A study of a Monkey Paw tale a la #SaveTheCat style!
Confession - This is a movie poster rather than a book or movie cover. But I can't help myself; the above design is just too good! And it showcases a critical point during the Catalyst of the story, in which Coraline first encounters the magical door leading to the "Other World" and all it's promises... And all it's poisons!
I'm absolutely madly in love with this design, just as I am madly in love with the tale of Coraline itself! In a world filled "Golden Fleece" style epics, it's refreshing to find an "Out of the Bottle" style story instead! What's that you say? Coraline is clearly a "Monster in the House" tale? Are you sure? Check that poster one more time. then Do you see that tagline? Yep. That's a classic "Out of the Bottle" line right there!
Out of the Bottle stories are always recognizable by that trademark "Be careful what you wish for" mechanic!
Now just in case you're asking "what does 'Out of the Bottle' mean?!", it's a genre named in Blake Snyder's popular "Save the Cat" book, specifically featuring wish fulfillment gone wrong. And these are absolutely some of my favorite stories!
Our first stop on this review - The Beat Sheet of course! Now given that the Beat Sheet is better suited for measuring movies, we'll go ahead and take advantage of that and specifically analyze the movie.
Coraline Beat Sheet - Genre: Out of the Bottle
Opening Image: We are instantly setup for a spooky, somewhat mysterious tale ahead as we are presented with a tiny, button-eyed doll floating through the sky. This is then juxtaposed by the view of a building in a foggy backdrop, looking as equally creepy !
Theme Stated: Next up, we are given a chance to meet Coraline herself, exploring her gray surroundings and meeting the neighbor kid Wybie for the first time. Unlike other stories, Coraline herself is the one who states the theme when she complains to Wybie that he's "just like them" - Meaning that nobody really listens or pays attention to her! (The wish!) But as we watch Coraline, can we say she's any better? (The lesson!)
Setup: The answer to the above question is delightfully gray it turns out! Nobody is 100% wrong or right in Coraline's world. While clearly stressing about a looming deadline, her parents are unable to spend any time with her. But Coraline doesn't help the situation with her non-stop fussing and whining either. She even grouses when Wybie gives her a gift - A doll that looks just like her! (But unfortunately, it's the same doll we saw being made at the beginning! Uh oh!)
Catalyst: While exploring her apartment, Coraline's new doll manages to disappear as if by magic - And reappears next to a tiny door in the wall! When Coraline opens this door for the first time, the other side appears to be bricked off. But when she returns later that night, suddenly a tunnel to a whole new, magic world awaits her! Just like the poster!
Debate: Possibly one of the most adept uses of a "Debate" section in any story, Coraline Jones finds herself in a magical world where she meets her "Other Mother" and "Other Father", who lavish her with attention and food! Aside from the weird fact that everybody has buttons for eyes, this "Other World" is everything Coraline could ever want, but is this real? Did her wish come true?
Break into Two: The next morning, everything appears to be normal, including Coraline's parents, who are as dismissive of her "dream" as they ever are of anything she says. A chance mix-up in the mail, however, forces her to meet the upstairs neighbor, Mr. Bobinsky, who gives her a very eerie warning - "Don't go through little door!" How does he know? That means...
B-Story: It clearly wasn't a dream then! The Debate is over as Coraline comes to 100% believe the Other World is not only real, it's also 100% better than her normal life! Nevermind the warnings! Why bother staying here?
Fun and Games: Two more warnings later, and Coraline still can't help herself! Her downstairs neighbors have told her she is in trouble. Wybie even tells her that his grandmother's twin sister went missing the house a long time ago! Yet still Coraline goes through the door again - Twice! Each time staying longer and longer to experience all the wonders that Other Mother has prepared for her! The more time she spends having fun in the Other World, the more moody and nasty she grows with her Real Mother.
Midpoint: Coraline seems more than content to fulfill all her wishes and desires by visiting the Other World - Until the fateful moment that Other Mother tells her that if Coraline wants to stay, she'll have to have buttons sewn into her eyes! Horrified, Coraline feigns being tired and tries to go to bed; a tactic that has until now, always led to her waking back up in the Real World.
Bad Guys Close In: Unfortunately Coraline reawakens in the Other World anyways! After confronting Other Mother to go home, the Other Mother throws Coraline into a prison behind a mirror. There, she meets three ghost children; the former victims of the Other Mother, whom they call the "Beldam". They reveal the truth about her monstrous ways of tricking children into sewing buttons into their eyes so she can "eat up their lives". Coraline agrees try to release their souls form the Other World just before the "Other Wybie" rescues her and helps her escape!
All is Lost: Coraline arrives back safely in the Real World once more, or so she thinks! Despite finding their cars, cell phones, and groceries, Coraline can't find her parents! When she tries to explain this to the Real Wybie, he calls her crazy and flees. Fortunately, Wybie's cat leads Coraline to the mirror in the hall, where Coraline sees a vision of her parents being imprisoned by the Beldam! They're kidnapped!
Break into Three: Left with no choice, Coraline has to delve back into the Real World once more to save both her parents and the ghost children's souls! While traversing the tunnel back to the Other World, Wybie's cat is able to speak to her and advises her to challenge the Beldam to a game. Evidently, she won't refuse a game!
Finale: After a long, complex scavenger hunt, Coraline manages to hunt down the ghost eyes from the Other World. The cat also assists her by finding her parents trapped in a Snow Globe on the Beldam's mantle. After retrieving everything she came for, Coraline has a final showdown with the Beldam who tries to keep her by force, but Coraline prevails and returns to the Real World, where her parents have no recollection of what's happened.
Final Image: The next scene, Coraline and her parents are finally getting along. Their deadline is over, and their attention is no longer divided! They order tulips to plant with Coraline, who invites every neighbor to join them in a garden party, including Wybie and his grandmother! The story ends with Coraline preparing to tell the grandmother about what happened to her missing sister!
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