The Brave Little Toaster is a 1987 animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. Some of its voice talents include Jon Lovitz as the Radio, Timothy Stack as Lampy, Timothy E. Day as Blanky, Thurl Ravenscroft as Kirby, and Deanna Oliver as the Toaster. The writers are Thomas M. Disch (novella The Brave Little Toaster: A Bedtime Story for Small Appliances), Jerry Rees (Back to Neverland), Joe Ranft (Toy Story), and Brian McEntee (Cats Don’t Dance). The director is Jerry Rees.
The story focuses on five household appliances: a toaster, radio, lamp, vacuum cleaner, and electric blanket. Everyday they wake up in a secluded cottage awaiting the return of their “Master”, a young boy whom they haven’t seen in years. They become desperate until one day a “For Sale” sign is placed in the front yard. A big decision needs to be made: stay and get a new owner or go out into the world and track down their old one. Eventually, the appliances choose the latter. So they take along an old car battery for power while the vacuum Kirby pulls the other four on an office chair. They set off for the big city where they believe their master is. Along the way, the five appliances face the challenges of a long journey through the wilderness with only each other to sustain themselves. They run into wild animals, disassembled appliances, as well as modern appliances in their adventure to find their beloved master.
When the five appliances arrive at the master’s apartment, they are initially greeted with friendliness by the modern appliances. But it was all an act. Many could probably say that these modern appliances felt threatened by these old and used newcomers, which is why they treated them with such contempt towards the end of the visit. The new ones may have felt threatened because these old bepieces of household machinery held a sort of sentimental value to their master and, therefore, would be more likely to make use of instead of the modern appliances. After all, the master refused the modern ones because they weren’t his; they were his mother’s. These older machines felt more like they were actually his.
Along the way, each appliance has an opportunity to contribute and be a hero. The radio navigates for the group while the lamp provides light. Kirby the vacuum pulls the chair and also saves the blanket. The blanket provides shelter for the other appliances. But when it’s the toaster’s turn, he fails. This scene is when all of them fall into a river below while attempting to cross it high above. Kirby is on one end while the toaster is on the other. They try to pull the others across to the toaster’s side. But the toaster is intimidated by the waterfall and accidentally lets go, causing he and the other appliances to fall into the water leaving Kirby all by himself. The vacuum eventually jumps in after his friends and saves them.
To wrap, if you like an inspiring adventure where little appliances go against all odds and attempt to find their master, then The Brave Little Toaster is what you’re looking for!