The Brave Little Toaster

Five household appliances, left behind in a dusty summer cottage, decide they have to find their owner before they get hauled to the dump. The Toaster, Lampy, Blanky, Kirby, and the Radio set off through the wilderness on a journey that tests their courage and their friendship. Jerry Rees directed this 1987 animated musical, adapting Thomas M. Disch's short story with a script that balanced humor, heart, and a surprising amount of melancholy.

Made on a $2.3 million budget by Hyperion Pictures and distributed by Disney in a limited theatrical run, the film didn't set the box office on fire. But on home video, it found its audience. Kids who grew up with it remember the junkyard song "Worthless" and the air conditioner's sacrifice more vividly than most big-budget Disney moments. The voice cast included Jon Lovitz as the Radio, Phil Hartman as the air conditioner, and Thurl Ravenscroft (Tony the Tiger himself) as Kirby the vacuum cleaner.

The animation style has a handmade, slightly rough quality that gives it character. Early computer effects appear in the electrical storm and the magnet sequence. For a film about obsolete technology, it has aged remarkably well, partly because its themes of being forgotten and replaced feel even more relevant now than they did in 1987.[edit]

The story opens in a sunlit summer cottage that hasn't seen visitors in years. Five appliances sit in various states of disrepair: a brave little Toaster with a knack for leadership, a nervous desk lamp named Lampy, a sweet electric blanket called Blanky, a gruff vacuum cleaner named Kirby, and a melodramatic alarm clock radio who provides running commentary on everything. They have spent their days keeping the cottage running, waiting for their master, a boy named Rob, to return.

One day, the Radio picks up a news broadcast: the cottage is scheduled for demolition, and all its contents will be hauled to the dump. The appliances panic. The Toaster, determined not to be thrown away, convinces the others to set out for the city to find Rob. Kirby grumbles and resists, but eventually joins the group. Their journey begins with a treacherous trek through the forest, where they face rainstorms, a rushing river, and a terrifying encounter with a junkyard magnet that nearly crushes them.

Along the way, they meet other objects. A kindly old air conditioner, voiced by Phil Hartman, sacrifices himself to save them from a window fall. At a pawn shop, two sinister sewing machines try to trick them into staying. The appliances must also contend with their own limitations: Blanky's fabric tears, Lampy's bulb flickers, and the Radio's antenna gets bent. They learn to rely on each other's strengths, with the Toaster's optimism balancing Kirby's pessimism and Lampy's caution.

The journey takes them through a scrap yard where they witness a car crusher in action, a moment that forces them to confront their own mortality. They sing a mournful song about being worthless, only to be saved by a sudden rainstorm. Finally, they reach the city, navigating busy streets and towering buildings. Their goal is Rob's apartment, but when they arrive, they see through a window that Rob has new, shiny appliances. The old ones watch, heartbroken, as their replacements perform tasks effortlessly. The Toaster refuses to give up, and the group begins to formulate a plan to prove they are still useful.[edit]