Mary and Max is an animated film about a 20- year pen-pal friendship between Mary, a lonely 8-year-of Australian girl, and Max, a 44-year-old Jewish New Yorker with Asperger’s syndrome.
In the 1970s, Mary Daisy Dinkle picks a random name from a New York phone book and writes to Max Jerry Horowitz, initiating a long-distance correspondence. Despite a massive age gap and vast geographic desperation, the two share their life struggles- Mary with her alcoholic mother and anxiety, and Max with the challenges of social interaction and his mental health.
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Over the years, Mary grows up, faces heartbreak, marries a neighbor, and studies the mental illnesses of others, while Max experiences panic attacks and a momentary gap in their friendship.
The story. Heavily inspired by a true story of a pen-friendship, it concludes with profound lessons on unconditional friendship and acceptance of one’s own imperfection.
Mary and Max prove that you don’t need to touch someone to save them. Sometimes all it takes is a letter, a box of chocolate, and the courage to say “I’m weird too”.
Mary and Max is a film everyone who says “I don’t need anybody” needs to watch before they realize the person who needs you most might be 10,000 miles away, eating chocolates, hot dogs, waiting for your letter.
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Directed by: Adam Elliot
Cast: Barry Humphries, Toni Collette, Bethany Whitmore, Eric Bana, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Running time: 90 minutes
Watch trailer here:
