ''some'' immunities, but it's still up in the air if something like a bad cold could easily kill him or not.
16	* SituationalSexuality: Tod spends time in the hospital with another boy named Roy, who's his age and shares his condition (albeit for a lot less time). He seems a little ''too'' happy to have a bunkmate and doesn't talk about anything other than masturbation and/or sex. And how he wants to have sex with everything. '''''[[ExtremeOmnisexual EVERYTHING.]]'''''
17	-->'''[[Podcast/{{RiffTrax}} Bill]]:''' You're ''[[SoundEffectBleep bleep]]'' disgusting.
18	* StalkingIsLove: Tod watches Gina through binoculars which is either endearing or weird.

Context Film / TheBoyInThePlasticBubble