The Toy
Seen it?1982 | 102 min | Comedy, Family
Monday Morning MaybeWhy it’s a Monday Morning Maybe
With just 3% on Rotten Tomatoes and a lukewarm 5.9 out of 10 from audiences, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who wants a laugh and families. Audiences love it more than critics do: a crowd-pleaser first.
- The mood
- Light and funny, feel-good.
- The pace
- Breezy, at 1 hr 42 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
- Critics were cooler on it than audiences.
On one of his bratty son Eric's annual visits, the plutocrat U.S. Bates takes him to his department store and offers him anything in it as a gift. Eric chooses a black janitor who has made him laugh with his antics. At first the man suffers many indignities as Eric's "toy", but gradually teaches the lonely boy what it is like to have and to be a friend.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsWeak
3% on Rotten Tomatoes, 3 on Metacritic
- AudiencesBelow par
5.9 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$47 million worldwide on a $28 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 72K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Richard Donner
- Richard PryorJack Brown
- Jackie GleasonUlysses Simpson 'U.S.' Bates
- Ned BeattySydney Morehouse
- Scott SchwartzEric Bates
- Teresa GanzelFancy Bates
- Wilfrid Hyde-WhiteBarkley
- Tony KingClifford
- Annazette ChaseAngela
- Don HoodO'Brien
- Karen Leslie-LyttleFraulein