Born without an immune system, Jimmy Livingston is forced to live in a sterilized dome in his bedroom, earning him the nickname "Bubble Boy" by his neighbors. Jimmy's overbearing and devout Christian mother only exposes him to ''Highlights for Children'' magazine and the ''Land of the Lost (1974 TV series)'' for entertainment. When he is a teenager, a girl named Chloe moves in next door. Jimmy is immediately taken with her, and eventually befriends her despite his mother's discouragement.