As the trees begin to fill with the many shades of red and orange and the breezes begin to cool, many get excited about the upcoming Halloween season. From baking fall treats to going to a pumpkin patch, there are a variety of activities for people to do, including breaking out the old list of Halloween movies. When it comes to this genre, there is one movie that was a staple for many childhoods that is often forgotten.
The children’s movie “Coraline” follows a young girl after moving into a new apartment with her family. Strange things begin to happen there as she finds a little door that ends up being a pathway to a parallel universe. In this other universe, Coraline meets her “Other Mother” whom she must escape from in order to save her real family.
From the first time I saw this movie, I loved it. I don’t know if it was the story, unique animation, or the soundtrack, but I always found the movie incredibly entertaining. As I hear about the movie now, many say it really scared them as children, which I never really understood. Maybe it’s because I’m a huge fan of scary movies but I never found the movie that disturbing.
Until one day I fell down a rabbit hole. There is a community of people online who have come up with countless theories about the movie. As I read more and more I realized how detailed the movie actually was.
One theory I strongly agree with is about the little boy in the painting. At the beginning of the movie, Coraline is very bored in the new house. Her dad suggests that she count items within the house, such as doors and paintings, to entertain herself. The movie then shows a montage of her inspecting the details of the house. The montage ends with Coraline in a small room, and on the wall is a painting of a little boy who has spilled ice cream on himself. Fast forward to the climax, Coraline is escaping Other Mother through the door that connects the two worlds. The tunnel she has to climb through has become gross, full of cobwebs and dust, whereas before it was full of purple and blue shimmer. Not only is the tunnel now filled with cobwebs, articles of clothing can be seen. One of them is a shirt that looks identical to the one the boy is wearing in the ice cream painting. This means that the little boy was one of Other Mother’s victims.
While there is a variety of theories online, I have some of my own personal theories. For example, in the movie, Coraline is given a doll by her friend Wybie that looks identical to her. Later in the movie, it’s revealed that Other Mother spies on Coraline with the doll. I also believe that she spies on her in other ways as well. There is one scene where Coraline is shopping with her actual mom and asks her mom for a pair of gloves. When her mom says no Coraline replies saying that Other Mother would buy them for her. During this dialogue outside the store, you can see through the window an older-looking woman who seems to be watching them through the window. That woman, I believe, is Other Mother watching Coraline, especially since the next time Coraline visits the other world, Other Mother gives her new clothes and the exact pair of gloves she wanted.
While I could go on about the million other theories based on this movie, the main point is that I have really grown a new appreciation for the film. Every time rewatch I’m always looking for new details. So if it’s been a while, or you’ve never had the chance to see the entrancing story that is “Coraline”, I would highly recommend it for this spooky season.
