10 Sundance films to entertain, spark family discussion

Before there was “Toy Story,” there was “The Brave Little Toaster.” Isn’t it fun to imagine what inanimate objects say and do when we aren’t watching?

A story filled with love and courage, the first completed project from Hyperion Pictures follows the Brave Little Toaster, Blanky (an electric blanket), Lampy (a desk lamp), Kirby (a vacuum cleaner) and Radio as they find fun in doing chores each day. But that doesn’t eradicate the void they feel from having long been separated from “The Master,” the bespectacled boy who calls these items his own. “The Brave Little Toaster” made history as the first animated film ever exhibited at Sundance. It’s a charming gem. (Too bad about the mediocre sequels.)

“Visually the movie has a smooth-flowing momentum and a lush storybook opulence that is miles away from the flat, jerky look of Saturday-morning cartoons. … It exudes a sweetness and wit that should tickle anyone, regardless of age.” — Stephen Holden, New York Times

Cautions: Dark and threatening; violence directed at household appliances.