Film Review - Mary and Max

Adam Elliot’s Mary and Max (2009) is an Australian Stop Motion Animated film, with an engaging story that takes the audience through the everyday lives of two very different characters from different parts of the world. It follows 20 years of their lives and unique friendship, but this stop motion animation wasn’t just created for a comedic sense or child friendly themes. “It’s an unusual film, in the best sense of the word. We’ve seen enough animated features for adults that it probably isn’t accurate to say ‘Mary and Max’ does anything new for the form, but it’s still probably the most powerful Claymation movie you’re likely to see.” (Giles, 2009) 

Figure. 1. Mary and Max film poster.

The story first introduces Mary, (voiced by both Bethany Whitmore & Toni Collette) who is a young girl living in Australia, with an alcoholic mother and distant father. Along with this, she is bullied at school for the noticeable birthmark on her forehead. With such circumstances pushing her to become a lonely youngster, she must rely on her imagination and favourite TV show The Noblets to keep her company. After being shown her living conditions and neighborhood, it is easy observe that Mary is a girl with a rather unfortunate life, but her childlike unawareness allows her to live with optimism and creativity. The second character is introduced after Mary finds a telephone book in the post office, and decides to write to a stranger from New York. The stranger who receives the letter is a lonely obese man living in New York City, Max. (Philip Seymour Hoffman) Although he is much older than Mary, being lonely himself he finds the time to read the letter and then write one in return. Mary’s innocence and curiosity fills the letter with comedy and sweetness, while the stop motion animation assists in showing her imaginative thoughts. It is soon after that Max becomes identifiable as mentally unstable and filled with anxious thoughts. Even though both characters are comedic in their own specific ways, it is this comedy that covers up their trauma, personal problems and everyday real life issues. 

Figure. 2. Mary and Max film still.

Following a lengthy time period, the story shows the changes that the characters go through, especially Mary as she develops from child to woman. Her views shift dramatically along with her maturity and intelligence, while Max discovers ways to cope with Asperger’s Syndrome and keep living his life. As the story transpires, the film’s tone becomes more dark and tackles more difficult subjects for the audience to witness. Watching the pure and innocent Mary grow into such a troubled young lady that resembles her own wicked mother, has a powerful impact and gravitates towards the idea that life is unpredictable and that it can be rough. With Max committing accidental manslaughter and strangling a homeless person on his block, even these occurrences are serious and life changing in real life. Despite its darker subjects that are shown with ease and discussed with comedy, the film’s medium widens its acceptance of delivery. Showing real existing issues through something that is clearly animated approaches these topics more softly, as everything that is shown is made from clay. Witnessing this story through something that is “less real” than real life actors allows more room to work with more sensitive subjects, as the claymation filters out a large part of the tragedy and pain to an extent. “Tackling such un-animation topics as loneliness, body image, alcoholism, suicide and Asperger’s syndrome, it’s quirky, compassionate and slightly seedily sweet.” (Parkinson, 2010) It’s the choice to tell this story with animation, that allows a serious scenario to be understood and felt by the audience, while also keeping a smile on their face and space for laughter here and there.

Elliot created an eventful story with adorable characters, and used them to communicate the misfortune of life. Unlike a lot of other animations that follow adventure and have fairy tale endings, Mary and Max aims to highlight the harsh reality of life and bring attention to the fact that it is unfair. The film’s plot is actually briefly inspired by Elliot’s own experience, specifically his own long term pen pal from New York. In an interview, Elliot discusses Mary’s character and the story. “Her environment was very similar to my own childhood experience. My father’s name is Noel, but he didn’t work in a teabag factory and he didn’t die by being drowned by a tidal wave. So it’s a blend. I always use the expression ‘don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.’” (Elliot, 2009) In terms of the storytelling, the director put himself in the story to help convey perspective, but at the same time he built off of that, and added what was needed to in order to forge a compelling and charming tale. 

Illustrations List

Figure. 1. Lemmon K, Mary and Max film poster. http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/mary_and_max_blu-ray_dvd/ [Accessed 23/01/19]

Figure. 2. Goldstar, Mary and Max film still. https://www.goldstar.com/events/west-newton-ma/reelabiliities-boston-disabilities-film-festival-mary-and-max [Accessed 23/01/19]

Bibliography

Elliot A. (2009) https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thewrap.com/weird-brilliance-mary-and-max-11544/amp/ [Accessed 23/01/19]

Giles J. (2009) http://collider.com/mary-and-max-review/ [Accessed 23/01/19]

Parkinson D. (2010) https://www.empireonline.com/movies/mary-max/review/ [Accessed 23/01/19]