The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
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Boat Builders
Animation · Comedy · 1938
Mickey buys a boat kit, and enlists Goofy and Donald to help assemble it. The plans say, "so simple a child could do it", so of course, they have their share of troubles. But before long, they're ready to launch the Queen Minnie, with appropriate fanfare, at which time, all the collapsible parts collapse.
Movie details
Boat Builders
“Mickey and friends build a boat but it falls apart when christened.”
1938 Animation · Comedy 9m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.9 / 10
Community rating
Mickey buys a boat kit, and enlists Goofy and Donald to help assemble it. The plans say, "so simple a child could do it", so of course, they have their share of troubles. But before long, they're ready to launch the Queen Minnie, with appropriate fanfare, at which time, all the collapsible parts collapse.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Boat Builders?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Ciao Alberto
Animation · 2021
With his best friend Luca away at school, Alberto is enjoying his new life in Portorosso working alongside Massimo—the imposing, tattooed, one-armed fisherman of few words—who's quite possibly the coolest human in the entire world as far as Alberto is concerned. He wants more than anything to impress his mentor, but it's easier said than done.
Goofy and Wilbur
Animation · 1939
Goofy goes fishing with his best friend, Wilbur, a grasshopper.
Steamboat Willie
Animation · 1928
Mickey Mouse, piloting a steamboat, delights his passenger, Minnie Mouse, by making musical instruments out of the menagerie on deck.
The Big Bad Wolf
Animation · 1934
The Big Bad Wolf torments Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs.
Scrat: Spaced Out
Family · 2016
In the main events of Ice Age: Collision Course, Scrat is captured by Scratazons who take away his acorn. Now, Scrat must rescue his Acorn and escape before the aliens can catch him.
Aquamania
Animation · 1961
Mr. X buys a boat and inadvertantly enters the water skiing race. With Junior driving, with no experience, he's a bit out of his league.
No Time for Nuts
Adventure · 2006
Scrat comes across a time machine and is transported to various times all in pursuit of his beloved acorn.
Bath Day
Animation · 1946
Minnie gives Figaro a bath and ties a ribbon around his neck. Figaro feels like a sissy, and when he mixes it up with some alley cats, they mock him, and the leader attacks. But Figaro is so afraid that his shaking topples a series of trash cans onto the aggressor. The rest of the cats didn't see this happen, and think Figaro defeated their leader. Of course, now he's all dirty, and he needs another bath.
Thru the Mirror
Animation · 1936
Mickey has been reading Alice in Wonderland, and falls asleep. He finds himself on the other side of the mirror, where the furniture is alive.
The Simple Things
Animation · 1953
Mickey and Pluto go fishing. Pluto has a run-in with a clam, who eventually lodges in Pluto's mouth; Mickey thinks the clam is Pluto's tongue and can't understand why Pluto keeps begging for more food. After they get rid of the clam, Mickey's attempts to use his minnows as bait are thwarted by a hungry seagull; he brings his friends, and they chase our heroes away.
Where it lives
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Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.
Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Ben Sharpsteen
Written by
Vernon Stallings
Walt Disney
Mickey Mouse (voice) (uncredited)
Pinto Colvig
Goofy (voice) (uncredited)
Clarence Nash
Donald Duck (voice) (uncredited)
Marcellite Garner
Minnie Mouse (voice) (uncredited)
Court is in session
Put Boat Builders on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.