Review of The Boy in the Plastic Bubble

I last saw this film on TV around 1980 - I think it was shown to cash in on Travolta's success in Saturday Night Fever and Grease - to the best of my knowledge it hasn't been shown since. I was surprised and pleased to find it readily available to buy on DVD (and VHS),and although the picture quality is poor compared to modern standards it's worth every penny of the 1.77 GBP I paid for my copy. It looks like a video tape that's been copied three or four times - or could it be the film maker's use of humour ? - Robert Reed (the Brady Bunch; Rich Man Poor Man; Scruples) as Travolta's dad begins the film looking as though suffering from a severe case of sunburn; two thirds in John tells him he's looking pale and needs to get some sun. Reed returns from his holiday looking as if he's done a shift in a flour factory. Travolta plays a lad with no inbuilt immunities and has to live in the plastic bubble of the title. He is soon attracted to the pretty girl next door (Glynis O'Connor)and it is she who literally and figuratively brings him out of his shell. Travolta claims he doesn't smell even though he can't wash, and how lavatory hygiene is managed is not dealt with satisfactorily. This is an old fashioned feel good movie suitable for anyone who likes John Travolta or doesn't mind a large dose of sentimentality. Travolta covered Paul Williams' end theme song What Would They Say on his 1977 album - subsequently re-issued including two of his songs from Grease to cash in on his success. Recommended - but don't pay more than a few quid.