Coraline Page #11

YOUNG FORCIBLE:

The beauty of the world!

YOUNG SPINK:

The paragon of animals!

Coraline swings face-to-face to the dogs in the royal box

seats where one licks her.

CORALINE:

Yeah!!

The acrobats TOSS CORALINE UP into the air and JACK-KNIFE

DIVE into the large bucket below. They rise up, unhurt,

just in time to catch Coraline. The THREE BOW to

THUNDEROUS THUMPING APPLAUSE and, as the camera pulls

back on the scene, Other Wybie throws her a rose!

EXT. OTHER ESTATE HOUSE - NIGHT

Other Wybie escorts Coraline up the stone stairs from

Spink and Forcible’s apartment. The Other Mother and

Other Father, a huge, full moon rising behind them, wait

at the top of the stairs.

OTHER FATHER:

Hey there.

OTHER MOTHER:

Was it wonderful, dear?

Other Mother’s hair looks absolutely beautiful and Other

Father dapper. Coraline shakes with excitement as they

walk toward the front porch. Other Wybie holds back,

loses his smile.

CORALINE:

Oh yeah. They swooped down and pulled me

right out of my seat – Spink and

Forcible. Only they weren’t old ladies,

that was just a disguise. But then, I was

flying through the air and... it was, it

was magic.

They walk up the front steps.

OTHER MOTHER:

You do like it here, don’t you, Coraline?

CORALINE:

(nods, turns back)

Uh-huh! Good night, Wybie.

Other Father takes Coraline inside. Wybie, at the bottom

of the steps, looks GUILTY AND SAD. Other Mother glares

at him, makes a huge, false smile then points to him. He

just lowers his head.

INT. OTHER HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

OTHER MOTHER:

You could stay here forever... if you

want to.

CORALINE:

Really?

OTHER FATHER:

Sure...we’ll sing and play games, and

Mother will cook your favorite meals.

Other Mother rests her hand on Coraline’s shoulder.

OTHER MOTHER:

There’s one tiny little thing we need to

do.

CORALINE:

What’s that?

OTHER FATHER:

Well, it’s a surprise.

INT. OTHER DINING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Coraline is seated in her place. The Other Mother places

a SMALL BOX with a bow in front of her, and takes her

seat along with Other Father. Coraline excitedly removes

the lid.

OTHER MOTHER:

For you ... our little doll.

The "surprise" is a spool of BLACK THREAD, a SILVER

NEEDLE, and a pair of SHINY BLACK BUTTONS --FOR

CORALINE’S EYES.

Coraline GASPS. She looks up at her Other Parents, hoping

it’s a bad joke.

OTHER MOTHER (CONT’D)

(smiling)

Black is traditional, but if you’d prefer

pink or vermillion or chartreuse...

Coraline sees their button eyes changing colors, growing

ever more panicked.

OTHER MOTHER (CONT'D)

... though you might make me jealous.

CORALINE:

NO WAY!

She bats the box away, and her hands FLY to her face,

COVER her eyes.

CORALINE (CONT’D)

YOU’RE NOT SEWING BUTTONS IN MY EYES!

OTHER MOTHER:

Oh, but we need a yes ... if you want to

stay here.

Other Father tests the needle on his finger.

OTHER FATHER:

(enthusiastic)

So sharp you won’t feel a thi-- Oww!

Other Mother KICKS him under the table. Embarrassed, he

puts the needle back in the box.

OTHER MOTHER:

There now; it’s your decision, darling.

We only want what’s best for you.

She walks over and puts her hand, now ICY COLD, on

Coraline’s shoulder. Coraline PUSHES it away and STANDS

UP.

CORALINE:

I’m... I’m going to bed! RIGHT NOW!

OTHER MOTHER:

(wounded)

Bed?

OTHER FATHER:

Before dinner?

Coraline fights to control her quaking voice.

CORALINE:

I’m really, really tired. Yeah...

(fakes huge yawn)

I just need to sleep on things.

Other Mother stands, masking disappointment.

OTHER MOTHER:

Well of course you do, darling... I’ll be

happy to tuck you in.

Coraline backs away, urging them to stay where they are.

CORALINE:

(palms out, forced smile)

Oh, no thanks, uh, you-you’ve done so

much already--

She turns to leave and finds the Other Mother BLOCKING

THE DOORWAY. Other Father joins her.

OTHER MOTHER:

You’re welcome. And I –

(smiles to Other Father)

we aren’t worried at all, darling.

(softly)

Soon you’ll see things our way.

She lets go. She and the Other Father herd Coraline

across the hallway to the stairs.

INT. OTHER HALLWAY, STAIRS, UPPER HALL - CONTINUOUS

Coraline carefully climbs the stairs, the Other Parents

watching. When they can no longer see her, she RACES up

the last steps and DASHES to her Other Bedroom.

INT. CORALINE’S OTHER BEDROOM - TWILIGHT

Coraline shuts the door and is quickly surrounded by

fluttering DRAGONFLIES.

MAGIC DRAGONFLY:

What’s wrong, Coraline? Don’t you want to

play?

She jumps up and CATCHES the paper creatures, opens the

TOY CHEST and tosses them in.

The PLUSH BLUE SQUID greets her from the shelf, followed

by the TOY TANK GIRAFFE.

TOY SQUID:

Yeah, I wanna hugga your face!

TOY TANK GIRAFFE

Get a grip, soldier.

She GRABS them both and drops them in the toy chest.

Her PHOTO FRIENDS - NOW WITH BLACK BUTTONS FOR EYES -

call out from the photo by her bed.

PHOTO FRIENDS:

Hey!

PHOTO FRIEND 1

Where’s yer buttons, yuper?

PHOTO FRIEND 2

You wanna stay, don’tcha?

Coraline grabs them as well, drops them in the chest, and

SHUTS the lid. She barricades the door with a DRESSER and

CHAIRS and then the TOY CHEST.

CORALINE:

I’m going home tonight, robots - and I

won’t be back.

She sits on the bed, pulls off the blue boots then CLIMBS

UNDER THE COVERS, pulling them over her head and holding

tight. She HUGS herself to stop shaking, knowing she must

fall asleep in this bed to wake up in her real bed at

home. She closes her eyes and tells herself:

CORALINE (CONT'D)

Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep, go

to sleep!

She tosses one way, then another. WE HEAR her voice

continue:

CORALINE (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Go to sleep, go to sleep...

There are strange, backwards sounds, then the eerie

voices of Other Mother and Other Father.

OTHER MOTHER (V.O.)

There's just one tiny little thing we

have to do.

CORALINE:

Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep…

OTHER FATHER (V.O.)

So sharp you won't feel a thing...

CORALINE:

Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep…

OTHER MOTHER (V.O.)

Soon you'll see things our way…

Coraline fidgets and turns and turns again but sleep

finally wraps her and takes her to oblivion.

MATCH PULLBACK:

DISSOLVE:

INT. OTHER BEDROOM - LATER

We see Coraline's room, BRIGHTLY LIT LIKE MORNING IN THE

REAL WORLD.

ANGLE ON Coraline's face beneath the covers, as she's

WOKEN by the light. With a hopeful look, she calls out,

pulls back the covers:

CORALINE:

Mom!... Dad!..

Her smile turns to shock -- there's a BRIGHT, FULL MOON

in her window and it's STILL NIGHTTIME IN THE OTHER

WORLD.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

Oh God, I'm still here?

INT. OTHER STAIRS, LOWER HALLWAY - SAME

Coraline races downstairs to the Other Living Room where

the little door home must be! But the living room is

LOCKED TIGHT. She pulls at the handles, plants a foot and

tries with all her might! It's no use. She stops,

panting, then hears a piano note being hit over and over.

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