Bad Boy Bubby (1993)

Synopsis: Bubby is raised as a prisoner in his own house by an abusive mother, who tells him that the air outside is poisonous. One day his estranged father returns home.
Appraisal: The first act of the movie -- that is, up until the point when Bubby leaves his house -- is really interesting and original. A good idea would be to release the film with that first act only. It would have been a good film and a continuation to the story would be rather unnecessary. But, of course, they wouldn't do that, since a feature length film has so much more prestige -- not to mention commercial potential -- than a short film. And the result is that the film has two very unequal parts: a good, occasionally brilliant first act, and a mediocre, slightly amusing at best, second act (that is, the rest of the movie). Act One shows Bubby in his surrealistic nightmare of a home, depicting the way a family would be when deprived of the faintest veneer of civilization. Act Two shows Bubby in the difficult process of fitting in with the outside world, and the way his uneducated condition initially poses a barrier to his adjustment, until he finds the right crowd and the right occupation. The way his very limitations become a factor in his success bears some resemblance with 'Being There'.
Rating: 55