THE BOY IN THE PLASTIC BUBBLE

US, 1976, 96 minutes, Colour.
John Travolta, Diana Hyland, Robert Reed, Glynnis O’ Connor, Ralph Bellamy, P.J.Soles, Buzz Aldrin.
Directed by Randal Kleiser.

The Boy in the Plastic Bubble is quite an interesting telemovie although inconclusive at the end. It raises questions of dangerous pregnancies. The boy that is born has to be kept in a plastic bubble because any exposure will endanger his life and he could contract any disease.

Diana Hyland is quite convincing as the harassed mother and Robert Reed is the father. Glynnis O’ Connor (Jeremy, Ode to Billy Joe, Baby Blue Marine) is the heroine. However, the focus of interest now is that the boy in his grown-up stage is played by John Travolta. This film preceded. Saturday Night Fever and Grease. Travolta’s performance, seen in retrospect, even including a short dancing sequence, indicates the abilities that he has shown in other films. An interesting telemovie for its themes and its performances.

1. How interesting and enjoyable a telemovie? The theme for home consumption? Treatment?

2. The qualities of the telemovie: the focus on close-ups, attention to character, characters within situations for television viewing? Commercial breaks? The difficult theme? Illness as geared towards acceptability for a home audience? Serious theme treatment, emotional involvement, the questions raised by the ending? Colour photography, American atmosphere?

3. How interesting and plausible was the plot? The scientific facts, the situation of the baby? The moral questions, the parents' decision to bring the child Into the world, the caesarean operation, scientific help and lack of scientific help, the need for research, the decision to raise the baby in the plastic bubble? The repercussions for the boy's growing up, the things of which he was deprived? The effects on him and his coping?

4. How interesting was the situation? For parents, for children watching? The emotional implications of the dilemmas? For medical personnel watching? The doctors and research?

5. The opening and the initial situation? The presentation of the parents, personalities, questions? Pregnancies? The doctor and his reassurances? His decisions about the caesarean birth? The medical atmosphere and the people observing?

6. The time sequence of the films the pregnancy and the birth of the boy, seeing him in the plastic bubble, seeing him as a young boy? How well did the film fill in the atmosphere of the passing years and reassuring audiences that they knew what had happened? The importance of the mother and her watching Gina swinging and her reaction to her parents?

7. The boy as a grown adolescent? John Travolta’s style in performing the role? His situation? The money that went into his home, the apparatus? The importance of the health situations his lack of immunity, the sterilisation of his world? A cage, a prison? The open door and his not being able to pass through it? The love of his parents and his response to them? Touch, even through a medium? Communication with his voice? The friends of his parents, the doctor? The importance of Gina, her presence all through the years, Todd watching her through binoculars, his falling in love with her without realising it? The importance of her presence in the classroom, coming to see him? The initiation for the Fourth of July? Her callousness and its repercussions? Her wanting to make up for it? Their talking, mutual apology? Communication? Her helping him, the cheating in the exams? The bonds between the two?
Going to school, the horse ride, showing off his physical prowess for her? The importance of his decisions to leave his plastic room for her? For himself?

8. The portrayal of the parents, ordinary people, their love and concern, the difficulties and the emotional demand, for example when the boy was young, the visits to the hospital, having him at home, potential dangers, the outings and the risks? The importance of their holiday?

9. Todd’s love for his parents? His persuading them to the holiday?

10. Todd’s reaction to the boys at the school, the girls? Fearing to be a freak, participating in the television classes, his playing around? The exams, his Intelligence? His going to the school and feeling competitive? The Fourth of July experience?

11. How did he change by the contact with people? Fulfilling, making him realise what he lacked? Gina and getting the horse to leap his plastic bubble? (The personality of the nurse, her amazed watching?)

12. What brought his experience to a head? His continually summoning the doctor to find out information about research? The risks? The dilemma and the motivation for his wanting to leave? Did the film justly portray the dilemma? The difficulties? The repercussions?

13. Did the audience want him to go out? Would he die quickly? Was the communication with Gina and with the ordinary world worth the risk? How did the film leave this with the audience as the two galloped away?

14. How enjoyable an emotional drama? How Interesting the repercussions of the questions in terms of human emotions, scientific progress?