Eight-year-old Mary Daisy Dinkle lives lonely life in the Melbourne suburb of Mount Waverly.  She’s neglected by her factory-working Dad and alcoholic mother. One day in the post office, Daisy rips out a page from the New York City  phone book. Determined to be a pen pal to someone, she picks out the name from the page, Max Jerry Horowitz. Max is an obese Jewish atheist with mental and social problems. He is also afflicted with Asperger syndrome. Nevertheless, Max responds and a loving pen pal relationship begins. When  years later Max learns that Mary, now a university student, is planning to write a dissertation on Asperger’s,  using Max as a case study, he is furious and breaks off the relationship. Soon he realizes  he is not perfect  and neither is Mary. Max attempts a reconciliation hoping it’s not too late.