The Brave Little Toaster (1987)

A group of dated appliances embarks on a journey to the city to find its master after being abandoned in its cabin in the woods.

Director:

Jerry Rees

Writers:

Thomas M. Disch (based on the novella by), Jerry Rees (screenplay by)

Stars:

Jon Lovitz, Timothy Stack, Timothy E. Day

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jon Lovitz	...	Radio (voice)
Timothy Stack	...	Lampy / Zeke (voice) (as Tim Stack)
Timothy E. Day	...	Blanky / Young Rob (The Master) (voice)
Thurl Ravenscroft	...	Kirby (voice)
Deanna Oliver	...	Toaster (voice)
Phil Hartman	...	Air Conditioner / Hanging Lamp (voice)
Joe Ranft	...	Elmo St. Peters (voice)
Judy Toll	...	Mish-Mash / Two-Face Sewing Machine (voice)
Wayne Kaatz	...	Rob (The Master) (voice)
Colette Savage	...	Chris (voice)
Mindy Sterling	...	Mother / Two-Face Sewing Machine (voice) (as Mindy Stern)
Jim Jackman	...	Plugsy (voice)
Randall William Cook	...	Entertainment Center (voice)
Randy Bennett	...	Computer (voice)
Jonathan Benair	...	Black and White TV (voice)

Storyline

A group of dated appliances that find themselves stranded in a summer home that their family had just sold, decide to, á la "The Incredible Journey", seek their young 8 year old "master". Children's film which on the surface is a frivolous fantasy, but with a dark subtext of abandonment, obsolescence, and loneliness.

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Plot Keywords:

journey | obsolescence | toaster | friends who live together | song | 

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Taglines:

The Plug-In Heroes Pops Out In 3D

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Musical

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA Taiwan Japan

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 July 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Brave Little Toaster: A Bedtime Story for Small Appliances

Box Office

Budget:

$2,300,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hyperion Pictures, The Kushner-Locke Company, Walt Disney Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color (DeLuxe) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When the appliances get picked up by the appliance store owner, they all start singing a song about how scary their lives are, and one appliance that looks to be a can opener with several other functions is based on Joan Rivers.

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Goofs

After Lampy is struck by lightning in order to get power for the appliances' battery, his bulb is broken and the area around the bulb is burnt along with his plug, which disappears after when he obtains a new bulb. The burn marks were actually washed off when the appliances fall into the rapids earlier.

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Quotes

[first lines]
The Radio: Good morning, good morning, gooooood morning!

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Alternate Versions

A serialized version of the film was distributed in select theaters for a limited run.

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Connections

Referenced in Apples and Oranges, Also Toast (2013)

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Soundtracks

Cutting Edge
Music and Lyrics by Van Dyke Parks

User Reviews

While the master's away, the appliances will play ...

I remember early one morning as an eight-year-old, I caught this film on ITV and thought it was really good, and guess what? More than ten years later, I still do.

Shown on Channel 4 this morning on half-term week, it's more than meets the eye. Toaster, Lamp, Blankie, Hoover and Radio(I think) all go on an adventure to find their master, who appears to have abandoned them in his old childhood cottage.

It seems like this is like an 80s Toy Story or something, only with the appliances coming to life, and having their own personalities. Like Toy Story, it has a good plot and likable characters.

Sure, it has it's dark moments, so parents of young children should take note and check beforehand, but honestly, it only adds to the excitement of the film, and makes you actually care about the characters.

The animation may seem quite dated now, but the story in itself is timeless. This is definitely one to keep for generations to come.