Today I had the pleasure of seeing a truly lovely claymation film: Mary and Max.

Based on a true story, Mary and Max chronicles the friendship of two unlikely pen pals; an eight year old Australian girl, and an old Jewish atheist with Asperger Syndrome.

The film was accompanied by a Q&A panel put together by the Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association.

Although showing this movie is a wonderful way to expand awareness, it is in no way didactic or clinical. The main character has Asperger Syndrome, but the condition integrates with pathos and humor while remaining delicately informative. The story achieves a balance of innocence and purity without naivety.

Mary and Max is, above all, a movie about being human, “warts and all.” The quirks, insecurities and foibles of the characters are common. It’s the story of a personal connection with all of its ups and downs as life goes on.

The cast of peripheral characters is small, but each has depth and dimension. From Mary’s father, a tea bag factory worker obsessed with taxidermy, to her “wobbly” mother who tells Mary countless lies about her shoplifting and alcohol habit, to the veteran amputee and pompadour-sporting neighbors…everyone has a story implied in a glance.

Mary and Max was done entirely by hand, beautifully designed, constructed and animated without any CGI. There is heart and soul in every scene, engaging the viewer from the first frames. I highly recommend this movie if you ever get a chance to see it. I rarely purchase DVDs (thanks to Netflix), but I will definitely buy a copy of this when it’s available.

Flim website