A STUDY GUIDE by marguerite o ’hara
http://www.metromagazine.com.au
http://www.theeducationshop.com.au Introduction > Mary and Max is an animated feature film from the creators of the Academy Award-winning short animation Harvie Krumpet (Adam Elliot, 2003). This is Adam Elliot’s first full-length feature film. Like Harvie, it is an animated film with claymation characters. However, unlike many animated feature films, it is minimal in its use of colour and the action does not revolve around kooky creatures with human voices and super skills. Mary and Max is about the lives of two people who become pen pals, from opposite sides of the world. Like Harvie Krumpet, Mary and Max is innocent but not naive, as it takes us on a journey that explores friendship and autism as well as taxidermy, psychiatry, alcoholism, where babies come from, obesity, kleptomania, sexual difference, trust, copulating dogs, religious difference, agoraphobia and much more.
Synopsis at the Berlin Film festival in the seter, 1995) and WALL·E (Andrew Generation14+ section aimed at Stanton, 2008), will be something his is a tale of pen- teenagers where it was awarded that many students will find fasci- friendship between two the Jury Special Mention. How- nating. Tvery different people – Mary ever, this is not a film written Dinkle, a chubby, lonely eight-year- specifically for a young audience. It would be enjoyed by middle and old girl living in the suburbs of It is both fascinating and engaging senior secondary students as well Melbourne, and Max Horovitz, a in the way it tells the story of the as tertiary students studying film. 44-year-old, severely obese, Jewish friendship between these two peo- Mary and Max would be relevant man with Asperger’s Syndrome liv- ple and would have wide appeal. It in the following curriculum areas: ing in the chaos of New York. The is both very funny and poignant. film chronicles Mary’s trip from Many of the themes explored in • English – telling stories, par- childhood through adolescence to the film – bullying, being different, ticularly biographies, and nar- adulthood, and Max’s passage from loneliness, longing for connected- rative construction. middle to old age. Spanning twenty ness and understanding – would • Media and Film Studies – ex- SCREEN EDUCATION years and two continents, it ex- appeal to students. At the same ploring ways of telling a story plores a bond that survives much time, the extraordinary technical through animation and devel- more than the average friendship’s challenges of making a claymation oping an understanding of the ups and downs. animated film, where everything medium chosen. is hand-made and there is no use • Cultural Studies – understand- Curriculum Links of computer generated imagery ing how people lived in an (CGI), now commonly used in earlier period of the twentieth 2 Mary and Max recently screened films such asToy Story (John Las- century through the detailed worlds created of their daily lives. • Values Education (and related subject areas) – looking at different kinds of friendships and how they are tested and nurtured. Exploring themes of loneliness, difference, loyalty and acceptance. • Art and Design – exploring the creative challenges of building complex worlds with clay fig- Adam Elliot and Melanie Coombs ures and artefacts and looking at how limited colour palettes can be used effectively in ani- Animated Film for Harvie Krum- mation. pet. His films are described as clay animation or ‘claymation’ and his Advice to Teachers: as the film characters, sets and props are all includes some challenging issues hand-constructed. such as alcoholism, agoraphobia, depression, anxiety and suicide, In 1996, Adam studied animation teachers are advised to watch the at the Victorian College of the Arts film before showing it to younger where he made his filmUncle . students. After graduating he completed the other parts of this trilogy, Cousin Teachers could select from the (1998) and Brother (1999). In student activities in this guide that 2003, he completed the half-hour would most interest their students claymation Harvie Krumpet, nar- pany, Melodrama Pictures. Here is and best address their particular rated by Geoffrey Rush and pro- part of her producer’s statement. curriculum area. Apart from film duced by Melanie Coombs. Apart study questions, they include from winning an Academy Award I see the pattern in all of Adam’s several hands-on activities related in 2004, Harvie was included in work is about accepting differ- to model-making and animating, as the 2006 Annecy International ence … I first wanted to work with well as a quiz about the film. Festival’s Top 100 animated films Adam after seeing Cousin [one of
of all time. All Elliot’s films focus his earlier short films]. I’d never SCREEN EDUCATION About the Filmmakers on ‘difference’ with compassion, seen such an honest film about humour and pathos. He is the disability. Not only did the film Adam Elliot wrote, directed official patron of The Other Film clearly articulate what Cerebral and designed Mary and Max. An Festival, Australia’s only disabled Palsy seemed like to him as a independent filmmaker from film festival. child but also how difference can Melbourne, Elliot came to inter- be confusing and difficult to deal national attention in 2004 when Melanie Coombs produced the with. And I think this is the crux 3 he won the Oscar for Best Short film through her Production Com- of what Adam says in his work. Coombs also produced Harvie Student Activity – genre based on Japanese comic Krumpet. While she has worked Before watching Mary books. closely with Elliot for many years, and Max 2 Do you think animated films are Melanie also produces other films specifically created for a young through her production company, These are suggested discussion audience? including The Fabric of a Dream: areas and activities. Teachers may 3 Are you aware of any animated the Fletcher Jones Story (Dennis choose to work through some or films made for an older audience? K. Smith, 2007) and The Funk all of them with their students as 4 What expectations do you have of (Cris Jones, 2008) orientation activities before watch- animated films? ing Mary and Max. However, they 5 Can you recall seeing any films Cast are not essential pre-viewing for that employ some animated enjoying the film. sequences as part of the film’s The cast of voices includes Toni story? Why might a director Collette (Mary), Phillip Seymour 1 Conduct a discussion with choose to include some animated
Hoffman (Max), Barry Humphries students about what they know sequences? SCREEN EDUCATION (The Narrator), Bethany Whitmore about animated films and what 6 There’s always something to as the young Mary and Eric Bana they think about them. Most learn from a director’s earlier (Damien) students are likely to have seen work. Elliot’s earlier films, at least some of the more recent including Harvie Krumpet, (A detailed crew list can be ac- mainstream animated features can be watched on DVD. The cessed at
Student Activity 1: ing dogs, cats, birds, blowflies, SCREEN EDUCATION Making the film – Time, 5236 muffins eaten by director snails and cockroach) skills and patience during 57-week film shoot 5 storyboarding Production crew of 50 working 6 Model making construction of Stop Motion Claymation together to produce about two and all characters, sets and props a half minutes of animation a week. 7 Costuming This time-intensive technique of Each of the 6 animators created 4 8 Voicing and recording seconds a day on average. filmmaking involves creating, 9 lighting 5 were involved in the making of this film.
Student Activity 2: creating and exploring characters
As you watch Mary and Max, make notes on what you see of each of the characters in the film. Use the tables on the following two pages – brown for Mary and grey for Max. You may choose to split this viewing activity into two groups, focusing on either Mary or Max 10 Music choices and their world. Afterwards, you 11 Getting permissions for the could share your impressions. music and use of other mate- rial and artefacts that may be What is ‘ordinary’? copyrighted. Autobiography and 12 Monitoring costs audience 13 Animating the scenes and char- acters • Using what we are shown of 14 Filming Mary and Max’s lives in the 15 Editing film (especially through their 16 Preparation of post-production letters to each other), create script an ‘autobiography’ of no more 17 Marketing and promoting the than 300 words for each one. film Think carefully about which as- 18 Selling the film locally and areas of the film e.g. producer, pects of their lives they would overseas director, model maker, choose to talk about and reveal. 19 Responding to press interest animator, etc. Decide who the audience is for and being interviewed. • Considering the multiple tasks each self-portrait as this often 20 Creating and updating a involved in creating a film, determines what people are website about the film. choose three areas you think prepared to reveal about them-
would be most interesting to selves. Perhaps Max is talking SCREEN EDUCATION • Mark with an asterix or high- work on. to Dr. Hazelhof or at his Over- light any of these tasks that are • You can access the film’s press eaters Anonymous group. Mary particular to creating a clayma- kit at
Character Appearance and age, Personal qualities Interests and/or Most important Voiced by? including any special and character hobbies moments in the characteristics such as story any particular physical features and any special smell. Mary Daisy Dinkle
Noel Norman Dinkle
Vera Lorraine Dinkle
Len Graham Hislop
Ralph Keith Dinkle
Damien SCREEN EDUCATION Cyril
7 Max’s World
Character Appearance and age, Personal qualities Interests and/or Most important Voiced by? including any special and character hobbies moments in the characteristics such as story any particular physical features and any special smell. Max Jerry Horowitz
Ivy Ruby Bevan
Doctor Bernard Hazelhof
Mister Alfonso Ravioli
Marjorie Hyacinth Butterworth SCREEN EDUCATION
8 • Many biographical films (or ‘biopics’, as they are sometimes called) are about famous people and their lives – sportspeople, explorers, criminals and war heroes. However, increasingly, filmmakers are making films about apparently ‘ordinary’ people who may have no special claim to being well-known or famous, but whose life stories can be quite extraordinary and moving.
Make a list of any ‘biographical’ or magazine. (As neither Facebook times exaggerated physical features films you have seen where the nor MySpace were up and running that make them immediately iden- focus is on one or more appar- in the 1970s to 1990s, characters tifiable, such as Mary’s birthmark ently ‘ordinary’ individuals and such as Ivy or even Damien would and Max’s nose and yarmulke how they respond to what happens be unlikely to construct the kind (skull cap) and red pompom. in their lives. Discuss what it is of online profile you may be more about such films that makes them familiar with) • Select someone from amongst interesting – can anyone’s life be friends or family, or someone in interesting depending on the way Which aspects of their life will the public eye, who you could their story is presented? your piece focus on? For example: sketch. List several of their most obvious physical features Constructing Profiles - ivy’s activities when she goes such as their big lips or spiky on her spending spree hair or interesting glasses or • Once you have discussed the - Dr. Hazelhof and his work long legs and make a drawing main characters and how they - Grandpoppy Ralph’s icebreak- of them, exaggerating some of
are represented, look more ing their more obvious features. SCREEN EDUCATION closely at the ‘secondary’ char- - Noel Dingle’s hobbies For instance, Shane Warne has acters who all play a part in - Damien Popodopoulos’ lifestyle distinctively spiky hair and a each of Mary and Max’s worlds. change round face. Show your sketch to your classmates and see if Choose two people from each of Creating characters they recognize this person. these worlds and write a ‘personal- • You could also make a ity’ profile for each one in the form Many of Adam Elliot’s characters plasticine or clay model of this 9 of a profile piece for a newspaper have very distinctive and some- figure or of their head. This exercise is more about being observant than creating a photographic likeness. Portrait painters as well as cartoonists and animators use this technique to create likenesses.
Creature Feature
• List the animals, insects, fish and birds that inhabit Max’s and Mary’s worlds. • How does each of them: a) Contribute to the develop- ment of the plot, b) enrich each character’s world and c) add to the humour of the film?
There is a long tradition of repre- senting animals in animated films, from Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse to Donkey in the Shrek films and Remy the rat in Rata- touille (Brad Bird, 2007). They contributes to this film? are often anthropomorphised • Did you recognize any of the (given human characteristics) and pieces of music in Mary and sometimes voiced by very recogniz- Max? In what ways does Elliot able Hollywood stars such as Eddie use both the theme music as- Murphy and Antonio Banderas. sociated with each main char- • Give some examples of animals acter and the music played at in animated films where these certain emotional moments in things happen. the story to heighten mood. • Do you think such depictions Select two scenes during which are responding to what people you were very conscious of the want to see and hear, and es- music heard and explain why pecially the younger audiences you think Elliot made these for whom these films are often choices. intended? What is the particu- especially Max and Mary’s • Next time you are watching lar appeal of ‘talking animals’? voices, although others do an animated film or television • What primary aspects of human speak, even if it is only one program such as The Simpsons life do the many creatures in word, like the Homeless Man in or Family Guy or South Park, Mary and Max reflect? New York. turn the sound off and see what • How does the condition of 2) The musical soundtrack and difference this makes to your Max’s cat and of Mary’s rooster sound effects. experience. mirror and enrich each charac- 3) The voice of the narrator. ter’s life? Setting the Scene – colour • Were you conscious of the quite and lighting Student Activity 3: distinctive voices of Phillip exploring the film’s Seymour Hoffman, Bethany In any film, colour and lighting elements Whitmore and Toni Collette as are vital to the creation of the SCREEN EDUCATION the voices of Max and Mary? story and often determine how we Soundtrack • What difference to the respond to it. experience of watching this film The soundtrack of this film is com- would it make if there were • Choose one of these two aspects plex, multi-layered and subtle. It only visuals with on-screen text of the film and explain to your has three main elements: to read, but no sound? classmates how it contributes • What do you think the style of to the finished film. 10 1) The voices of the characters, Barry Humphries’ narration Colour palette – imagine trans- sion series, as his novels include action happens in places that must posing bright animated feature multiple characters, numerous be convincingly depicted through film colours into this film. How settings and complex plots. Many the set, costume and production does it change? were originally written to be serial- design. This film is set in two dif- ized in periodical magazines. A fea- ferent worlds – suburban Australia Lighting – when is it brightest ture film, like a short story, needs and big-city New York – during the and when is it quite dim? to be more concentrated and have 1970s through to the 1990s. a focus on fewer characters. Animation • The opening scenes of this • Describe the plot of Mary and film are dense with suburban • Why do you think Elliot choos- Max as briefly and clearly as seventies references that reflect es animation, and particularly possible. What does your sum- both the style of the period this style of animation that mary of the plot leave out? as well as the psychology and uses no CGI to tell his stories? (Sometimes it is not so much values of the characters. • What advantages for a about the story as the way it is filmmaker are there in having told) What are some of the artefacts, animated characters? • Is there a climax to this story? objects, activities and behaviours • What disadvantages might there Where and when do you think shown of people’s lives that reflect be in using animated charac- this dramatic highpoint occurs, the period and places in which the ters to tell a story? if there is one? Explain your film is set? Give some examples • In what ways is Mary and Max choice of key moment. of how aspects of these worlds different to other animations • Construct a simple story about have changed e.g. Do we still see you may have seen? a relationship between two ‘politically incorrect’ newspaper • Are there any animated films people for pitching to a film headlines such as OBESE or television programs that you production company, provid- RETARDED MAN CRANED OUT! think share common elements ing only a brief outline of the Would an Overeater’s Anonymous with Elliot’s style of character plot and characters. What other group today use posters and signs portrayal and storyline? information will you include saying CHOCOLATE IS NOT A
about how you intend to create FOOD GROUP and GOD HATES FAT SCREEN EDUCATION Narrative the story and engage an audi- PEOPLE? ence to interest the Production Simple stories focusing on just Company in funding your film? • Give some examples of things a few characters often make the that have changed very little to- most satisfying films. When the Settings and Period day, either objects and housing novels of Charles Dickens are styles and/or social attitudes. adapted for the screen, they often While the themes of stories are 11 work best as an extended televi- often timeless and universal, the Humour and Tone audience responses, it is always interesting to hear from the per- As discussed, Mary and Max covers son behind the film, particularly subject matter that is serious and when their role as writer, creator potentially bleak at times. The and director is so fundamental to director says that he aimed to use the finished product. music, verbal humour, and visual gags to balance the pathos. • Read through the statement and then discuss how well you • Describe any scenes that use think Elliot’s intentions have slapstick humour to engage us been realized in the film. The in the drama. bolded sentences may be a good • Irony is a comedic device where way to focus your discussion. the literal meaning is the op- posite of what we might expect; Mary and Max is my fourth ani- for instance when Max writes mated film and up until now each ADAM ELLLIOT to Mary that not much has hap- of my films has explored the life pened since he last wrote, while of a singular person. With Mary we know a lot has happened. and Max I explore two simultane- (Toni Collette) and Max (Philip Give some other examples of ous biographies. I see this film as Seymour Hoffman). the use of irony in this film, in the third major artistic leap in the either the narration or how the creation of my films over the last I have always avoided too characters describe things. ten years. much self-analysis for fear of • Fatalism suggests that it is making my work too prescribed pointless to try and avoid The trilogy, Uncle, Cousin and and constructed. I write from events happening to you be- Brother, are all very similar in the heart, with a desire for cause ‘whatever will be, will be’ style, structure and delivery. My compassionate connection with in the words of the song Que aim with those films was to tell audiences. I do not write for a Sera, Sera. Is this a philosophy very droll, minimal and static, specific niche audience, but that contributes to the humour short ‘mini’ biographies that rather try to tell stories that in Mary and Max? enjoin the audience to see and are universal. I imagine that I • Humour can be unkind and celebrate the unique qualities of am telling the story of someone’s black. How do we decide what ‘ordinary’ people. life to a very large group of very kind of humour Elliot uses in diverse people from many various relation to his characters and Harvie Krumpet, the next film, was countries around an enormous their worlds? a much longer and thorough explo- camp fire. I try to keep everyone • What did you find funny in this ration of a person’s life. The pro- engaged by peppering the story film? duction values were much higher, with moments of humour • Can humour be country the animation more dynamic, and and melancholy. I attempt to specific, i.e. is there an the plot structure more complex. mix and balance comedy and Australian sense of humour With Harvie I again aimed to main- tragedy; humour and pathos in and what does it include? tain the simplicity of my visual a rhythmic and potent manner. Do parts of this film reflect a style and again chose deliberately With each film I try and arouse particularly Australian sense of to maintain the single narrator ALL the senses; not just the ears humour? If so, what are these delivering the narrative. And again and eyes! I see that my job is to elements? the story explored themes of differ- ‘nourish the audience in a compost • How did this film make you ence and acceptance. of sensory stimulation’. feel? Choose several words to characterize the tone of this With Mary and Max, I hope I have found it very hard to film – affectionate, sad, quirky, I’ve maintained my visual compare Mary and Max to other depressing, optimistic, gloomy, style, but deliver the story in a films. I can’t find anything
funny, fatalistic, bleak, upbeat. more dynamic way to ensure it ‘animated’ that is similar. In SCREEN EDUCATION maintains the audience’s interest fact I find more similarities with Adam Elliot’s director’s over the longer duration. This ‘live action’ films than animated statement film again explores our desires for ones, (84 Charring Cross Road acceptance and love, no matter [David Hugh Jones, 1987], Here is Elliot’s director’s state- how different we are! There is still About Schmidt [Alexander Payne, ment about his film. WhileMary a narrator, the wonderful Barry 2002]). and Max is the work that express- Humphries, but to this I’ve added 12 es his vision and will determine the voices of the two leads, Mary My creative storytelling influences are mainly from ple, (even the so called experts). making a difference in people’s other art forms. I am inspired lives. by portrait photographers A lot of people say they often feel Dianne Arbus and Richard different; that they don’t fit in. I I’m not making films to elicit Avedon. Charles Dickens, Barry am one of those people. Even with these reactions; it is real, unasked Humphries, Michael Leunig and all the success, acknowledgement for and still happening to me Harper Lee are other people I also and acceptance that has been every day. I often say If I could draw huge inspiration from. derived from my films; I often still I would make my films for free; feel alone and not in tune with no amount of money could ever I treat each new film as a blank the rest of the world. I often feel buy the feeling of sitting with an canvas that I try to fill with sad, persecuted and unsure about audience watching something original, potent and often taboo things. I truly empathise with the you have given your heart and content. I really hope and feel lost and disregarded, marginalised soul to; knowing that you are not that Mary and Max will push the and melancholic. I am drawn to just entertaining them, but also boundaries and present to the these people and their stories; I nourishing and moving them. I audience something refreshing and cannot help it. I find people so learnt a while back, that to have different that the animation world fascinating; from the ordinary a positive effect on your fellow has not yet served up. to the truly odd. These are human beings is such a wonderful the people I relate to; these feeling and opportunity. The film has many dark moments. are the people whose stories I There is a lot of ‘black’ amongst want to hear and want to see So, who knows, maybe the reason the colour palette to heighten the on the big screen. And I KNOW I make my films is purely selfish? mood of the story. There are two audiences also want to hear these Either way there is nothing else simultaneous worlds represented; stories of difference; thousands I am particularly good at and so Mary’s Australian Suburban world, of people all over the world have for the time being moving blobs of and Max’s New York City Urban told me so over the last decade. plasticine around in a slow and world. Mary’s world is in a sepia I have a box in my hallway that expensive manner seems my lot palette and Max’s in tones of black, contains the hundreds of press for now. white and grey. I always try to clippings, emails, and letters I keep the variety of colours to have received in regards to my – Adam Elliot a minimum; this ensures the work. Nearly every single day we visual style is strong and acts receive fan mail; much of which Student Activity 4: as a point of difference to the arrived way before the Academy reviewing the film ‘wacky’, ‘zany’, ‘colour’ filled Award came our way. We receive world of most animated films. moving letters from people with Here are excerpts from three Tourettes Syndrome, Alzheimer’s reviews of Mary and Max that Finally, Mary and Max has far and depression. These letters are appeared after it was screened more dynamic camera moves from the young and old, from at film festivals at Sundance in than in my previous films, Sweden to Tokyo, from people America, Berlin in Germany and as a result of working with who’ve watched the films on the in Australia. While most reviews our Cinematographer Gerald big screen, on an airline, at a have been very positive and Thompson who is also a motion film festival, on the internet and enthusiastic, the reviewer from control expert. even on their phone. They all say American Variety magazine had similar things; that they were a different take. The film opens Why this story … affected in some way watching nationally in Australian cinemas my film/s. For some it has been on 9 April. Max is based on my penfriend life changing; for others it simply in New York whom I have been added a bit of relief to their day. 1 It’s not often that an writing to for twenty years. He is Australian film opens a major such an interesting person and the For example, just last week I re- international film festival, creation of this film will be a tes- ceived a phone call from a woman but I can think of very few timony to him and the archetypal who said her best friend chose to films more deserving than SCREEN EDUCATION underdog that so many audiences watch Harvie Krumpet over and Adam Elliot’s Mary and Max around the world engage with. He, over in her final hours before she of opening Sundance. Fiercely like Max, has Aspergers and I have died from cancer. I am moved to independent and intensely spent a long time researching this tears so often and am constantly personal, this is an emotionally syndrome. My aim is to not just reminded of the power of storytell- affecting tale of friendship enlighten the world to Aspies, but ing. I feel very humbled by people’s that just happens to be created to demystify the many misconcep- responses and feel so lucky I have entirely out of clay. It’s without 13 tions others have about these peo- the ability and opportunity to keep doubt the first very good Australian film of 2009. The film was recently selected to screen in the Berlinale’s Generation program in the 14+ category, and while it is loaded with references to sex and adult themes such as alcohol- ism and depression, I would recommend it to parents of kids of a mature disposition and curious outlook, whatever the final rating slapped on it by the classification board. – Matt Ravier, Inside Film, 12 February 2009,
two people from very different explaining your design choices, • ‘Adult animation is a contradic- SCREEN EDUCATION backgrounds that find one font (or hand-drawn), image(s) tion in terms.’ Discuss in rela- another. And once they do, selected, text (if any) used. tion to Mary and Max. each is able to make the other’s Who is the intended audience? • Write a review of Mary and Max life better. Where will the poster be for either (a) the cinema review – Steve Weintraub, Collider, displayed – cinema foyers, pages of a newspaper or (b) 25 January 2009,
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