Laramie Movie Scope:
Memoir of a Snail

by Robert Roten, Film Critic [Strip of film rule]

December 24, 2024 – An unhappy childhood which turns into an unhappy adulthood sounds like a depressing story idea. That's what happens in the Australian stop motion animated movie Memoir of a Snail, but fortunately, the relentlessly downbeat story also has some positive elements.

At the center of the story is young Grace Pudel and her twin brother Gilbert, growing up in the 1970s. Their mother dies in childbirth and their father is a paraplegic alcoholic living on a fixed income. All three are outsiders, if not societal outcasts.

The twins support each other, with Gilbert defending his sister from bullies at school. Grace collects snails and keeps to herself in her room with her horde of snail memorabilia. Their world is upended when their father dies and the twins are split up, living with adoptive parents thousands of miles apart.

Gilbert hopes to save up enough money to get back together with his sister, but his corrupt parents force him to work in the family apple business and won't let him keep any money. He eventually falls in love with a member of his adopted family, but the family objects to this relationship, leading to a lot of drama.

Meanwhile Grace has found a friend, Pinky, a free-spirited older woman who has had many adventures in her life. Pinky eventually helps Grace to break free of the prison she has made for herself by withdrawing from the world. Grace, in turn, cares for Pinky when she develops dementia.

In the end, this is a story about lessons learned from a life filled with setbacks. It is about growing up and overcoming the many obstacles faced by these two young people. Grace and Gilbert find ways to break the chains which have held them down for years.

What starts out as a story about two people drowning in a sea of troubles, becomes a story about these two people rising up to become the best versions of themselves. It is not exactly inspiring, but at least it is not the depressing tale it seems to be at first. The movie is directed by Adam Elliot (“Mary and Max”). Grace is voiced by Sarah Snook. Those of you who have not seen her performance in “Predestination” (2014) should do so. She is fantastic in that sci-fi movie.

The stop motion animation characters in this movie remind me a bit of those in movies like “ParaNorman” and “The Boxtrolls,” that is, they are not attractive or cute, and some of the characters are downright ugly. Despite these superficial similarities, the look of this movie is unique, and the story is highly unusual, but effective, in the end. This movie rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff (no extra charges apply). I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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[Rule made of Seventh Seal sillouettes]

Laramie Movie Scope: Memoir of a Snail

Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at

Laramie Movie Scope:
Memoir of a Snail