Toon Zone Talkback - "Mary and Max"

[Jives]

This is the talkback thread for "Mary and Max": It's a Wonderful/Horrible Life and "Mary and Max" Blu-ray Is a Truffle of the Finest Bittersweet Chocolate.

Two reviews of the animated feature Mary and Max, just out on DVD/Blu-ray. One review for each format, since the distributor was nice enough to send us a copy of each.

I hadn't heard of this movie until we got these copies, but I will definitely be looking for it now.

 

[p10]

I can only think that the horrid economic climate last year is why the movie never got a distribution deal, even if only on the art-house circuit. It's also indicative of how strong the field was last year that I can't think of which movie I'd have bumped off the "Best Animated Feature" nominee list to replace with this one (with Ponyo having the same problem).

Either way, discovering stuff like this makes doing reviews worthwhile, and I'm looking forward to what Adam Elliot has to offer next.

Also, something I didn't have room for in the review: despite the "Based on a True Story" label, Elliot himself says that it'd be more accurate to say, "Inspired by a True Story" in the commentary track. Max is modeled after Elliot's real-life long-time pen-pal, who is a Jewish New Yorker with Asperger's Syndrome. I think this is at least one reason why Max felt so much more vividly realized than Mary to me in the movie. He also said that he's gotten a lot of very nice comments from people with Asperger's at how well and how accurately he treats the condition in the movie.