Coraline
Director: Henry Selick
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Keith David, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey Jr.
Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) always dreamed of finding a better life than the bland, ordinary one she has with her family. While exploring her new home, the Pink Palace, Coraline discovers a secret door, behind which lurks an alternate world that closely mirrors her own but carries within it the idyllic life that Coraline has only ever dreamed of. While Coraline initially rejoices in her discovery of this magical world, her dream soon turns into a terrifying nightmare when her “Other Mother” (Teri Hatcher) and the rest of her parallel family try to keep Coraline trapped in their dream-world forever.
Buttons play a strong symbolic role in the film and nowhere are they illustrated more strongly than in the character of the Beldam herself.
When Coraline first arrives at her new home, the Pink Palace, she discovers a doll that has been fashioned in her likeness…only the doll has black buttons where her eyes should be. When Coraline discovers a secret door in her new home, she discovers a magical world that is a perfect reflection of everything she ever dreamed of. When Coraline meets the inhabitants of this strange new world, her Other Mother and Father and the other residents of the Pink Palace, they all have black buttons sewn in where their eyes should be. The Other Mother tells Coraline that she can stay in this perfect world forever…but this gift comes with a terrible price. The Other Mother tells Coraline that if she wishes to remain in this dream-world with her new family, Coraline must sacrifice her eyes to the Other Mother and sew buttons in their place.
When Coraline meets the ghost children who have been imprisoned by the Beldam, they tell her that they, too, came into the Beldam’s world. Like Coraline, herself, they were also entranced by the Beldam’s promises of a picture-perfect life, safe in the arms of a mother who would love them forever. Sadly, while the children gave their eyes (the essence of their souls) to the Beldam to remain with their “Mother” in her perfect dream-world, the Beldam’s love for the children soon grew cold and she abandoned them. The children tell Coraline that the only way their souls will find peace is if Coraline finds their eyes and restores them.
I believe that the Beldam is a metaphorical spider. We have learned that she fell into the well and possibly sacrificed her own eyes to create the “Other World”. What if, like a spider who draws its prey into its web, the Beldam draws her prey (that is, the children) into her "web", so to speak, by creating this perfect, dream-world for them, only to consume their essence when they give her their eyes? We see this perfectly illustrated when Coraline journeys through the portal and into the Other World. When Coraline is denied the attention and affection that she so desperately craves from her parents, we see the Beldam give Coraline exactly what her heart desires: a perfect, loving family, good food, colorful clothes. The price the Beldam requires for staying in her idyllic dream world is the eyes of the children. The Mirror Children warn Coraline not to give the Beldam her eyes. They tell Coraline that the Beldam once loved them too. They wanted to remain in her dream-world forever. But after they gave the Beldam their eyes, she soon grew tired of them and abandoned them to die. (Much like a spider who draws blood from its prey and when the spider has taken its sustenance, leaves its prey to die.)
I have a theory that Coraline's real mother is in cahoots with the Beldam and is working with the Beldam to bring Coraline to her world. Notice it is Coraline's mother who gives Coraline the doll that the Beldam created as a replica of Coraline. Her mother has shown a clear disdain for Coraline up until now, and she doesn't seem keen to indulge her daughter in any way. And yet, Mom goes out of her way to ensure that this doll is delivered into her daughter's hands. When the doll helps Coraline discover the secret door, it is her mother who agrees to help Coraline open the door if Coraline stops pestering her, so Mom can work. Mom knows precisely which key fits this door, having chosen this key from a whole drawer full of unmarked keys, in a house they had just moved into, and she didn't just choose a key at random...she deliberately dug through the pile to find this particular key...and she opens the door on the first try. She also chooses to leave the door open when they discover that this door was sealed with bricks, rather than lock it back. An oversight on the mother's part perhaps, as she just wanted to get back to her work ASAP and she needed Coraline to stop pestering her? Or did Mom leave the door open ON PURPOSE, so that the Beldam would have an open portal, to send her mice through, and draw Coraline into the Beldam's world? I also think that the neighbors were aware of the Beldam's world, but they were trying to protect Coraline from it...they both warned Coraline of danger, and Bobinsky tells Coraline that his mice told her not to venture through the little door again, while the sisters give Coraline the token she needs to find the children's lost souls and free them from the Beldam.
I have a theory that the doll faces we see in the Beldam's pincushion are Misses Spink and Forcible...and the other face we see is Bobinsky. I think everyone who lives in the Pink Palace, except for Coraline, is actually dead. Consider the use of color in the real world… everything is very dreary and washed out, including Coraline's parents. The house appears shabby and abandoned, with rotting food and no pictures. Coraline's parents seem very lackluster and disconnected from her. The only bright pop of color and life in the real world is Coraline, herself. She is the thing that doesn't fit in that world. Then, she goes into the Other World, and everything is bright and colorful and a perfect reflection of Coraline's idyllic life (with good food, bright clothes and a perfect, loving family) and she is the one who stands out because she refuses to put buttons over her eyes.
Coraline's perspective changes when Beldam kidnaps Coraline's parents and traps them in the snow globe. Up until this point, Coraline and her mother have barely connected as mother and daughter, so when Coraline meets her "Other Mother", she finds this dream mother to be a much more appealing parent. When Coraline longs for better food, the Other Mother prepares her a perfect feast. When Coraline laments over the boring, drab uniforms that she must wear at her new school, this moment is significant because when Coraline tells her real mother that her Other Mother would get her better clothes, rather than being surprised or offended by this remark, her mother actually agrees with Coraline that perhaps the Other Mother would give Coraline prettier clothes....and when Coraline visits her Other Mother that very night, she receives a gift from OM, of a beautiful new outfit that her OM made for Coraline herself. When Coraline is telling her mother about her experience at the well, Coraline is arranging seed packets on the windowsill....as if she is longing to bring color to her otherwise colorless and boring world by creating a garden. When Coraline visits her Other Father in his garden, he has created a beautiful and vibrant garden for her, not only of Coraline's face, but using the exact same seeds that Coraline was considering for her own garden. When Coraline discovers her parents are gone, she creates a likeness of them in their bed and kisses them goodnight as she snuggles close to them for comfort. Coraline’s greatest act of love comes when she bravely returns to the Beldam’s lair, determined to rescue her parents. She challenges the Beldam to play a new game… if Coraline succeeds in finding the lost eyes of the other children the Beldam has taken, she will free the children and also release Coraline’s parents. If Coraline fails, she must submit to the Beldam and allow her to sew the buttons into Coraline’s eyes, thus having Coraline become the loving daughter that the Beldam needs.
I DO think Coraline won the game though. Notice, when Coraline escapes, she brings the tokens that represent the children's souls back with her and puts them under her pillow and when she wakes up, they are broken and when the children visit her again, they are in angel form and have their eyes (meaning they found peace in death and Coraline has freed them from the Beldam.) When Coraline returns, we also see that her mother’s favorite snow globe has shattered, meaning that she has freed her parents from the Beldam's grasp and they have found peace as a family, hence the garden and the happy ending. Coraline still has her eyes. This movie reminds me of stories like The Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland...a young girl who is unhappy in her life and dreams of a new world where they will be happy, goes on a journey and on that journey, they come to appreciate the life they have, rather than the idyllic life they thought they wanted. They encounter a dark and scary nemesis (in this one, it is the Beldam, in the others, it was the Wicked Witch of the West and Queen of Hearts.) And when Coraline defeats the Beldam and returns to her boring, normal life, she finds herself feeling much happier and more connected to her family. We know that the final scene is real because it is daytime... not nighttime, as it was every time she visited the Other World. Also, nobody has buttons for eyes and Wyborn and his grandmother visit the Pink Palace for Coraline’s party.
Coraline is a hauntingly beautiful film. The strength of this film may be defined in the creative and stunning animation, as well as its engaging musical score, exceptional storyline, and unique characters. The casting for this movie is flawless, particularly for Teri Hatcher who voices the Beldam and Dakota Fanning who brings Coraline to life onscreen. I would definitely recommend this film.
© 2024 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Henry Selick
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Keith David, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey Jr.
Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) always dreamed of finding a better life than the bland, ordinary one she has with her family. While exploring her new home, the Pink Palace, Coraline discovers a secret door, behind which lurks an alternate world that closely mirrors her own but carries within it the idyllic life that Coraline has only ever dreamed of. While Coraline initially rejoices in her discovery of this magical world, her dream soon turns into a terrifying nightmare when her “Other Mother” (Teri Hatcher) and the rest of her parallel family try to keep Coraline trapped in their dream-world forever.
Buttons play a strong symbolic role in the film and nowhere are they illustrated more strongly than in the character of the Beldam herself.
When Coraline first arrives at her new home, the Pink Palace, she discovers a doll that has been fashioned in her likeness…only the doll has black buttons where her eyes should be. When Coraline discovers a secret door in her new home, she discovers a magical world that is a perfect reflection of everything she ever dreamed of. When Coraline meets the inhabitants of this strange new world, her Other Mother and Father and the other residents of the Pink Palace, they all have black buttons sewn in where their eyes should be. The Other Mother tells Coraline that she can stay in this perfect world forever…but this gift comes with a terrible price. The Other Mother tells Coraline that if she wishes to remain in this dream-world with her new family, Coraline must sacrifice her eyes to the Other Mother and sew buttons in their place.
When Coraline meets the ghost children who have been imprisoned by the Beldam, they tell her that they, too, came into the Beldam’s world. Like Coraline, herself, they were also entranced by the Beldam’s promises of a picture-perfect life, safe in the arms of a mother who would love them forever. Sadly, while the children gave their eyes (the essence of their souls) to the Beldam to remain with their “Mother” in her perfect dream-world, the Beldam’s love for the children soon grew cold and she abandoned them. The children tell Coraline that the only way their souls will find peace is if Coraline finds their eyes and restores them.
I believe that the Beldam is a metaphorical spider. We have learned that she fell into the well and possibly sacrificed her own eyes to create the “Other World”. What if, like a spider who draws its prey into its web, the Beldam draws her prey (that is, the children) into her "web", so to speak, by creating this perfect, dream-world for them, only to consume their essence when they give her their eyes? We see this perfectly illustrated when Coraline journeys through the portal and into the Other World. When Coraline is denied the attention and affection that she so desperately craves from her parents, we see the Beldam give Coraline exactly what her heart desires: a perfect, loving family, good food, colorful clothes. The price the Beldam requires for staying in her idyllic dream world is the eyes of the children. The Mirror Children warn Coraline not to give the Beldam her eyes. They tell Coraline that the Beldam once loved them too. They wanted to remain in her dream-world forever. But after they gave the Beldam their eyes, she soon grew tired of them and abandoned them to die. (Much like a spider who draws blood from its prey and when the spider has taken its sustenance, leaves its prey to die.)
I have a theory that Coraline's real mother is in cahoots with the Beldam and is working with the Beldam to bring Coraline to her world. Notice it is Coraline's mother who gives Coraline the doll that the Beldam created as a replica of Coraline. Her mother has shown a clear disdain for Coraline up until now, and she doesn't seem keen to indulge her daughter in any way. And yet, Mom goes out of her way to ensure that this doll is delivered into her daughter's hands. When the doll helps Coraline discover the secret door, it is her mother who agrees to help Coraline open the door if Coraline stops pestering her, so Mom can work. Mom knows precisely which key fits this door, having chosen this key from a whole drawer full of unmarked keys, in a house they had just moved into, and she didn't just choose a key at random...she deliberately dug through the pile to find this particular key...and she opens the door on the first try. She also chooses to leave the door open when they discover that this door was sealed with bricks, rather than lock it back. An oversight on the mother's part perhaps, as she just wanted to get back to her work ASAP and she needed Coraline to stop pestering her? Or did Mom leave the door open ON PURPOSE, so that the Beldam would have an open portal, to send her mice through, and draw Coraline into the Beldam's world? I also think that the neighbors were aware of the Beldam's world, but they were trying to protect Coraline from it...they both warned Coraline of danger, and Bobinsky tells Coraline that his mice told her not to venture through the little door again, while the sisters give Coraline the token she needs to find the children's lost souls and free them from the Beldam.
I have a theory that the doll faces we see in the Beldam's pincushion are Misses Spink and Forcible...and the other face we see is Bobinsky. I think everyone who lives in the Pink Palace, except for Coraline, is actually dead. Consider the use of color in the real world… everything is very dreary and washed out, including Coraline's parents. The house appears shabby and abandoned, with rotting food and no pictures. Coraline's parents seem very lackluster and disconnected from her. The only bright pop of color and life in the real world is Coraline, herself. She is the thing that doesn't fit in that world. Then, she goes into the Other World, and everything is bright and colorful and a perfect reflection of Coraline's idyllic life (with good food, bright clothes and a perfect, loving family) and she is the one who stands out because she refuses to put buttons over her eyes.
Coraline's perspective changes when Beldam kidnaps Coraline's parents and traps them in the snow globe. Up until this point, Coraline and her mother have barely connected as mother and daughter, so when Coraline meets her "Other Mother", she finds this dream mother to be a much more appealing parent. When Coraline longs for better food, the Other Mother prepares her a perfect feast. When Coraline laments over the boring, drab uniforms that she must wear at her new school, this moment is significant because when Coraline tells her real mother that her Other Mother would get her better clothes, rather than being surprised or offended by this remark, her mother actually agrees with Coraline that perhaps the Other Mother would give Coraline prettier clothes....and when Coraline visits her Other Mother that very night, she receives a gift from OM, of a beautiful new outfit that her OM made for Coraline herself. When Coraline is telling her mother about her experience at the well, Coraline is arranging seed packets on the windowsill....as if she is longing to bring color to her otherwise colorless and boring world by creating a garden. When Coraline visits her Other Father in his garden, he has created a beautiful and vibrant garden for her, not only of Coraline's face, but using the exact same seeds that Coraline was considering for her own garden. When Coraline discovers her parents are gone, she creates a likeness of them in their bed and kisses them goodnight as she snuggles close to them for comfort. Coraline’s greatest act of love comes when she bravely returns to the Beldam’s lair, determined to rescue her parents. She challenges the Beldam to play a new game… if Coraline succeeds in finding the lost eyes of the other children the Beldam has taken, she will free the children and also release Coraline’s parents. If Coraline fails, she must submit to the Beldam and allow her to sew the buttons into Coraline’s eyes, thus having Coraline become the loving daughter that the Beldam needs.
I DO think Coraline won the game though. Notice, when Coraline escapes, she brings the tokens that represent the children's souls back with her and puts them under her pillow and when she wakes up, they are broken and when the children visit her again, they are in angel form and have their eyes (meaning they found peace in death and Coraline has freed them from the Beldam.) When Coraline returns, we also see that her mother’s favorite snow globe has shattered, meaning that she has freed her parents from the Beldam's grasp and they have found peace as a family, hence the garden and the happy ending. Coraline still has her eyes. This movie reminds me of stories like The Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland...a young girl who is unhappy in her life and dreams of a new world where they will be happy, goes on a journey and on that journey, they come to appreciate the life they have, rather than the idyllic life they thought they wanted. They encounter a dark and scary nemesis (in this one, it is the Beldam, in the others, it was the Wicked Witch of the West and Queen of Hearts.) And when Coraline defeats the Beldam and returns to her boring, normal life, she finds herself feeling much happier and more connected to her family. We know that the final scene is real because it is daytime... not nighttime, as it was every time she visited the Other World. Also, nobody has buttons for eyes and Wyborn and his grandmother visit the Pink Palace for Coraline’s party.
Coraline is a hauntingly beautiful film. The strength of this film may be defined in the creative and stunning animation, as well as its engaging musical score, exceptional storyline, and unique characters. The casting for this movie is flawless, particularly for Teri Hatcher who voices the Beldam and Dakota Fanning who brings Coraline to life onscreen. I would definitely recommend this film.
© 2024 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.