Sometimes perfect strangers make the best friends.|Feb. 09, 2009|Australia | United States|92 Min.|n/A
Genre: Animation;Comedy;Drama;Kids;Mystery
Description: Mary and Max (2009) tells the story of an unlikely friendship that spans continents. In 1976, eight-year-old Mary Daisy Dinkle, living in Mount Waverley, Australia, leads a lonely life. Bullied at school for a birthmark on her forehead and neglected at home by her distant father and alcoholic mother, she finds solace in her pet rooster, sweetened condensed milk, and a cartoon show called The Noblets. One day, inspired by curiosity about Americans, Mary randomly selects Max Jerry Horowitz’s name from a New York City phone book and writes him a letter, hoping to make a pen pal.
Max, a 44-year-old Jewish atheist, struggles with obesity and social connections due to various mental health challenges. Though Mary’s letter initially causes him anxiety, he responds, and the two form a bond over their shared love of chocolate and The Noblets. Due to Mary’s mother’s disapproval, Max sends his letters to her neighbor, Len Hislop, whose mail Mary collects. When Mary asks Max about love, it triggers a severe anxiety attack, leading to his hospitalization for eight months. Upon his release, Max hesitates to write back but eventually reconnects after winning the New York Lottery, which he uses to buy a lifetime supply of chocolate and Noblet figurines. Meanwhile, Mary becomes despondent, believing Max has abandoned her.
Cast director: Adam Elliot
Cast actor: Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Eric Bana, Barry Humphries, Bethany Whitmore, Renée Geyer, Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum, Julie Forsyth, John Flaus, Christopher Massey
Original name: Mary and Max