Coraline Page #4

-- cream!

Coraline pushes it away, disgusted.

CORALINE:

Why don’t you ever cook, Mom?

MEL:

Coraline, we’ve been through this before:

your Dad cooks, I clean, and you stay out

of the way.

Coraline HUFFS.

MEL (CONT’D)

I swear I'll go food shopping soon as we

finish the catalog.

(indicates Coraline's plate)

Try some of the chard, you need a

vegetable.

CORALINE:

Looks more like slime to me.

CHARLIE:

Well, it’s slime or bedtime fusspot --

now what’s it going to be?

Coraline looks to her doll, cradles its head.

CORALINE:

Think they’re trying to poison me?

She makes the doll’s head nod “yes.” Coraline rolls her

eyes, looks up to the heavens and -

INT. CORALINE’S BEDROOM - SAME

-- falls back, washed and dressed for bed, on her pillow.

Still raining out. Coraline puts the doll on the chair

beside her, then scratches at her wrist. ORIGAMI

DRAGONFLIES are strung between the tall, thin bed posts;

the TURTLE SHELL she found in the garden sits up on a

box, her NIGHT LAMP that projects stars and moons is

warming up on the bedside table. Despite her efforts at

decorating, Coraline's new bedroom feels small and cold,

cracked and faded.

Coraline reaches for a framed PHOTO that rests on a toy

PRAYING MANTIS by her night lamp.

It's her TWO BEST FRIENDS from home, posing in the snow

by her old school's marquee, its letters rearranged to

spell "CORALINE, GOOD BYE!" She touches her friends’

faces with her fingertips.

CORALINE:

Don’t forget about me, guys. Okay?

She puts back the photo, hits the light switch over her

bed and, looking over at the doll, sighs.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

Good-night...little me.

Her breathing slows and, with the doll WATCHING HER, she

starts to fall asleep.

INT. CORALINE'S BEDROOM - DREAMTIME

--SURREAL MIST SWIRLS out her window. MOONS AND STARS

SLOWLY MOVE across the walls.

SOMETHING in the room goes t-t-t-t-t-t. Coraline sits up,

awake. SOMETHING CHITTERS under her bed. She leans over

her bedside, head first, peering underneath when a ghost-

pale KANGAROO MOUSE JUMPS OUT and bounds out the door.

INT. HALL - SAME

She gives chase, down the upper hall, down the stairs,

snaps on the lower hall light, sees it hop into the

living room.

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Coraline enters. The mouse edges out from beneath the

sofa, then hops frantically toward the SMALL DOOR behind

the wallpaper! Coraline runs and dives, but the door is

open a crack, and the mouse escapes.

Coraline grabs the door's edge and pulls it open. Instead

of a brick wall, there is a DARK, EXPANDING TUNNEL, with

the hopping mouse heading towards a bluish light at the

far end.

CORALINE:

Whoa...

She catches her breath, pulls the door wider and CRAWLS

THROUGH.

INT. PASSAGEWAY - CONTINUOUS

Coraline MOVES FORWARD, towards the light ahead.

INT. OTHER LIVING ROOM – CONTINUOUS

Coraline steps out through the same little door, into

what looks like the EXACT SAME LIVING ROOM she just left,

only something is different -- it feels deeper, more

dimensional.

CORALINE:

Huh?

She looks around, notices the painting over the

fireplace:
the crying blue boy is now SMILING, his shirt

clean and his ice cream back on his cone.

From across the hall, warm light comes from the kitchen

and the smell of delicious food wafts towards her nose.

CORALINE (CONT’D)

MMMMM, something smells good.

INT. OTHER KITCHEN - NIGHT

Coraline enters to see her mother cooking at the stove,

wearing an apron and ROOSTER-HEAD OVEN MITTS. The light

and colors are much warmer and the details more perfect

in this kitchen. Other Mother is facing away from

Coraline as she works.

CORALINE:

Mom?! What are you doing here in the

middle of the night?

Her mother turns from the stove to greet her and Coraline

is DUMBSTRUCK:
she’s got BUTTONS FOR EYES! She beams with

happiness at Coraline’s arrival.

OTHER MOTHER:

You’re just in time for supper, dear!

CORALINE:

You’re not my mother.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

My mother doesn’t have b-b-buh...

Coraline points to her own eye.

OTHER MOTHER:

B-b-b-buttons? Do you like them?

She taps one with her nail.

OTHER MOTHER (CONT'D)

I’m your Other Mother, silly. Now go tell

your Other Father that supper’s ready.

She opens the oven door and the intoxicating perfume of

great cooking fills the air. Coraline breathes it in,

suddenly VERY HUNGRY.

OTHER MOTHER (CONT'D)

Well, go on. He’s in his study.

INT. OTHER HALLWAY - SAME

Coraline goes down the hall and opens the study door.

INT. OTHER STUDY - CONTINUOUS

She sees the back of a man like her father, only with

more hair. Instead of tapping away at his computer,

though, he’s picking notes on a BABY GRAND PIANO.

CORALINE:

Hello?

He turns around. He, too, has SHINY BUTTON EYES. He seems

happier and a little more handsome than real Dad, and

wears an IRIDESCENT ROBE over POLKA DOT PAJAMAS, with

ORANGE MONKEY SLIPPERS on his feet. He smiles broadly.

OTHER FATHER:

Hello, Coraline. Want to hear my new

song?

CORALINE:

My father can’t play piano.

OTHER FATHER:

No need to ... this piano plays ME!

DR. SEUSS GLOVES – connected with rods and pulleys – POP

OUT of the piano’s front and ONTO HIS HANDS. His hands

RAISE UP – then DROP DOWN to play pounding STRIDE PIANO

as Other Father SINGS out.

OTHER FATHER (CONT'D)

Making up a song about Coraline.

She's a peach, she's a doll, she's a pal

of mine.

She's as cute as a button in the eyes of

everyone who ever laid their eyes on Cora-

line.

Coraline is amazed as his hands fly.

OTHER FATHER (CONT'D)

When she comes around exploring

Mom and I will never ever make it boring

our eyes will be on Coraline.

Anxious, she taps his shoulder to stop him.

CORALINE:

I, uh – sorry – but she said to tell you

the food’s ready.

OTHER FATHER:

Mmmmm! Who’s starving? Raise your hand.

He sticks his hand up, still in a glove, and his other

gloved hand slaps his face. She LAUGHS, then covers her

mouth.

INT. OTHER DINING ROOM - SAME

Other Mother sets down a HUGE, ROASTED CHICKEN near

Coraline on a table spread with CANDLES, fine CHINA and

SILVER and a PINEAPPLE CENTERPIECE. FIGURE EIGHT MODEL

TRAIN TRACKS circle twin LAZY SUSANS covered in dishes of

POTATOES, SWEET PEAS, ROLLS, and CORN. The Other Father

seals this Norman Rockwell moment by making PRAYER HANDS

and a solemn face.

OTHER FATHER:

We give our thanks and ask to bless,

Our Mother’s golden chicken breast!

He laughs with glee then a STARTING BELL rings and it's

time to eat. Other Father really digs in while Coraline

tries some chicken.

CORALINE:

Mmmm, this chicken is good.

OTHER MOTHER:

Hungry, aren’t you.

CORALINE:

(nodding, mouth full)

D’you have any gravy?

OTHER MOTHER:

Well, here comes the gravy train! Choochoo!

Other Mother GIGGLES as a MODEL TRAIN circles round the

track, pulling a GRAVY BOAT CAR and blowing its whistle.

The train goes in one side of the centerpiece and comes

out the other, slowing till the gravy boat lines up with

Coraline's plate, where it POURS GRAVY on her potatoes.

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