Mary and Max

Mary and Max
UK film poster
Directed by	Adam Elliot
Produced by	Melanie Coombs
Written by	Adam Elliot
Narrated by	Barry Humphries
Starring	Bethany Whitmore Toni Collette Philip Seymour Hoffman
Music by	Dale Cornelius
Cinematography	Gerald Thompson
Editing by	Bill Murphy
Distributed by	Australia: Icon Entertainment International United States: IFC Films United Kingdom: Soda Pictures
Release date(s)	15 January 2009 (2009-01-15) (Sundance Film Festival) 9 April 2009 (2009-04-09) (Australia)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English Yiddish
Budget	A$8,240,000[1]
Box office	$1,712,085

Mary and Max is a 2009 Australian clay-animated black comedy-drama film written and directed by Adam Elliot and produced by Melanie Coombs. The voice cast included Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette, Eric Bana, Bethany Whitmore, with narration by Barry Humphries. The film premiered on the opening night of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.^[2] The film won the Annecy Cristal in June 2009 from the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, and Best Animated Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in November 2009.

Plot

It is 1976, an 8-year-old Mary Daisy Dinkle (Bethany Whitmore) is a lonely little girl living in Mount Waverley, Australia. Her relatively poor family cannot afford to buy her toys or nice clothing, and she is teased by children at her school due to an unfortunate birthmark on her forehead. Her father is distant and her alcoholic, kleptomaniac mother provides no support. The closest thing she has to a friend is the man for whom Mary collects mail, Len Hislop, a Greek Australian World War II veteran who lost his legs in combat and has developed agoraphobia.

One day, by pure chance, she decides to write a letter to a man living in New York City: Max Jerry Horowitz (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Max turns out to be a morbidly obese 44-year-old whose various mental problems (including anxiety attacks and overeating) have left him unable to form close bonds with other people. Max decides to write back to Mary, and the two become friends. Over time, Mary's increasingly sensitive questions about the adult world give Max progressively worse anxiety attacks, and he is ultimately institutionalized. During his time there, Max is diagnosed as suffering from Asperger's syndrome. Now aware of why he has difficulty relating to other people, Max finds a new lease on life and resumes his correspondence with Mary.

The two remain friends for the next two decades, keeping one another updated on various events in their lives. Mary (Toni Colette), inspired by her friendship with Max, becomes a psychologist and marries her childhood crush, an effeminate young man named Damien Popodopoulos who enjoys sewing but fears Mary's sexual advances. Max wins the New York lottery, using his winnings to buy a (literal) life-time supply of chocolate and then giving the rest away to his elderly neighbor, who wastes most of it before dying and leaving the remainder to a cat shelter only to have the owner of the shelter take it all for himself.

After earning her degree, Mary writes a psychological book detailing her communication with Max, in an attempt to dissect Asperger's syndrome. Max is infuriated, having told Mary that he has come to terms with his illness and sees it as an integral part of his personality, not something that needs to be diagnosed and cured. Max ends his communication with Mary, sending her the "M" key from his typewriter. When Mary receives the key in the mail, she has the entire run of the book pulped, ruining her career. Jobless and friendless, Mary discovers that, while she has been focused on her book, her husband has left her for his own penpal, a gay sheep farmer in New Zealand. Mary sinks into chronic depression and alcoholism; although Max decides to forgive Mary and sends her a present in an attempt to reconcile, Mary becomes a shut-in, leaving the box on her porch for several days. Ultimately, Mary decides to hang herself, unaware that she is pregnant.

Just as Mary is about to kill herself, Len knocks on her door, having conquered his agoraphobia to alert her of the package on her porch. Opening it, Mary finds Max's reconciliation gift. It is enough to jar Mary from her depression, and she decides to start her life over again.

A year later, Mary travels to America with her infant son to finally visit Max. Entering his apartment, Mary discovers that the now elderly Max has passed away. Looking around the apartment, Mary discovers that Max has organized the entire ceiling into a detailed scrapbook of his friendship with Mary, composed of all of her letters from over the years, causing Mary to cry tears of joy.

Cast

• Barry Humphries as the Narrator^[3]
• Bethany Whitmore / Toni Collette as Mary Daisy Dinkle^[3]
• Philip Seymour Hoffman as Max Jerry Horowitz^[3]
• Eric Bana as Damian Popodopoulos^[3]
• Renée Geyer as Vera Dinkle
• Ian "Molly" Meldrum as Homeless Man

Themes

The film deals with themes including childhood neglect, teasing, loneliness, autism (Asperger's syndrome in particular), obesity, depression and anxiety.^[4]

Production

According to the opening credits, the film is based on a true story. In an interview given in April 2009, writer-director Elliot clarified that the character of Max was inspired by "a pen-friend in New York who I've been writing to for over twenty years."^[5][6]

Principal photography lasted over 57 weeks, using 133 separate sets, 212 puppets, and 475 miniature props, "including a fully functioning Underwood typewriter which apparently took 9 weeks to design and build."^[7]

Music

The music in the film features Simon Jeffes and the Penguin Cafe Orchestra's "Perpetuum Mobile" (the opening theme) and "Prelude and Yodel", as well as "Russian Rag" by Elena Kats-Chernin. The closing-credits music is "A Swingin' Safari" by Bert Kaempfert and his Orchestra.

Other artists include Nana Mouskouri, Dale Cornelius, Leroy Anderson, Pink Martini, London Pops Orchestra, James Last and his Orchestra, The King's Consort and Choir, the Sydney Alpha Ensemble, and the ABC Radio Orchestra.^[8]

Reception

Mary and Max received generally very positive reviews.^[9][10][11] As of 2010, 94% (48 of 51) of the critics at the film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes rate Mary and Max fresh, with five of the six "Top Critic" reviews agreeing.^[12]

Matt Ravier, writing for In Film Australia,^[7] said the "story is paper-thin and some stretches of it are simply too long, yet whenever the narrative thread threatens to tear the sheer authenticity and bold honesty of the characters save the day." The Los Angeles Times called it a "remarkable and poignant" film depicting a "film noir world of blacks, whites and grays for Max and a sepia suburbia for Mary."^[13]

After the film was released on DVD in the United States, Slant said "Adam Elliot's dry wit is pervasive throughout Mary and Max and it's nice to see that this unique sense of humor extends to the extras. The writer-director gives a funny and informative audio commentary and a set of hilarious making-of episodes reflects the sardonic tone of the production. The big prize here, however, is the addition of Elliot's Oscar-winning short Harvie Krumpet. This Geoffrey-Rush-narrated tale of the titular Tourrette syndrome sufferer is a wonderful introduction both to Elliot's sensibilities and to Mary and Max's specific tone."^[14]

Box office

Mary and Max grossed $1,444,617 at the Australian box office.^[15]

The film received no general theatrical release in the United States, though it was showcased at several American film festivals,^[16] and was briefly shown at one of the Laemmle Theatres in the Los Angeles area.^[13] The film's U.S. distributor (IFC Films) made the film available through video on demand.^[14]

The film was released in France by Gaumont and in Germany by MFA to significant critical and box office success.^[17][18]

Awards

It was awarded the Grand Prize for Best Animated Feature at the 2009 Ottawa International Animation Festival^[19] and cowinner (with Coraline) of the "Cristal" for Best Feature at the 2009 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.^[20][21] The film was also shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 82nd Academy Awards, but was ultimately not nominated. Mary and Max was commended in the Best Australian Film category in the Australian Film Critics Association awards for 2009. The film won the Asia Pacific Screen Award for the Best Animated Feature Film 2009.^[22]

Related exhibition

An exhibit of artifacts and clips from the film were presented in France and Australia. In France the exhibition was hosted by Gaumont as part of the release.^[17]

In Australia initially at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image for three months starting in March 2010.^[23] and then touring around Australia throughout 2010/2011.^[24]

See also

• Harvie Krumpet, another claymation film directed by Adam Elliot

References

1. ^ Dent, Nick. "Mary and Max". Time Out Sidney. http://www.timeoutsydney.com.au/film/newsinterviews/mary-and-max.aspx. Retrieved 30 August 2010. 
2. ^ Jones, Michael (19 November 2008). "'Mary and Max' to open Sundance". Variety. http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=2470&articleid=VR1117996154&cs=1. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Thomas, Archie (1 October 2008). "Philip Seymour Hoffman joins 'Mary'". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117993177.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
4. ^ Schembri, Jim (13 April 2009). "Mary and Max (review)". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/film/film-reviews/mary-and-max/2009/04/09/1239222976141.html. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
5. ^ Milfull, Tim (5 April 2009). "Cinema: An Interview with Adam Elliot". http://reviews.media-culture.org.au/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3239. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
6. ^ Milfull, Tim (6 April 2009). "Informer Cinema: Adam Elliot - Mary And Max Interview". Rave Magazine. http://www.ravemagazine.com.au/content/view/14537/192/. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Ravier, Matt (12 February 2009). "Review: Mary and Max (2009)". In Film Australia. http://www.infilm.com.au/?p=745. Retrieved 24 September 2010. 
8. ^ "Dale Cornelius". nativetongue.com.au. http://www.nativetongue.com.au/dale-cornelius.html. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
9. ^ Pomeranz, Margaret (8 April 2009). "Mary and Max". At the Movies (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s2527141.htm. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
10. ^ "International Competition / Jury Statements". Stuttgart, Germany: International Trickfilm Festival. http://www.itfs.de/en/press/jury-statements.html. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
11. ^ Dunks, Glenn (7 April 2009). "Review: Mary & Max". Stale Popcorn. http://stalepopcornau.blogspot.com/2009/04/clay-mary-and-clay-max.html. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
12. ^ "Mary and Max (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/1209767-mary_and_max/. Retrieved 24 September 2010. 
13. ^ ^{a b} Thomas, Kevin (25 September 2009). "A love letter to pen pals' power". Capsule Movie Reviews. Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/sep/25/entertainment/et-capsules25/3. Retrieved 24 September 2010. 
14. ^ ^{a b} "Mary and Max". 19 July 2010. http://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/review/mary-and-max/1776. Retrieved 24 September 2010. 
15. ^ Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office
16. ^ Release dates for Mary and Max (2009) from the Internet Movie Database
17. ^ ^{a b} [1]
18. ^ [2]
19. ^ "2009 Award Winners". Ottawa International Animation Festival. http://www.animationfestival.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=163&Itemid=806&limit=1&limitstart=2. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
20. ^ Moody, Annemarie (15 June 2009) Coraline, Mary & Max Win Annecy Cristal Award AWN.com, Animation World Network
21. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (13 June 2009) 'Coraline,' 'Max' share Annecy prize Variety
22. ^ [3]
23. ^ "Mary and Max : The Exhibition". Australian Centre for the Moving Image. http://artabase.net/exhibition/2025-mary-and-max-the-exhibition. Retrieved 10 May 2010. 
24. ^ [4]

External links

• Official website
• Mary and Max at the Internet Movie Database
• Mary and Max at Rotten Tomatoes
• Mary & Max ante el espejo, de Juan Carlos Villavicencio. Essay about this film in spanish in Descontexto blog.