Today I was joined by my boyfriend to watch the movie Coraline. Prior to picking the movie, my boyfriend had asked what Disney movies I had seen and I got out my list. On that list was James and the Giant Peach, a movie of which I have fond memories of and it stood out to me. A part of me wanted to watch it reminisce in my nostalgia, but then I remembered Coraline since the style was similar and I thought that he would enjoy it a bit more. I've watched this movie when I was much younger, maybe around 7-8 years old and, to be honest, I was still really frightened of the 'other world' that she traveled to. Deciding to revisit the movie I wanted to see the new perspective of the movie from an older me.
Coraline is a stop-motion animation combined with the more modernized 3D. Produced by Laika Entertainment, Coraline was Laika's first major motion picture. The movie is based on the popular book by Neil Gaiman and directed by Henry Selick, best known for The Nightmare Before Christmas and, to my surprise, James and the Giant Peach. A lot of effort and fine detail was put into Coraline and you know that whatever little detail made it into the final cut was meant to be there. As soon as Coraline was determined to be better received as an animation, Selick jumped on the chance to make the movie a stop-motion film. With the movie being stop-motion there were more opportunities for Selick to make the movie quirky and humorous with his own skills.
Coraline
The Premise
Coraline is a little girl who moved into a new house with her parents. She is constantly bored and unhappy and her parents do not give her the attention she wants. While exploring her new house, Coraline finds a small door that leads to an alternate version of her reality where her parents are fun and attentive and where everything is magical and wonderful. - Vigilant Citizen
So sorry for the delay, I made a terribly long post about the movie but my boyfriend and his mate said it's just too long for a review so I decided to switch things up a little bit. After watching the movie there were many questions in my head such as how does Wybie remember the events that had happened, meanwhile Coraline's parents don't; the beldam seems to have control over everything in an alternate reality except Wybie and the father, why is that; or is the door to the hidden well and the smaller door connected somehow? My curiosity was piqued and I started researching more and more about the movie and found out that many of their fans started making theories about the Beldam and her alternate universe. So let's jump right in, shall we?
Theories
Never Left
Starting with a theory from The Coraline Theorist on Amino, they believe that Coraline never actually left the alternate world and instead. They think that when the Other Mother cried out for Coraline before she left for the last time she took advantage of her turning back towards her. They explain, morbidly, that she had pulled Coraline's eyes out who then collapsed from blood loss. In between the time Coraline passed out and woke up, she'd sewn button eyes on her to make the world look exactly like the real one. What provoked this idea was that at the end of the movie, the black cat had gone missing and the garden that was once the shape of Coraline's head in the alternate world was now the shape of the Beldam's.
The Well is Connected
The next theory is by The Theorizer on Youtube who pointed out the fact of how when Wybie and Coraline unveil the hidden well's lid and Wybie claims that "it's so deep, if you fall in, you'll see a sky full of stars in the middle of the day." Now what's spooky about this is that the alternate universe that the Beldam created is always set at night. Even when Coraline went inside when it was still day, the sky was filled with stars. Another idea that furthered this theory was that when Coraline and Wybie opened the well a bit of mud had fallen down. Some believe that the mud that had fallen down is the same exact mud that the Other Mother puts onto Coraline's hand to calm her rash from the poison oak.
The Beldam
This theory is another by The Theorizer who claims that the Beldam was actually the original owner of the Pink Palace before Mrs.Lovat, Wybie's grandmother, turned it into a 3-story apartment. They believe that the Beldam actually had a little boy, referred to as the blue boy by Coraline, and his picture is framed on the wall above the fireplace. As they put it, the young boy had fallen into the well one day and died. The Beldam was in such distress that she jumped into the well also, in an attempt to commit suicide, but instead was stuck. Inside the well she developed powers where she formed her alternate world creating a duplicate of the Pink Palace to remember. A theory that branches off of the previous one is that the Beldam is part of folklore and she lures children into the well to 'eat their souls.' In that way she can gain power and repeat the process.
In the novel, the Beldam was implied to be formerly human, who somehow transitioned as a demonic fae-like creature, presumably after death. - Villains Wiki
Soul Sand
A theory that stood out to me is that the mother used soul sand in the makings of her dolls, the circus mice, and even some of the button eyed characters. Now this theory is by Xiao Fang, also on Amino, and it would just explain how the dolls are able to spy on the children; why the circus mouse turned to sand when the cats jaws clamped down on it; and how Wybie was able to blow away his hand to show Coraline that he couldn't leave.
Debunked Theories
Dead Parents
There are a few other theories that would have been interesting if they had the facts to further prove it. One being that Coraline's parents were actually dead throughout the whole movie and Coraline had been living in the Pink Palace alone. This would explain the pillows that looked like her parents that Coraline had when her parents were taken by the Beldam. It could also possibly explain why Wybie's grandmother allowed the Jones family to live inside the Pink Palace even with her 'no children allowed' policy. Something I have yet to find an answer to, but a few people said that perhaps Coraline's parents said that she's practically a teen rather than a child. What debunked this theory is that Coraline's mother did in fact interact with the movers and a woman at the store, while her father had turned in their garden catalog to be received.
Rating: 9/10
If anyone's looking for an in-depth plot summary of Coraline then you can find one here. I also really recommend watching The Theorizer's YouTube channel about Coraline theories, he goes over them in depth and an there's a theory about the black cat in the fourth video that really piqued my interest.
Sources:
Coraline
Be Careful What You Wish For
Coraline Doll
Coraline Garden
Beldam Garden
Hidden Well
Blue Boy
Soul Sand
The Pink Palace
Here are a few interesting links I stumbled across while making this review if any of you curious beings are interested :)
15 Hidden Details From Coraline You Probably Missed
There's More to Caroline Than Meets The Eye
The Hidden Meaning of the Movie "Coraline"
Wybie Lovat Analysis
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