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
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.
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 shirtclean 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 withhappiness 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.
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
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.
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
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"Coraline" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/coraline_221>.
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