CORALINE

     There are so many aspects that factor into why Coraline is such a succesful character, especially heroic character. This geneology section looks at what makes Coraline so significant to us in terms of our culture, and what kind of cultural siginficance she carries. We broke our geneology section into four key factors that made Coraline such a succesfull character:

 

Gender

     In Neil Gaiman’s Coraline she is a very strong and independant girl. She is well rounded and very much an individual. In the movie version however, Coraline is not as strong of a protagonist. Her parents however do not follow gender norms as much. Her mother is considered the “boss” of the family and both parents work from home. The novel portrays Coraline as an individual who loves to explore and doesn’t really show any fear. In the movie she follows gender norms a little more and finds the other world through boredom instead of a natural curiosity.

 

Age

     Coraline's Age is a very important part of her character. She is an 11 year old girl who is not only adventurous and curious but brave as well. That fact she is only 11 years old and does so much throughout her journey is really what makes such an interesting and dynamic character. Her age makes her a very relatable character to young girls and boys. Specifically because she dealing with some of the issues that tweens in real life face. She is at the age where she wants to be independent but is still dependent on her parents. Overall if Coraline was any older or younger in the movies it would have changed the dynamic of the film and possibly would not have been as interesting.

 

Family

     Throughout the film Coraline, the theme of family is noticeably prominent. In the beginning of the film, Coraline exhibits immense dissatisfaction with her family and new home. Coraline’s parents are always incredibly busy and tend to ignore her. It appears that Coraline desires different parents who are more attentive to her needs. When Coraline discovers the other world, she is astonished by how alluring it is. She quickly gets engulfed in the lifestyle of delicious home cooked meals, beautiful bright flowers, and undivided attention. Although she thought this was the lifestyle she wanted, she begins to realize that her “other parents” are not as great as they seem. After battling her other mother for her real parents back, Coraline comes to a realization. While her parents might have their flaws, at the end of the day, they are still Coraline’s parents. This film sends a compelling message that family is irreplaceable.

 

Relatability & Shock Value

     There is significant just in the overall audience reception of Coraline. Targeted as a children's movie, Coraline shocked audiences with gorey themes and questionable graphics. Although, I think this is another key to success for Coraline. The movie is relatable to so many objects because it isn't just another "kids movie". The ideas and questions posed by the movie are malleable to a variety of audiences. There is enough whimsical aspects to keep children entertained (even if those whimsical aspects do lean more towards the creepy side), but there are also different levels in the depth of the plot. Different age groups are able to pull different messages from the movie whether they are dynamic or basic.

     The shock value is also important to the movie Coraline. This movie was thrown at audiences with the same shock and force as Caroline's personality as a young heroine. Whether this is good or bad is up for debate, but it was definitely something different for the American public. This movie was targeted to children even though it has some questionable scenes such as when Miss Spink and Miss Forcible were basically naked with their massive breasts bouncing all over the place. Or another very shocking scene of the Other Father turning into a half pumpkin with the edges of his lips forced upwards into a smile by thread. Even though this movie was targeted for children it was definitely shocking. But there is something about shock value that is also important. The movie will not be forgotten and strongly written into film history.