Coraline Page #20

As he steps away, Mel slips a slim box under the covers

next to her daughter. She gives Coraline a "told you so"

look, and she and Charlie leave the room.

Coraline sits up excitedly and opens the box - it’s the

GREEN AND ORANGE GLOVES she'd wanted! She pulls one on to

admire when the BLACK CAT appears outside her window

CORALINE:

Oh, hello again.

She walks over to the window, opens it.

CORALINE (CONT’D)

You still mad?

His expression says yes, he's still mad.

CORALINE (CONT’D)

I’m really sorry I threw you at her - the

Other Mother? – it was all I could think

of.

The cat's angry expression softens. He rests his head on

her hand, licking her fingers and purrs.

Coraline exhales with relief then picks him up and

carries him over to her bed.

She grabs her collecting bag and takes out the large

PEARL, the CIRCUS BALL, and the GREY STICKSHIFT KNOB. She

holds them out to the cat.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

I think it’s time, don’t you? To set them

free?

The cat nods. She puts the ghost eyes under her pillow

and gently lays down, the cat lying beside her. The two

of them close their eyes, and in no time at all, they

doze off to sleep. WE SLOWLY TILT UP.

MATCH MOVE DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. DREAMSCAPE - MAGIC TIME

A MAGIC ART SKY animates subtly.

CAM TILT DOWN ON Coraline, studying sky, her back to us.

From behind CAM, CHIMES sound and GOLD LIGHT begins to

shine on her. She turns toward us, shielding her eyes.

Coraline’s eyes adjust to the brightness to see the THREE

GHOST CHILDREN, now transformed into GOLDEN ANGELS; EYES

RESTORED, small fluttering WINGS ON THEIR BACKS.

SWEET GIRL GHOST

It's a fine, fine thing you did for us,

miss.

CORALINE:

Well, I’m glad it’s finally over!

A SHADOW crosses the faces of the three children. They

gather around Coraline and bow their heads.

SWEET GIRL GHOST

(sighs)

It is over and done with ... for us.

Silent beat.

CORALINE:

What about...me?

The tall girl ghost shifts uncomfortably, then BLURTS

out:

TALL GIRL GHOST:

You’re in terrible danger, girl!

Coraline is stunned and gestures for an explanation.

CORALINE:

But how? I locked the door!?

SWEET GIRL GHOST

It’s the key, miss, there's only one and

the Beldam will find it.

The KEY ON THE STRING around Coraline's neck floats out

in front of Coraline. She grabs it.

The three ghost children all embrace Coraline tenderly.

BOY GHOST:

(whispers)

Tain't all bad, miss. Thou art alive ...

thou art still ... living...

They begin to swirl around her, spinning faster and

faster. Coraline starts to turn and then she -

CUT TO:

INT. CORALINE’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

-- ROLLS HERSELF AWAKE IN HER OWN BED. FAST PULL BACK

above her to find covers thrown off and the CAT awake by

her side.

Coraline lifts up her pillow and GASPS - the GHOST EYES

ARE IN PIECES like hatched bird eggs. She takes out the

key on its string and explains to the cat, her voice

panicked:

CORALINE:

I -- I’ve gotta hide this somewhere, s-

somewhere she can never ...

The cat doesn't like the sound of this. Coraline grabs

her blanket and heads to her door. But the cat leaps down

and blocks her way.

CORALINE (CONT’D)

Outta my way!

She sidesteps the cat and leaves her room. The cat glares

after her

INT. HOUSE STAIRWAY, LOWER HALL, LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Coraline trots down the stairs and purposefully heads

down the hall. She passes the LIVING ROOM and exits

frame. CAMERA stays on living room, where, on the LITTLE

DOOR in the corner wall, SHADOWS and LIGHT start to MOVE.

WE ROCKET IN AND-

JUMP CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

The baseboard is PUSHED ASIDE. Through the narrow gap at

the door's bottom, the DISMEMBERED HAND OF THE BELDAM

CRAWLS OUT. It scrambles out of frame in the direction of

Coraline!

EXT ROCKY PATH HIGH ABOVE HOUSE - SAME

Coraline moves briskly, the house below, GRIPPING THE KEY

that's tied round her neck. DARK, ROPEY CLOUDS reach like

fingers across the gibbous moon. Coraline sings her

father's nonsense song, her voice hardly trembling.

CORALINE:

Oh.... my twitchy witchy girl,

I think you are so nice ...

EXT. ORCHARD - SAME

She moves down past the old fruit trees, now covered with

BRIGHT SPRING BLOSSOMS that fall gently like snow.

CORALINE:

... I give you bowls of porridge

And I give you bowls of ice cream.

LOW ANGLE ON Coraline, moving away. The BELDAM'S HAND

drops into frame and CREEP-CRAWLS after her.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

I give you lots of kisses,

And I give you lots of hugs ...

EXT. WELL - SAME

Coraline jams the SAME DEAD BRANCH Wybie used under the

well's cover, lining it up over the SAME FULCRUM ROCK.

CORALINE:

... But I never give you sandwiches

With grease and worms and mung beans.

Circling around behind the BIG STUMP, the HAND SCAMPERS

behind one rock to a bush to a tree, coming closer.

Coraline manages to lever the well's cover off to one

side, leaving the WHOLE WELL OPEN. Huffing and sweating,

she wipes her brow, then takes the key string that's

around her neck.

The hand, SEEING what is about to happen, RACES TOWARDS

HER!

Coraline lifts string and key, not quite over her head.

The hand JUMPS onto the big stump and SPRINGS through the

air to GRAB THE KEY and PULL CORALINE TO THE GROUND!

Coraline makes a CHOKED SCREAM, her fingers caught

between the key string and her neck!

The HAND wants to DRAG HER BACK TO THE HOUSE and the

LITTLE LOCKED DOOR THAT IS BREATHING WITH ANTICIPATION!

A BLINDING HEADLIGHT hits HAND and CORALINE; an AIR HORN

SOUNDS; and WYBIE LOVAT - hollering a BATTLE CRY all his

own - comes SPEEDING DOWN THE BLUFF on his whining

electric bike!

WYBIE:

YAHHHHH!!!!

Wybie GUNS the throttle, and, leaning out, GRABS the

confused HAND with his slug tongs!

He CIRCLES AROUND and HEADS TOWARDS THE WELL, readying to

throw the hand in. But the HAND GETS FREE, and GRABS his

handlebars.

OUT OF CONTROL, Wybie's bike HITS A ROCK, and WYBIE AND

HAND ARE THROWN RIGHT DOWN THE WELL. HOLLERING, he just

manages to hang on with one hand! The Beldam's hand,

caught on Wybie's coattail, SCRAMBLES UP his body and

face and onto the well's edge where it STABS AT HIS

FINGERS to make him fall!

WYBIE (CONT’D)

(struggling)

Get off!!

Coraline, choking, rises to her feet. She grabs her

BLANKET and - in the still-blazing headlight of the

crashed bike - she RUNS UP and THROWS IT OVER THE HAND.

It fights like crazy as Coraline wrestles to control it.

The hand STABS THROUGH THE BLANKET and SHAKES IT OFF. It

crouches to attack her!

And then WYBIE IS BACK, pumped with adrenaline, a BIG

ROCK raised over his head! He HURLS IT DOWN ON THE

LEAPING HAND! And it BREAKS into TWENTY LIFELESS NEEDLES.

Wybie struggles to catch his breath. Coraline - breathing

hard - removes the key and string from around her sore

neck. She pulls up the corners of her blanket - with the

needles on it - around the rock, and ties it all together

with the string. The key is left attached.

Rate this script:3.6 / 9 votes