Amazon tacked the incorrect release date (2024) onto this scurvy dog (2017) which is why I watched it. That, and the sailboating subject matter.

There’s not much to recommend “The Boat Builder” beyond Christopher Lloyd almost colorfully playing a widowed old salt prepping an aged lapstrake wooden sloop for a final trip to sea.

The villainous children — punks who pick on “Crazy” Abner” and vandalize the boat — are over-the-top, leather jacketed preppy tweens — “Newsys” who don’t sing. They don’t exist in reality. The old man’s daughter (Jane Kaczmarek) badgers him by phone but seems to have no clue about his suicide-by-sea plans and no counter-argument at the ready.

And the child (Tekola Cornetet) who also gets bullied and begs the old man to let him help with the boat re-fitting is more makeup and $1600 hair style than performance.

Writer-director Arnold Grossman wrote one episode of “The Love Boat” and supposedly took a shot at landing Bruce Dern for the lead on this, his only feature film credit. He hasn’t been heard from again. I’m guessing this film’s nonsensical finale explains that.

One more time, Amazon (I would’ve known had I turned on Tubi). Put the correct release dates on your titles. Scores of older, unreleasable films passed off as “new.” Bad streamer.

Rating: TV-PG, profanity

Cast: Christopher Lloyd, Tekola Cornetet and Jane Kaczmarek

Credits: Scripted and directed by Arnold Grossman. A Shoreline Entertainment release on Tubi, Pluto, Amazon Prime.

Running time: 1:28