Coraline is a stop-motion animation film from 2009 that receives very little recognition. The film is directed by Henry Selick, and has a Tim Burton-esque vibe. The two auteurs actually worked together for the 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas. This stop-motion animation film style is often times overlooked as this timely art process can take years to complete. However, the end-product, while a risk, usually pays off.
The main protagonist of the film is a young girl named Coraline, who has just moved across the country with her writer parents. Her eccentric neighbors and the rainy Oregon weather leave her homesick. While exploring her new house she discovers a tiny door which leads to an alternate universe run by an evil witch with button eyes. The concept for the film is frankly insane, but the creative and imaginative aspects of the film make up for the ridiculous narrative. Further, Coraline, herself, serves as a strong and independent female lead among a mostly female cast.
Apparently, the film was originally meant to be live-action, but the director decided that a live-action Coraline would be too frightening as a children’s movie. Despite this drastic change, the film is still pretty terrifying to kids; however, the young protagonist is relatable and her character arc serves as a lesson to, “be careful what you wish for.” Dakota Fanning stars as the lead Coraline, with Terri Hatcher as both the Mother and the Other-Mother. This avant-garde film also has several insane theories surrounding the supposed plot holes and there is even an entire Youtube playlist devoted to theories around the strange movie.
Overall, Coraline is weird, no doubt. However, this cult-classic deserves more than it’s strange label.
Feature Photo courtesy of Focus Features