CORALINE (2009)

Summary:

Coraline Jones, a young girl, moves with her busy parents to an old Victorian house in rural Oregon. Feeling neglected and bored, she discovers a secret door that leads to an alternate reality where everything seems better, brighter, and more attentive. In this "Other World," she finds an "Other Mother" and "Other Father" who are eerily similar to her own, but with button eyes and an unsettling charm.

Initially enchanted by the vibrant, magical world and the doting attention of her Other Parents, Coraline soon realizes that this seemingly perfect reality holds a dark and sinister secret. The Other Mother, a malevolent entity known as the Beldam, seeks to trap Coraline forever by sewing buttons over her eyes, just as she has done to other children. Coraline must use her courage and wit to escape the Beldam's clutches, rescue her real parents, and free the trapped ghost children.

Keywords: Coraline, 2009, Dakota Fanning, Stop-motion, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Animated.

Plot:

Coraline Jones, a curious and adventurous young girl, is unhappy after moving into the Pink Palace Apartments with her work-preoccupied parents. She feels ignored and bored in their new, dreary surroundings. While exploring, she discovers a small, bricked-up door. That night, a mouse leads her to the door again, which now opens into a glowing tunnel. Coraline crawls through and finds herself in a vibrant, fantastical "Other World" where a cheerful "Other Mother" and an entertaining "Other Father," both with button eyes, dote on her. This world is a magical, enhanced version of her own, complete with talking animals, acrobatic neighbors, and her own favorite foods.

Coraline is initially captivated by the Other World, returning there each night. However, the Other Mother eventually asks Coraline to stay forever, on the condition that Coraline allows buttons to be sewn over her eyes. Horrified, Coraline refuses and tries to return to her real world, but the Other Mother reveals her true, menacing form and attempts to trap her. Coraline escapes, only to find her real parents have gone missing, kidnapped by the Beldam. With the help of a cynical black cat from her own world, who can speak in the Other World, Coraline learns that the Other Mother is a malevolent being who lures children, loves them until they agree to have buttons sewn on their eyes, and then consumes their lives, leaving their ghost children trapped.

To save her parents and the ghost children, Coraline must play a game with the Beldam: if she can find the eyes of the three ghost children and her parents, she can all go free. Coraline bravely navigates the increasingly twisted and dangerous Other World, outsmarting the Beldam's various manifestations of her Other Neighbors to retrieve the ghost children's eyes. She eventually confronts the Beldam in her true, spider-like form in a final, perilous showdown. Coraline manages to trick the Beldam, rescue her parents (who were trapped in a snow globe), and seal the portal to the Other World, finally freeing herself and the ghost children's spirits.

Cast (Lead Roles):

• Dakota Fanning as Coraline Jones
• Teri Hatcher as Mel Jones / The Other Mother / The Beldam
• Keith David as The Cat
• Robert Bailey Jr. as Wyborn "Wybie" Lovat
• Jennifer Saunders as Miss April Spink / The Other Spink
• Dawn French as Miss Miriam Forcible / The Other Forcible
• Ian McShane as Mr. Bobinsky / The Other Bobinsky

Crew:

• Director: Henry Selick
• Screenplay: Henry Selick (based on the novel by Neil Gaiman)
• Producers: Bill Mechanic, Claire Jennings, Henry Selick, Mary Sandell
• Music: Bruno Coulais
• Cinematography: Pete Kozachik
• Editor: Christopher Murrie

Release Info:

• Original Release Date: February 6, 2009
• Language: English
• Genre: Dark Fantasy, Stop-motion Animation, Horror
• Running Time: 100 minutes
• Accolades: Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature; Won Annie Awards for Best Animated Feature, Best Character Design, Best Production Design, and Best Voice Acting.