I especially loved the ending where Max and Mary's friendship was mended after the rift, even if they never got to meet each other in person (at least in Max's lifetime).

"change the world, one small act of kindness at a time"- my grandad

The Swedish movie called "I rymden finns inga känslor" is another great film about autism. In it Bill Skarsgård plays a autistic young man struggling with the changes in his life. His brothers support and understanding is the most important thing to him. I highly recommend it.

“It is this dilemma, the question of what is or isn’t in our control to change, that rests at the core of every autistic person’s heart.” Dang, I felt this one.

Oh my god, this is one of the saddest movies I've ever seen. Easily a contender for "movies I can never watch again from being too emotional"

I loved this film as a young teenager. I'm not autistic but I'm bipolar (obviously didnt know that back then lol) and this movie really meant a lot to me. I don't think I fully understood the autism aspect of this film - to be honest, I thought it was just another quirky thing about the film to build its atmosphere, like the pet chicken or the neighbor kid with the funny name. In hindsight I feel like that's a supreme win for the film, because as a viewer who at that time had no experience with autistic people (or any experience truly understanding how our brains lead our lives) I saw Max as a friend and someone who I could relate to. I think a lesser film would hold it up to your face and say "Look! Look! I'm talking about something important! Are you learning?!" like the Sia film. I'm going to revisit this film (it's been about 7 or 8 years) with a new lens. I didn't know that Philip Seymour Hoffman (my favorite actor ever) voiced Max which is a pleasant surprise. Thank you for making this video Max. I always learn something from your work. You are one of my favorite people on the internet, period.

The part where Max puts on a big smile and gives his favorite dessert to a homeless man… It felt so cathartic the first time I watched it. It took me through all the strategies I’ve had to come up with in order to fit in; a nonstop trial-and-error which (just like the scene), often feels awkward, cringe-inducing, and/or even physically painful at times. Nonetheless, and even though I was visibly tearing up when watching it, I was actually smiling inside my brain. I suppose we neurodivergents need this sorta emotional relief from time to time, and representation is one hell of a method when most of us struggle to even express our feelings, let alone the things we REGULARLY sweep under the rug. Thank you for this video, Max Derrat.

Phenomenal film, one of my absolute favourites, deeply touching on so many levels especially for someone struggling with autism. So happy to see you cover this.

Thank you for talking about this movie. It is a movie I really respect for it's art style(from the color choices to the claymation character designs), it's writing, and it's messages. You put alot of it into words better than I could. I respect the hell outta you for it, and to be fair I respect and admire your thoughts on things in general.

My Reaction to the thumbnail: "Wait, is this-... YEAAA!!"

Great video, thank you! I was only 8 when I first saw "Mary and Max" and it became one of my favourite movies, though at that time I didn't fully understand why I resonated with it so much. It sparked my love for stop-motion. I've re-watched it a few more times in the recent years and each time I discover something new. It's brilliant!

I saw this as a kid and it was the first movie to ever make me cry. I still remember just scrolling through channels in the middle of the night and randomly stumbling on the animated masterpiece.

"this movie triggers the same sense of awe and wonder that we all experienced as children" Funnily enough I watched this when I was 12 (when it came out) and boy... let me tell you, it really messed me up lol

I saw this movie with my father so long ago. In a way I think it was a bit exaggerated but other times it's so relatable. This movie made me speechless, and back then I didn't know why, I wasn't diagnosed after all, and my symptoms are not as visible. I love this movie a lot.

A similar thing happened to me and a friend which I’ve known for the past 8 years. I thought she was weird at first, but a few years later we started talking and settling our differences. We actually had a lot of things in common so we became close friends very quickly. Over the years we started to talk more and more and she will be going in to my new school as well. She is a female who also has autism like me, so our behaviors are similar. We’ve been talking more and more for quite a while now and I believe that we’ll only become closer friends as time progresses.

My wife and I love your videos. We're looking forward to seeing this movie together. :) Thanks for all of the great content.

Great vid Max. Remember seeing this film for the first time when I was 21 years old (two years after its release in 2009. I’m now in my 30s), it’s now one of my favourite films of all time and one I’ll never get bored of. I could really connect with both titular characters but like Max, I also have a form of Autism and also live alone in a one bedroom flat. I too thought there were moments (too many to mention, many of which brought up right here) where I literally feel like the film was “made for me.” I find it a shame that more people aren’t even aware of this film to be honest, especially in my home of the UK.

This movie is so moving, that the whole audience was sobbing! Unforgettable!

I watched this movie a long long time ago, I had almost entirely forgotten it. Thank you for helping me to remember.

I'll wait for at least _one_ person to be cured in order to decide if I want to be cured or not.

No joke I found your channel because of this film I wanted to learn more about it and started watching your videos

I love this movie, have watched it multiple times and it never fails to get to me.

I have aspergers and i watched this as a kid, it left me feeling odd and i forgot the movie. Now i watched this movie again as an adult and realize this movie triggered me so much as a kid. Especially Mary she just makes me feel so uncomfortable, max i relate to alot.

Thank you Max. I will be watching this in the very near future

It's always a great day when someone makes a video on Mary and Max! I'll watch it when I'm more awake, but I can't wait to see how you talk about this movie!

Glad you finally got around to watching this film, feels like so long ago I asked if you saw it

Gonna watch this movie. I didn't know about this! Thanks for making this video, Max!

I love this movie, I've seen it a few times. Thanks for talking about it!

Duuuuude fr this is a genuinely really good movie about autism that not enough people talk about. Thank you for exposing more people to this materpiece!

Thank you Max for showing me this important little flim about autism, mental health is very important to me and I'm glad you care about mental health to 😇

I really applaud your use of Balamb Garden's theme for the music. It's always been one of my favorites.

Yo Max, I really have to thank you. You've helped me understand myself so much better and how to handle my preferences better. So... thank you!

Dang it max your making me tear up at work

I'm so glad it resonated with you as much as it did me and other autistic folk! I've heard it said that when it comes to characters who were written to "represent", no one character can represent every person on a spectrum, not should they; there are a variety of characters out there that each of us individually can resonate with on some level. Some are written more as generalized tokens rather than fully realized characters with true understanding of the perspective, but this is one movie that knows exactly what it's trying to convery and does it so authentically!

I highly appreciate Your work

mary and max was partly produced in australia and it generated some excitement here when it was released. it's been sitting in my memory or a while, your video gives me a good reason to revisit it, thanks. on another note, i have my own health-barriers which create difficulties with communication, etc i find videos like this highly educational as they allow me to compare/contrast my experiences with different kinds of neuro-diverse folks and make me a better advocate. i'm glad you touched on representation because it's a great example of an issue that feels obvious for some people but, like you said, perhaps not to the same extent for people with autism. there's a great culture of art appreciation and art criticism on youtube which gives people the chance to understand and enjoy the things they love to the fullest extent. although it is often escapism, it's also often the case that we take what we learn and apply it in our lives, which is great! if we assume that everybody does this, representation becomes an opportunity for people to learn (in a way that's primarily engaging) more about their real world and the people who inhabit it. Max and Mary does this well because it's 1. agood story with 2. good characters and 3. good representation. i find that media that ticks all three of these boxes is difficult to come by.

I haven't seen this movie, but the points you brought up about Max definitely makes me want to see this, as I'm autistic myself. I tend to isolate myself, I don't think I have friends at this point in time, not even a Mary. That being said, I can relate to things in this video. I can understand complicated things to a degree, I'm an artist and a writer, and among other things, a very weird individual.

Wow this is a really powerful video. It actually made me found out things about myself

Interestingly, I stumbled upon this channel around the same time I learned about Mary and Max. I had learned that someone I knew had Asperger's Syndrome and was doing research here and there looking up the subject. I must say, I'm thankful for your videos. They've been helpful in my understanding of AS.

Glad you got around to seeing this one. I remember recommending it a while back. One of the better films to come out of where I'm from, Australia.

Thank you for introducing me to this film...it looks magnificent....❤️ as you are

One of the best movies ever! A diamond!🤩😍 Also a beautiful video man!

I watched this movie before knowing I have autism, and I cried so hard during the whole thing! But especially when Max gets diagnosed. I felt like I understood him. This movie has a super special place in my heart

Your videos help me understand my kid that much more and he doesn't necessarily have any issues just a speech problem so he very animated

I've heard of this film. I very much want to see it now! This video was very touching Max. 😢😌👍

I really loved the movie Temple grandin she is autistic but she became a professor of Animal science at Colorado state university and the movie is based on a true story its pretty amazing

Added to my watch list. Thanks!

I saw the movie Adam before I was sure of my own autism and honestly it made me doubt I had it due to how extreme he was in certain instances. It's a good movie, but it makes autistic people look almost like robots or androids (although we can be that way sometimes...)

Beautiful video essay.

Honestly max could have been a great librarian with his knowledge of books, and a good one at that, it’s a shame that the world isn’t yet fully built to help autistic fellas like us

Way to go, bruh! BRAVO!

I absolutely adore Mary and Max, both heartbreaking and hilarious while exploring the often misunderstood world of autism and aspergers (which I have)

Definitely a movie I’ve always had a personal connection to since I first saw it at school 3-4 years ago due to how I am not only on the autism spectrum but happen to also live in Melbourne Australia and have a good idea of the suburbs in the city! :)

Good call, one of my fave films, as an aussie it really captures something authentic. Really sad but i love it!

Watched this film back in school years ago. It was really good and I found it pretty enlightening.

Awh hell yeah, this movie is so damn good. Cool to see that other people know of it.

This movie sounds like it's worth checking out. I'll see if I can check it out anywhere when I get around to it, good stuff.

Oh my God! I knew it! This movie is excellent, from the art style to the writing, and I've been awaiting your thoughts on it!

Love this movie! Glad you covered thia

It has been many years since I saw the movie, but the ending is what moved me enough to have it present in mi mind for most of the time. Such a wholesome and, at times, tragic movie over all.

That's a really nice video. I think more people need to understand the prevalence of autism. Highly misunderstood and many asperger's syndrome individuals are hard for most people to even differentiate

Everything you talk about makes me want to watch/play/witness. Loving your videos. Also, nod to the ff8 music in the background there.

These kinds of videos give me a bit more insight into how my autistic daughter thinks. Thank you Max

I liked this movie as well. It's a real heartbreaker.

You totally sold me on this movie! I'll definitely have to watch it :) Being a person who received his autism diagnosis fairly late, there is one thing I have to say about representation: Part of the reason why I've never suspected myself to be autistic is due to the poor representation in media. If you are just a fairly "average" person in many regards, with a lot of invisible struggles, and all you know about autism are basically Rain Man and Sheldon Cooper, how would you ever even consider the possibility of being on the spectrum? I am not a genius. I don't have any superpowers. I am not even particularly good with numbers. My communication skills are good. When neurotypical people talk to me, all they see is a fairly "normal" guy, so they wouldn't suspect me to be on the spectrum either. So I guess representation is not only important for showing neurotypicals what we are going through, but also to show undiagnosed autistic people that they're not alone with these invisible struggles, that they are not the only ones trying to bend over backwards just to fit in and not to be perceived as "weird", and that there is a term for what they're dealing with.

This is my favorite movie of all time. I am happy to hear your opinion about it

I love how there’s Music from FF8 that appears latter in the video.

Nice movie recommend can’t wait to watch

I watched Mary and Max as a teen, and let me tell you it broke me

I’ve never seen this, but I’ll definitely check it out. I have however seen “Rain Man” and recommend that movie. Have an awesome day everyone🙂

Nice glade for some good films

Indeed. This is a good film to see because it clearly defines the meaning of environment and nurturing relationships. It has a very authentic representation of much we do not understand. This movie made me think!

Well, that was profound video topic, I’m not sure if I’m autistic or not but I used to get tested by professionals as a young child the results negative so maybe that’s conclusive enough proof, but this video raised even more questions for me as to how a “normal” human is even meant to react to the problems autistic people face, because as someone who doesn’t have an autistic diagnosis I can’t say these problems are universal, but being honest I can highly relate to the problems and benefits the movie and your narration presented, maybe this can raise questions for other non autistic people to help reach a deeper understanding of autism and how it effects and influences whole aspects of someone’s life. I’d normally make a joke just on its own but shit that fish has some dark secrets to light cigarettes underwater, I know how hard that is as a smoker who lives in The Northeast of England.

Balamb Garden Mixed in is just very soothing.

Wow I watched this when it first came out and loved it but it was lost to all the more "stimulating" (not that this isn't stimulating, I was just into more fast paced action or some crazy sci Fi at the the time) content o was watching at the time. Clicking on this video was looking forward to checking out a new recommendation from you and lo and behold I've already been exposed. Definitely going to re watch, thank you for this content Edit: you should check out Legion (FX series) . Deals with mental health and super powers through very visual cinematics matched with beautiful soundtrack. 3 seasons that all fit together perfectly

great video Kim Peek was able to read with one eye each scanning separate pages. he was a highly intellectual savant. "Although Peek was previously diagnosed autism, he is now thought to have had FG syndrome." -Wikipedia

This was a fucking amazing video

See I can tollarate bright lights and excessive noise to a point. But when the migraines start because of them I'm either puking or shutting down in one way or another. Like a hurricane behind the eyes

The ending of the video made me tear up

This movie was amazing. Good job

ff8 songs hit different on these videos god damn

Autism is a gift

I think the two eyes two pages thing was a reference to Kim Peek, who could read like that!

God I Love this movie.

I can hear Balamb Garden in the background ❤️

Rewiring my brain mid-life to neurotypical, doesn't sound like a cure, it sounds mentally, and physically excruciating.

I've just watched the movie. I wanted to thank you for your recommendation. I really liked it and in some way I felt identified. I started watching your channel due to your Legacy of Kain's coin video like a week ago, and I'm checking some others. Can you make a video where you recommend your favourite movies? Or maybe just a reply where you name them. Thanks, greetings from Tlaxcala, the smallest state in México.

Love this movie!

When Max had a panic attack at the letter I related so much

damnit your vids always leave me a sobbing mess...XD

The moment in this film that gets me is the shot of Mary getting out of the cab with her baby at the end. It's not a very sentimental movie, so when something goes right for the characters, you know they earned it.

Amazing movie.

I'm glad this movie is getting more attention now, Because it was a financial bomb when it came out.

I hate to admit it. Mary and max movie has me pinned to a tee. I thought I was the only one who worked menial jobs to satisfy society whilst enjoying my own little sphere at home.

It’s my favourite movie

Could you make a video on "The Stranger"? It would be an interesting thing to review, because the protagonist (Mersault) is autistic, but it isn´t acknowledged in the book that he is. It hasn´t been prominently claimed by literates to be so either. Thus, the reactions of digust or sympathy for him by the readers are honest, and the former are quite common.

Came for the horror/psych analysis, stayed for a fellow autistic creator. :D

1:55 come on! Bojack Horesman was right there "I've never found a good representation of autism"

I to have autism. I know what it's like to be in Max's shoes. I'm terrified of change. It's not hard for me to have anxiety attacks.

I appreciate the FF8 music.