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

According to director Jerry Rees, the film was originally intended to run about 20 minutes longer, but the producers wanted it cut down to 90 minutes. The scenes in question were voiced and storyboarded, but never animated.

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Goofs

During the "Worthless" song scene in the scrapyard, the Surfer car's left (driver's side) headlight falls out soon after being picked up by the magnet. When laying upside-down on the conveyor, the missing headlight has switched to the passenger side.

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Quotes

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

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Alternate Versions

The original version features the TV announcer pulling photos out of a file cabinet; one brief glimpse is seen of a woman from the waist up, wearing only large stars on her breasts. This has been edited so she is wearing a bikini top (the inside corners of which actually match the stars in shape). This affects at least the US 2003 DVD and c. 1998 VHS releases, but not the c. 1991 laserdisc.

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Connections

Referenced in Apples and Oranges, Also Toast (2013)

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Soundtracks

My Mammy
from The Jazz Singer (1927)
Performed by Al Jolson
Courtesy of MCA Records, Inc.

User Reviews

A bizarre yet totally engaging little film.

I watched this film about a thousand times when I was a kid and upon a nostalgia induced viewing of it on the Disney Channel, it has joined my list as one of the most oddly pleasurable films ever made. First of all, you have to give it credit for its premise alone. Take a standard road trip buddy picture and cast it with talking household appliances. Acid induced? Maybe. But they take this ridiculous premise and roll with it, turning it into something that is honestly funny, sometimes sweet and strangely enough, kind of thought provoking in it's own way. The dialog is almost Toy Story sharp at times, referencing everything from Joan Rivers to Teddy Roosevelt, and just like it's computer animated descendant, throws around some heavy ideas. We watch as cars reminisce about their glory days before being crushed into cubes, look on in horror as appliances are gutted barbarically at a used parts store and root our quaint heroes on as they are confronted with the techno marvels of the modern age. The characters just struggle to get home but the movie is about the struggle to stay relevant when you're constantly being replaced by a faster model. An interesting idea when you think about it, and a fun, cool little movie worth seeing no matter what your age.