As children we have grown up playing with dolls.
However, most dolls we play with do not look like us and are not found in a stranger’s chest from many years ago.
Sometimes we wish for different parents or a different life, but we must be careful what we wish for.
Talking cats, button eyes and tons of rain, “Coraline” is a perfect film to watch in fall.
“Coraline” is a stop-motion animation film based on the 2002 novella from Neil Gaiman.
“Coraline” is a fantasy/thriller with a PG rating that has a dark twist, and has some material that may be unsuitable for younger children.
Directed by Henry Selick, this film was released in the winter of 2009.
The film’s name is in reference to the protagonist, Coraline. Coraline is a young girl from Michigan who just moved to a new town in Oregon.
With her parents constantly busy with work and annoyed by her, Coraline decides to look around the new property.
Her little journey leads to her making a new “friend,” or more like a new annoyance for Coraline.
She later receives a doll from him that he found in his grandmother’s chest.
The grandmother is the owner of Coraline’s pink home, and usually does not rent the house out to families with children.
The doll given to Coraline has an eerie resemblance to herself, but she keeps it anyway.
However, this doll seems to have a mind of its own and leads the real Coraline to a hidden door.
With her parents constantly ignoring her, Coraline peeks behind the once sealed off door that leads to a magical world.
Although hesitant at first, Coraline falls in love with her little escape land.
When she found out this land was not a recurring dream, but a reality, things start to turn sour for her.
Not only wrestling with her real parents ignoring her, she must fight with her doppelganger parents from the magical world trying to keep her.
Personally, I thought the plot of Coraline started off very abruptly.
There is enough information to put pieces together; however, it still leads to a lot of questions.
I suppose that is a sacrifice to have for the incredible art that is shown in this film.
From the characters’ unique features to the little details in the set, this movie captures it all.
I find the camera angles and all the interesting stunts that are portrayed throughout the movie incredibly fascinating.
As a connoisseur of art, I highly recommend watching this film for the soul purpose of all the details created by hand.
After all, the film took a team of stop motion animators 20 months to make.
People are faced with challenges every day; however, they must be careful what they wish for.
Life is difficult as it is for many, but it can be worse in some cases.
Taking things day by day and appreciating the good things you do have is essential to being alive.
“Coraline” is available for streaming on Netflix.

SCARLETT ERVEN
[email protected]