The Brave Little Toaster - David Newman (1987)



The Brave Little Toaster is a 1987 American animated film adapted from the 1980 novel of the same name by Thomas Disch. The film was directed by Jerry Rees. The film is set in a world where appliances and other electronics have the ability to speak and move, pretending to be lifeless in the presence of humans. The story focuses on five appliances— a toaster, a lamp, a vaccum, a radio, and an electric blanket—who go on a quest to search for their original owner. The score was written by David Newman.

David Newman's Score
Newman looked past the concept of talking appliances and saw the story at its core: A tale of abandonment, love, and affection for each other. Newman's score for this movie was one of his earlier works and apparently one that he felt very close to. He did not view it as a cheerful one, and decided to give the film a dramatic score to reinforce the serious nature of many of the film's themes. In writing the score, Newman, "tapped into an inherent sadness in being abandoned and seeking reunion."

The score was recorded by the New Japan Philharmonic.

The Songs
Van Dyke Parks wrote four songs for the movie-- "City of Light ," "B-Movie Show ," "Cutting Edge ," and "Worthless ." According to director Jerry Rees, there was a fifth song written, a ballad, that was replaced by the more plot-specific "Worthless."