Mary and Max
In 1976, eight year old Mary Dinkle, lonely in the Melbourne suburb of Mount Waverley, picks a name from a New York phone book and writes a letter. It reaches Max Horowitz, an anxious 44 year old who struggles with people, and their correspondence lasts some 20 years. Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman voice them; Barry Humphries narrates.
Where to watch
No confirmed streaming home for Mary and Max here yet. Released by Icon Film Distribution; we update this as platforms announce.
No confirmed streaming home for Mary and Max here yet. Released by Icon Film Distribution; we update this as platforms announce.
No confirmed streaming home for Mary and Max here yet. Released by Icon Film Distribution; we update this as platforms announce.
No confirmed streaming home for Mary and Max here yet. Released by Icon Film Distribution; we update this as platforms announce.
No confirmed streaming home for Mary and Max here yet. Released by Icon Film Distribution; we update this as platforms announce.
Our take
In 1976, eight year old Mary Dinkle, lonely in the Melbourne suburb of Mount Waverley, picks a name from a New York phone book and writes a letter. It reaches Max Horowitz, an anxious 44 year old who struggles with people, and their correspondence lasts some 20 years. Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman voice them; Barry Humphries narrates.
Why watch Adam Elliot's claymation is funny and frank about loneliness, mental health and the friendships that hold people together. It is drawn largely in browns and greys, with small flashes of red, and it trusts its audience with grief. Best for adults who think animation is for children. It opened the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and won the top prize at Annecy.
What to know
Adam Elliot wrote and directed Mary and Max, his first feature after a run of acclaimed shorts, including the Oscar winning Harvie Krumpet. Melanie Coombs produced it through Melodrama Pictures. The story grew from Elliot’s own long correspondence with a pen friend in New York. Eric Bana voices Damien, Mary’s neighbour, and Bethany Whitmore voices the young Mary.
The film premiered as the opening night film at Sundance on 15 January 2009 and reached cinemas on 9 April. It won the Cristal at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Best Animated Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, and it was nominated for Best Film at Australia’s national film awards.
If you like it
Elliot returned with Memoir of a Snail (2024), which shares its texture and tenderness. Anomalisa (2015) and My Life as a Zucchini (2016) are also stop motion films made for adults or older children.
Cast & crew
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Quick answers
- Where can I watch Mary and Max?
- We do not have a confirmed streaming listing for Mary and Max in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia or New Zealand yet. This page updates as platforms add it.
- What is Mary and Max about?
- In 1976, eight year old Mary Dinkle, lonely in the Melbourne suburb of Mount Waverley, picks a name from a New York phone book and writes a letter. It reaches Max Horowitz, an anxious 44 year old who struggles with people, and their correspondence lasts some 20 years. Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman voice them; Barry Humphries narrates.
- Who is in the cast of Mary and Max?
- Mary and Max stars Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Eric Bana and Barry Humphries.
- Who directed Mary and Max?
- Mary and Max was directed by Adam Elliot.
- When did Mary and Max come out?
- Mary and Max was released in 2009.
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