r/movies • u/SanderSo47 I'll see you in another life when we are both cats. • 1d ago
Official Discussion Official Throwback Discussion – The Bubble Boy [SPOILERS] Spoiler
As an ongoing project, r/movies will be posting Throwback Discussion threads weekly for the movies that came out this same weekend 25 years ago. As a reminder, Official Discussion threads are for discussing the movie and not for meta sub discussion.
Bubble Boy (2001)
Summary
A young man born with no immune system discovers that his childhood crush is about to marry the wrong man in Niagara Falls, so he builds a makeshift bubble suit and ventures into the outside world for the first time to confess his love.
Director Blair Hayes
Writer Cinco Paul Ken Daurio
Cast
- Jake Gyllenhaal as Jimmy Livingston
- Swoosie Kurtz as Mrs. Livingston
- Marley Shelton as Chloe
- Danny Trejo as Slim
- John Carroll Lynch as Mr. Livingston
- Verne Troyer as Dr. Phreak
- Dave Sheridan as Mark
- Brian George as Pushpop
- Patrick Cranshaw as Pappy / Pippy
- Stephen Spinella as Chicken Man
- Ever Carradine as Lisa, Mark's Sister
- Geoffrey Arend as Flipper Boy
- Zach Galifianakis as Bus Stop Man
Rotten Tomatoes: 32%
Metacritic: 41
VOD / Release Theatrical — August 24, 2001
Trailer Official trailer
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u/Friendly_Goat6161 1d ago
“How far will this get me?”
“Take a step back. That far.”
Gets me every time
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u/SynthwaveSax 1d ago
To this day my sister and I still yell “FIVE HUNDRED DOLLAS!” at each other.
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u/LordMitchimus 1d ago
I've been ride or die for John Carroll Lynch since I saw him say, "You can see the moon today. Makes you wonder...what if Neil Armstrong made it all the way to the moon, and never set foot on the surface?" Click
Dammit guitar rift
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u/Honest_Cheesecake698 1d ago
One of the better takes on the “you go get them, son!” cliche. And he barely says anything all movie. But it makes you pay attention to this one moment. And yeah, the Dammit guitar riff gets you pumped up.
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u/afkstudios 1d ago
I remember one thing and one thing only from this movie, and it’s the “ice cream & curry” truck with a bunch of kids running after it with one kid clamoring for the curry. It’s been a running joke in my family for 20 years now lmao
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u/batinthebelfry5 1d ago
Still not over the fact that the dad becomes a biker at the end.
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u/kokanoka23 1d ago
In an implied throuple no less. Truly a movie ahead of its time
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u/batinthebelfry5 23h ago
I was trying to remember that part. For some odd reason I thought they rode separately at first.
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u/BoosterAU3 1d ago
I watched this on repeat often as a teen, and I loved Zach Galifianakis in his part, at the time Zach Galifianakis was hard tom come by, so watching Bubble Boy was worth it.
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u/D34THDE1TY 1d ago
Honestly a fantastic movie with very funny and quotable bits with a good heart at the core. Damn near everyone on screen is having fun with their part
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u/kokanoka23 1d ago
Randomly caught this on tv while home sick from school as a kid. Been a go to comfort movie for me ever since
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u/tractorneck 1d ago
I showed this to my wife and brother years ago, and they were both so horrified by his upbringing at the beginning that they kept looking at me and saying "This is a comedy, right?"
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u/Honest_Cheesecake698 1d ago
Isn’t it just called Bubble Boy? Still, not a great film, but the unironic use of Blink 182 and some creative/heartfelt moments keep it memorable. Also, remember when Marley Shelton was in movies? Big crush.
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u/Honest_Cheesecake698 1d ago
For me I remember it becoming too sketch like after a good setup. And obviously the mother is terrible, but the implication of a polyamory relationship at the end was a little daring.
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u/Solstellarem 1d ago
I consistently tell people this is one of my favorite Jake Gyllenhaal movies every chance I get.
It’s so dumb but in a charming, endearing way. Some of the jokes never fail to make me bust out laughing the second I hear them.
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u/Odd-Perspective-7651 21h ago
I remember I was so surprised by the amount of profanity in this movie as a child haha
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u/oldtombombadil 1d ago
A cast of fantastic and memorable characters. Very fun movie. Full of great road movie tropes. A good deal of quotes I still think about 25 years later.
Watch out! He’s got immunities!!
500 dollars? 500 dollar! 500 dollar!