Memoir of a Snail (2024)
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A lonely misfit navigates the trials of life from childhood to adulthood while maintaining a peculiar collection of snail-themed items.
The story
In 1970s Melbourne, young girl Grace Pudel lives with her twin brother Gilbert and their father. Following her father's death, the twins are separated and sent to different foster homes across Australia. Grace is sent to Canberra, where she struggles to form connections and finds solace in hoarding snail-themed collectibles. As she grows into adulthood, she finds a mentor in an elderly woman named Pinky. The story follows Grace's journey through her isolation, her evolving relationship with her community, and her internal struggles as she navigates the complexities of her past and her unique interests.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1970s Melbourne, Grace Pudel and her twin brother Gilbert live with their father, Percy. After Percy's death, the siblings are separated: Grace is sent to Canberra to live with a couple who are often absent, while Gilbert is sent to a rural home where he faces abuse. Grace finds solace in collecting snails and eventually becomes the ward of Pinky, an elderly woman who becomes her primary caregiver. As an adult, Grace enters a relationship with a neighbor named Ken, but the romance ends tragically when she learns of Gilbert's death in a fire. She later discovers Ken's ulterior motives regarding her weight and becomes the primary caregiver for Pinky as the woman develops Alzheimer's. Following Pinky's death, Grace finds a letter and savings from her, which inspires her to let go of her past. She eventually finds success as a stop-motion animator and is reunited with her brother, who survived the fire, and they finally fulfill their father's wish to visit Luna Park together.
- First release year
- 2024
- Runtime (minutes)
- 95
- Production countries
- Australia
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Adam Elliot
- Writers
- Adam Elliot · writer
- Cast and characters
- Sarah Snook · Grace Pudel; Kodi Smit-McPhee; Eric Bana; Magda Szubanski; Dominique Pinon; Tony Armstrong; Paul Capsis; Nick Cave; Jacki Weaver
- Genres
- animated; comedy-drama; tragicomedy
- Themes
- loneliness; resilience; family; mental health
- Tone and mood
- tragicomedy; dark; moving
- Setting
- Australia (Melbourne, Canberra, and Perth) during the 1970s and into the present.
- Premise and plot tags
- stop-motion; coming-of-age; Alzheimer's disease; sibling bond
- Source material / true-story basis
- loosely inspired by Elliot's own life
- Content notes
- R-rated
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim and was noted for its dark and moving storytelling despite some repetitive elements.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 81 · scale: 100 · review count: 25
- Awards and nominations
- Cristal Award for a Feature Film · Feature Film · won; Academy Awards · Best Animated Feature · nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was developed over an eight-year period.; It is the second R-rated animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award.; Filming occurred in Melbourne in May 2023.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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