Adam Elliot's 2009 animated film Mary and Max is sheer ingenious delight, and also one of the most twisted G-rated films I have ever seen. Like, do not show this to your children until you've had a chance to watch it first. But do see it. The two characters of the title are an 8-year-old Australian girl and a middle-aged New York man who become the unlikeliest of pen pals. Mary brings literal dabs of color to Max's black-and-white world even from half a world away, while he gives her advice on how to deal with bullies and inspires her eventual academic career. The animation work is incredible, bringing the world of the film to life with a host of quirky and macabre touches. And the story is a real heartbreaker, as these two very gentle souls try to navigate the disordered worlds that surround them, but I was smiling through my tears at the end. The film also features some very fine voiceover work from Barry Humphries, Toni Colette, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, whose real-life demise adds yet another layer of poignancy to the tale. I count Mary and Max among Mr. Hoffman's best films.