Coraline tells the story of a young girl whose life is changed forever when she walks (or crawls) through a wallpaper covered door. She meets her “other” parents, practically her real parents in every way except one: they have buttons for eyes. She soon learns the evil intentions of The Other Mother—The Beldam—who creates an impressive fantasy world for her enjoyment. Coraline must make the choice between two lives. One in which her parents have time for her, her house is beautiful, and her neighbors know her name, but with the catch of potentially losing everything the second she receives her button eyes, or a bland one where she must wear all grey, spend hours alone in search of entertainment, and do anything to get the attention of her parents.
The original novel was written by Neil Gaiman for his young daughters, published in 2002, and turned into an animated film in 2009. While the main plot and details of the original story were incorporated into the movie, there are some key differences that are highly noticeable and quite interesting to someone who has both watched and read Coraline. The following differences are those that deter from the movie since most people have watched but not read this wonderful tale.
There’s no doll. The start of the film, the detail that drives the plot of the story, the explanation of how The Beldam knows the exact aspects of the blue-haired girl’s life which upset her, was never included in the original plot. Although the doll might not exactly be considered a character, her role in the adventure is clear when the audience spots her stalking Coraline from a window or leading her to the little door.
“I think the doll did have a meaningful part in the movie because it was so symbolic. It represented manipulation and had a massive foreshadowing effect,” said BHS junior Sophia Smith. “ I think it was a tool for straight up horror because it was so creepy but also had a hint of empathy to it.”
Lots of audience members consider Wybie their favorite character, personally I like The Other Wybie best. Despite his being an annoyance in the real world, Wybie acts as a comic relief for viewers who watch as a seemingly human being transforms into a monster with the qualities of a spider. It’s like The Werewolf of Fever Swamp but targeted at arachnophobia victims. Let’s be honest, we all need a good laugh at some slugs after watching that, so thank you Why Were You Born? for making these horror scenes less terrifying. And thank you for saving Coraline in the end even though she was perfectly capable of protecting herself in the novel.
One last character who is a fan favorite is The Other Father. I know what you’re thinking, isn’t he also a mastermind in this plot against an innocent little girl? Surprisingly, no. In the movie, he helps deliver one of the ghost children’s eyes to Coraline, against the wishes of his “wife”. In the novel, he is turned into a disgusting monster, but still manages to warn Coraline of The Beldam’s plans before completely falling under her control.
Moving on from characters, another key divergence is the timeline. The original novel had both visits of The Other Neighbors along with the gift of the buttons occurring in the first night. While I do like the dispersion of the events in the film, I find it quite strange that Coraline would come back to the Other World multiple nights in a row after receiving various warnings from the real residents of The Pink Palace Apartments, including the jumping mice.
“I would not have returned back, I would have listened to them,” said Eagle’s Cry entertainment editor Luke Baumbach. “If they know what they’re talking about, I would take their warnings seriously.”
Personally, I was saddened by the absence of the garden’s importance in the book. No dragon snappers or praying mantis tools. No colorful frogs or pumpkins. No bridge or lights. What truly sets The Other World apart from the one in which her parents write for a garden catalog and hate dirt, was really just meant to exist. This was the wow factor that truly convinced Coraline that her Other Parents loved her, because they went through the trouble of making a portrait of her with flowers.
Lastly, the final scene with the ghost children in the novel was simply heartwarming. Coraline was placed in a dream where they had a lovely picnic together and played games until it was time for them to finally walk to their wonderful next chapter. They were at peace after many years, something truly joyous. While they do get to thank Coraline in the animated film, they didn’t exactly get a huge celebration of their freedom, something I appreciate from the original storyline.
“In my opinion I think the ending would have been better as the book’s original ending because it creates a bigger impact on the ways she helped them,” said BHS junior Savannah Paladino. “By doing that, it would have created a more satisfying ending for the movie watchers, especially those who have not additionally read the book.”
Ultimately, none of the above distinctions are complaints, they are just changes that give viewers an interesting variation of Coraline which works best on screen. Whether you prefer the name Mr. Bobo over Mr. Bobinsky, or wished that the Other Dogs spoke in the theater and could eat a box of chocolate as they did on paper, every fan can find something they love in both versions of this spectacular adventure.
