Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with IFC Films ‘ stop-motion animated tragicomedy Memoir of a Snail . Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Adam Elliot , the film boasts an all-star Aussie voice cast including Sarah Snook, Eric Bana, Jackie Weaver and Kodi Smit-McPhee. IFC Films , which also distributed Elliot’s first stop-motion film Mary & Max , scooped up rights to Snail in May and sent it on a fruitful fall festival run, where it picked up the top prizes as Annecy and BFI London .
It was released in theaters in October and has since picked up Golden Globe and Critics Choice animation noms. The plot follows Grace Pudel (Snook), a snail-obsessed misfit with an optimistic outlook on life. Grace recounts her life life story to a humble garden snail called Sylvia.
After tragically losing her parents, she and her twin brother Gilbert (Smit-McPhee) are separated and sent to opposite sides of Australia. As they maintain their connection through letters, Grace must navigate a world that seems overwhelming, while longing for the day they’ll be reunited. Elliot’s script is a heartfelt exploration of loss, self-acceptance and the importance of always living life to the fullest.
Like his previous adult works, the film is based on his family and friends and explores challenging subject matter that is often dark but tempered with moments of hilarity and warmth. As Grace grows older, she spirals into a s.
