A lonely 8 year old girl in Melbourne, Australia addresses a random letter to Max, an middle-aged, overweight, and highly dysfunctional New York Jew. Over the course of several decades, the two keep up their often odd correspondence and cultivate their friendship over many hard times. "Mary and Max" is a highly impressive claymation film from Adam Elliot which pushes the envelope with vulgarity and abnormality, providing somewhat of a disservice to itself, but ultimately triumphs due to the warmth invested in its characters and story.