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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Grocery Boy remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have seven minutes to spare today and want a quick hit of pure, unadulterated 1930s joy, this cartoon is absolutely worth your time. Anyone who loves classic animation or dogs doing dumb things will smile, though people who want actual plots or modern pacing will probably get bored fast. 🐕
It is just Mickey and Pluto running errands, but somehow it feels more alive than half the CGI movies we get now.
Honestly, early Mickey is kind of a show-off. He walks down the street balancing a massive stack of groceries on his nose like he is trying to win a talent show nobody asked for.
It reminds me a bit of the chaotic energy in Felix Minds the Kid, where simple chores turn into total disasters. Except here, we get Minnie singing at her piano while her house gets slowly wrecked.
Minnie's voice in these early shorts is so high-pitched it could probably crack a window. But there is something incredibly cozy about her and Mickey making a cake together, even if Mickey decides to use the iron on the kitchen table for some reason. Who does that?
Then we get to the real star of the show, which is Pluto. The way his nose twitches when he smells that turkey is just perfect character animation.
You can literally see the battle between his conscience and his stomach. Spoilers: his stomach wins. 🦃
The chase that follows is pure, messy slapstick. Everything ends up covered in soot and batter, and Minnie looks like she is ready to file for divorce before they are even married, a vibe not too different from Married Alive.
There is this one tiny moment where Pluto gets his head stuck in the turkey that made me laugh out loud. It is so dumb but the timing is just spot-on.
It does not have some grand message. It is just a cartoon about a dog who really wanted some turkey, and honestly, I relate to that.
