The Boy in the Plastic Bubble is a 1976 made-for-TV movie inspired by the lives of David Vetter and Ted DeVita, who had to live in containers that protected them from all pathogens, since they lacked effective immune systems. It stars John Travolta, Glynnis O'Connor, Diana Hyland, and Robert Reed. It was produced by Aaron Spelling and directed by Randal Kleiser. The teleplay was written by Douglas Day Stewart. The original music score was composed by Mark Snow. Randal Kleiser (born July 20, 1946 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American film director and producer. ... Joe Morgenstern is the film critic for The Wall Street Journal. ... Douglas Day Stewart is an American screenwriter. ... John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and singer. ... Diana Hyland (January 25, 1936 – March 27, 1977) was an American actress. ... Robert Reed (October 19, 1932 – May 12, 1992) was an American stage and television actor. ... Ralph Rexford Bellamy (June 17, 1904 – November 29, 1991) was a Tony Award-winning American actor with a career spanning sixty-two years. ... Glynnis OConnor (born November 19, 1956 in New York City) is an American actress, perhaps best known for her work in the mid 1970s, including her lead actress role in the TV version of Our Town and the film Ode to Billy Joe, both of which co-starred Robby... Mark Snow (born Martin Fulterman on 26 August 1946 in New York City) is a prolific composer for film and television. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... // Events March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas Star Wars science fiction film. ... David Phillip Vetter (September 21, 1971 – February 22, 1984) was a boy from Shenandoah, Texas, United States who suffered from a rare genetic disease now known as severe combined immune deficiency syndrome (SCIDS). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A pathogen (literally birth of pain from the Greek παθογένεια) is a biological agent that can cause disease to its host. ... A scanning electron microscope image of a single neutrophil (yellow), engulfing anthrax bacteria (orange). ... John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and singer. ... Glynnis OConnor (born November 19, 1956 in New York City) is an American actress, perhaps best known for her work in the mid 1970s, including her lead actress role in the TV version of Our Town and the film Ode to Billy Joe, both of which co-starred Robby... Diana Hyland (January 25, 1936 – March 27, 1977) was an American actress. ... Robert Reed (October 19, 1932 – May 12, 1992) was an American stage and television actor. ... Aaron F. Spelling (April 22, 1923 – June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer. ... Randal Kleiser (born July 20, 1946 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American film director and producer. ... Douglas Day Stewart is an American screenwriter. ... Mark Snow (born Martin Fulterman on 26 August 1946 in New York City) is a prolific composer for film and television. ...

The Boy in the Plastic Bubble is arguably one of the most influential and best-remembered made-for-TV movies of the 1970s. In 1992, its premise was satirized in the seventh episode of the fourth season of Seinfeld and was also the subject of the 2001 parody/feature film Bubble Boy. In the movie Superstar, Molly Shannon's character is the rewind girl in a local video rental store. She watches The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. It also served as a predecessor to the 1986 film Crystal Heart (originally released as Corazón de Cristal). Seinfeld is an Emmy Award-winning American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, running a total of 9 seasons. ... The 2001 film Bubble Boy Bubble Boy is a 2001 comedy film directed by Blair Hayes and stars Jake Gyllenhall in the title role. ... Superstar is a term used to refer to a celebrity who has great popular appeal and is widely-known, prominent or successful in some field. ...

The movie first aired on November 12, 1976, on the ABC television network. is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ...

Plot summary

The film centers on the life of Tod Lubitch, who was 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 incubator conditions. He lives with his parents, since they decided to move him from the hospital where he was being kept as a boy. He is constricted 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.

As Tod grows up, he wishes to see more of the outside world and meet regular people his age. He is enrolled at the local school after being equipped with suitable protective clothing, similar in style to an astronaut's suit. He falls in love with his next door neighbor, Gina Briggs, and he must decide between following his heart and facing near-certain death, or remaining in his protective bubble forever. In the end, after having a discussion with his doctor who tells him he has built up some immunities which may possibly be enough to survive the real world, he steps outside his house, unprotected, and Gina and he ride off on her horse. Astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit outside the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger in 1984. ...

Accuracy and criticism

The "Bubble Boy" who inspired this film, David Vetter, had an opportunity to watch this film on videotape and noted how unsterile Tod's use of the spacesuit was. Vetter laughed at the idea that his character could simply wear the space suit back into the isolator without contaminating the bubble.^[1] David Phillip Vetter (September 21, 1971 – February 22, 1984) was a boy from Shenandoah, Texas, United States who suffered from a rare genetic disease now known as severe combined immune deficiency syndrome (SCIDS). ...

Main cast

Robert Reed as Johnny Lubitch

• John Travolta - Tod Lubitch
• Diana Hyland - Mickey Lubitch
• Robert Reed - Johnny Lubitch
• Ralph Bellamy - Dr. Ernest Gunther
• Glynnis O'Connor - Gina Biggs

Image File history File links Robert_Reed_in_The_Boy_in_the_Plastic_Bubble_1. ... Image File history File links Robert_Reed_in_The_Boy_in_the_Plastic_Bubble_1. ... Robert Reed (October 19, 1932 – May 12, 1992) was an American stage and television actor. ... John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and singer. ... Diana Hyland (January 25, 1936 – March 27, 1977) was an American actress. ... Robert Reed (October 19, 1932 – May 12, 1992) was an American stage and television actor. ... Ralph Rexford Bellamy (June 17, 1904 – November 29, 1991) was a Tony Award-winning American actor with a career spanning sixty-two years. ... Glynnis OConnor (born November 19, 1956 in New York City) is an American actress, perhaps best known for her work in the mid 1970s, including her lead actress role in the TV version of Our Town and the film Ode to Billy Joe, both of which co-starred Robby...

See also

• Bubble Boy, 2001 film
• Boy in the bubble
• "The Bubble Boy", an episode of Seinfeld.

The 2001 film Bubble Boy Bubble Boy is a 2001 comedy film directed by Blair Hayes and stars Jake Gyllenhall in the title role. ... The boy in the bubble is a trope of American pop culture, derived from the true stories of David Vetter and Ted DeVita. ... The Bubble Boy is the 47th episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld, as well as the nickname of Donald Sanger, one of the characters in the episode. ... Seinfeld is an Emmy Award-winning American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, running a total of 9 seasons. ...

References

1. ^ McVicker, Steve. "Bursting the Bubble." Houston Press, April 10, 1997.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

The Boy in the Plastic Bubble

• The Boy in the Plastic Bubble at the Internet Movie Database
• The Boy in the Plastic Bubble at All Movie Guide
• Watch the film online