Bubble Boy

"Life is an adventure. Don't blow it."

2001 1h 24m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 654

ComedyAdventureRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Jimmy is a young man who was born without an immune system and has lived his life within a plastic bubble in his bedroom... who pines for the sweet caresses of girl-next-door Chloe. But when Chloe decides to marry her high school boyfriend, Jimmy – bubble suit and all – treks cross-country to stop her.

“Life is an adventure. Don't blow it.”

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Cast

Jake Gyllenhaal
Jimmy Livingston
Swoosie Kurtz
Mrs. Livingston
Marley Shelton
Chloe
Danny Trejo
Slim
John Carroll Lynch
Mr. Livingston
Verne Troyer
Dr. Phreak
Dave Sheridan
Mark
Brian George
Pushpop

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Blair Hayes
Writers: Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio
Languages: French, English
Countries: United States of America, France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, France.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Blair Hayes, shot by Jerzy Zieliński. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Ottman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Pamela Martin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jake Gyllenhaal and Swoosie Kurtz and Marley Shelton carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Blair Hayes directs. Jerzy Zieliński behind the camera. John Ottman scores. Pamela Martin cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America, France. Dialogue in French, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
225 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.
4International production across 2 countries: United States of America, France.
5Directed by Blair Hayes, shot by Jerzy Zieliński. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by John Ottman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Pamela Martin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Jake Gyllenhaal and Swoosie Kurtz and Marley Shelton carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Life is an adventure. Don't blow it.".
10IMDB entry: tt0258470 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11The top-rated still from this film on TMDB has multiple community votes — a signal the frame composition stuck with viewers.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jerzy Zieliński
Original score: John Ottman
Editing: Pamela Martin
Production design: Barry Robison
Costume design: Christopher Lawrence
Stunt coordinator: Jack Gill
Runtime: 84 min · 1h 24m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $5,007,209
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Bubble Boy (2001)

Also by

Blair Hayes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2025-05-14
★ 8/10
Over-the-top comedy about a bubble boy on a road trip A naïve teenager (Jake Gyllenhaal) has to stay separated from people due to having no immune system. When the woman he loves (Marley Shelton) goes to Niagara Falls to marry her bad boy beau, he sets out to stop the wedding clothed in a protective suit resembling a plastic bubble. Several colorful characters are encountered along the way. “Bubble Boy” (2001) is not a serious drama on the topic, like Travolta’s “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble” from 25 years earlier (which was inspired by two real-life cases). No, this is a comedic account in the manner of that 1992 Seinfeld episode mixed with the zany road trip milieu of “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” The protagonist is reminiscent of Brendan Fraser in “Blast from the Past” meshed with Ace Ventura. It's laugh-out-loud funny throughout because it constantly goes over-the-edge in executing the jokes. The sacred cow on the highway is a good example. It takes stabs at several types of people, but isn’t offensive because of its equal opportunity approach. Some examples include, religious legalists, youthful libertines, bikers, sideshow freaks, pop cultists, Hindus and Asians. Wait till you find out who the guru of the cultists is. Winsome blonde Marley Shelton is a highlight in the female department, as is Ever Carradine as her beau’s sister, not to mention Stacy Keibler in a small role as a mud wrestler. It runs 1 hour, 24 minutes, and was shot in areas north of Los Angeles, including Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Piru, Santa Paula and La Verne, as well as Las Vegas and Niagara Falls. GRADE: B+/A-

Production companies