No one remembers, but it was one of Jake Gyllenhaal’s first major roles

At the age of 21, Jake Gyllenhaal stars in the (somewhat) romantic comedy Bubble Boy, which is now largely forgotten by most of the public, except for the actor’s complete fans from Night Call, Prisoners and The Secret of Brokeback Mountain.

We follow Jimmy, who has grown up as a bubble baby due to an immune deficiency: the slightest germ can kill him. When he learns that Chloe, the childhood friend he’s in love with, is getting married at Niagara Falls, he sets out to find her by building a portable balloon that allows him to finally leave home.

Bubble Boy is Blair Hayes’ first feature film, and it’s also one that’s somewhat remembered, largely thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal’s presence in the title role. Without him, Bubble Boy would probably fade into obscurity, despite a gallery of notable supporting actors such as Danny Trejo, John Carroll Lynch, Brian George, Pablo Schreiber (in his first role) and Zach Galifianakis.

Originally, the film was supposed to be darkly humorous and a Don Darko-style curiosity. (released the same year in the United States), which was completely blacked out at the request of the Disney studio in order to create the most classic teen comedy. The final result will turn out to be appropriate to the risk taken, that is, quite low.

It remains a watchable comedy if we accept the incredible plot and appreciate the aesthetic and ’80s tone that Bubble Boy seems to be going for. The characters Jimmy meets on his road trip are symbolically trapped in their own individual invisible bubble that is shattered by crazy events.

Note that Bubble Boy is inspired by the TV movie Bubble Boy with John Travolta that aired in 1976 and that upon its release the film was accused By the mother of a young boy who died at the age of 12 from this immunodeficiency “transvestite” disease. At the box office, the film turned out to be a dismal failure, which did not even benefit from theatrical distribution in France.