Sightlines · reception

How Mary and Max was received

2009 · Adam Elliot · Mary and Max on Sightlines

The arc

Premiered as the first animated film ever to open Sundance in 2009, then was famously snubbed by the Oscars and barely released in US cinemas — but word-of-mouth and streaming turned it into one of the most beloved animated films of its era.

What’s debated

The perennial fan grievance: how did the Academy nominate five animated features in 2009 and skip this one — and is it 'too bleak' to be animation's best-kept secret or exactly why it works?

Its footprint

Max's line 'You are imperfect, and so am I' is endlessly quoted in reviews and letters-to-a-stranger posts, and the film is a touchstone in every 'animation is not just for kids' conversation — plus a treasured entry in Philip Seymour Hoffman's filmography.

Where it stands

A certified Letterboxd and IMDb darling — the cult 'you must see this' pick of adult stop-motion, routinely near the top of highest-rated animation lists.

Did you know? Max was inspired by Adam Elliot's real-life New York pen pal of over twenty years, and the film was the first animated feature ever chosen to open the Sundance Film Festival.