Born without immunities, Jimmy Livingston (Jake Gyllenhall) grew up in a sanitized plastic bubble, sheltered from what his overprotective mother (Swoosie Kurtz) tells him is a germ-infested world. But disregard any comparisons to John Travolta’s sappy 1976 television tearjerker, “”The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.”” Instead, Touchstone Pictures, the bastard child of the Disney family responsible for classic trash like “”Coyote Ugly”” and “”Play It to the Bone,”” has produced a loud, offensive, stereotypical road trip comedy that, despite all of its imperfections, manages to be extremely loveable and foolishly entertaining.
Jimmy’s thin sheet of plastic can’t contain his emotions, and he falls head over high tops for his gorgeous next-door neighbor, Chloe (Marley Shelton). One afternoon, following a discussion about the legendary “”Bubble Boy”” with her immature friends, Chloe pays Jimmy a visit out of curiosity and the two become friends. Jimmy and Chloe share everything over the years, though their mutual admirations rarely extend beyond a love for the television classic “”Land of the Lost.”” It’s painfully obvious, though, that Jimmy’s condition will prevent him giving Chloe the ultimate gift of physical contact. She eventually seeks solace in someone else, a less attractive jerk who uses her for her good looks. Jimmy knows he can