Coraline Page #5

OTHER MOTHER:

Another roll, sweet peas? Corn on the

cob?

Other Mother looks on approvingly, not touching any food

herself.

CORALINE:

(mouth full)

I’m real thirsty.

OTHER MOTHER:

Of course! Any requests?

A beautiful CHANDELIER DRINK DISPENSER descends.

CORALINE:

Mango milk shake?

The dispenser SPINS, stops and fills her glass while

Other Mother presents dessert: a cake with candles that

POP UP and LIGHT THEMSELVES while the words “WELCOME

HOME!” write themselves in icing. Coraline is taken

aback.

CORALINE (CONT’D)

Home?

Her Other Parents squeeze each other’s hands warmly.

OTHER MOTHER:

We’ve been waiting for you, Coraline.

CORALINE:

For me?

OTHER FATHER:

Yep. Wasn’t the same here without you,

kiddo.

Coraline remains a little unsure.

CORALINE:

I didn’t know I had an Other Mother.

OTHER MOTHER:

Of course you do. Everyone does.

She smiles at Coraline, her button eyes gleaming.

CORALINE:

Really?

OTHER MOTHER:

Uh huh, and soon as you’re through

eating, I thought we’d play a game.

She taps her fingers a little too excitedly on the table.

CORALINE:

(skeptical)

You mean like, hide and seek?

OTHER MOTHER:

Perfect! Hide and seek in the rain.

CORALINE:

What rain?

THUNDER, LIGHTNING, then RAIN appears outside the window.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

Huh, what about the mud?

OTHER FATHER:

We love mud here!

Other Mother rises, walks towards Coraline.

OTHER MOTHER:

Mud facials, mud baths, mud pies -- it’s

great for poison oak.

The takes Coraline's rashy hand, but Coraline pulls it

away.

CORALINE:

(suspicious)

How’d you know I-Coraline

adjusts her tone.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

I, I’d love to play, but ... I better get

home to my other mother.

OTHER MOTHER:

But I’m your other mother.

CORALINE:

(befuddled)

I mean my other other mother. Mom number

one?

(yawns)

I think I should get to bed.

OTHER MOTHER:

Of course, sweetheart, it’s all made up.

CORALINE:

(shakes head)

But ...

Other Father steps in beside her.

OTHER FATHER:

Come along, sleepyhead.

They lead her from the table towards the stairs to her

bedroom.

INT. CORALINE’S OTHER BEDROOM - SAME

In this world, Coraline's bedroom is a dream come true:

it is filled with rich color and light; there's a fire in

the fireplace, a sheer, lacy canopy over her now

beautiful bed. And her favorite toys are alive!

CORALINE:

Wow.

Her ORIGAMI DRAGONFLIES FLUTTER towards her.

DRAGONFLIES:

Hello Coraline, hello, hello!

Her BLUE SQUID greets her with a WAVE of its tentacle.

TOY SQUID:

What’s shakin’, baby?

CORALINE:

Hello.

The TURTLE SHELL she’d found CIRCLES HER FEET on clothes

pin legs, making PANTING SOUNDS. She laughs, then hears

two voices from beside her bed.

PHOTO FRIEND 1 (O.C.)

(Michigan-speak)

Hey, how zit goin’, yuper!

PHOTO FRIEND 2 (O.C.)

(Michigan-speak)

Where’s your swampers and tuke?

She jumps onto the bed, grabs the photo of her best

friends from home, now ALIVE IN THE PHOTO.

CORALINE:

Kripes a-mighty, how are my best trolls?

I can’t wait till summer. You’re both

comin’, right?

PHOTO FRIEND 1

We’re already here, Coraline -

PHOTO FRIEND 2

-- gone to Or-e-gine!

Coraline grins hugely, then, exhausted, she yawns,

stretching out her arms.

The Other Mother, in the bedside chair, takes her hand

and applies some SOOTHING BLACK MUD to Coraline’s poison

oak rash.

CORALINE:

Oh, the mud...

The Other Mother gently tucks her in then she and the

Other Father smile at Coraline as she drifts off to

sleep.

OTHER MOTHER OTHER FATHER

See you soon ... See you soon ...

PULL BACK MATCH:

DISSOLVE:

INT. CORALINE’S REAL BEDROOM - MORNING

Coraline awakens. She looks around expecting bright

colors, a magic dragonfly. But it’s just her NORMAL ROOM:

moving boxes; cracks in the ceiling -- nothing’s changed.

She notices the BUTTON-EYED DOLL on the chair where she

left it, where the Other Mother was sitting. She picks it

up, absentmindedly goes to scratch her wrist. She stops,

noticing that the rash on her wrist IS GONE.

CORALINE:

(gasping)

It’s gone, my poison oak, it’s gone!...

INT. LIVING ROOM - SAME

Coraline goes to the little door, still ajar. She peeks

behind and finds the WALL OF SOLID BRICKS. Yes, it was

only a dream.

CORALINE:

(softly)

Huh?

She shakes her head and pushes the door shut. The kettle

blows from the kitchen.

KITCHEN - DAY, GROUND FOG OUT WINDOWS

Breakfast. Mel and Charlie finish their “Go Lean

Breakfast Twigs” and mugs of instant coffee. Preoccupied

with their work, they half-listen as Coraline recounts

her dream, her breakfast untouched. FOG lies outside the

windows.

CORALINE:

It was incredibly real, Mom! Only you

weren’t really you; you were my other

mother.

MEL:

(disapproving)

Buttons for eyes, huh?

(indicates untouched food)

Coraline, you only dreamed you ate all

that chicken. Take your multi-vitamin, at

least.

CORALINE:

You were in the dream too, Dad. You had

wild-looking pajamas and orange monkey

slippers.

CHARLIE:

(pretend offense)

Orange? My monkey slippers are blue.

He stands, put his dishes in the sink. Whispers over his

shoulder:

CHARLIE (CONT'D)

(optional)

Pssst. Can you get me some of that magic

mud you were talking about?

She points to her rash-free wrists. He nods.

CHARLIE (CONT'D)

Because I have a terrible case of

writer’s rash. On my---.

Mel CLEARS HER THROAT, interrupting.

MEL:

If the real Charlie Jones wants his pages

edited, he’d better wrap them up ASAP.

He crisply salutes her, turns on his heel, and marches

out the door. Mel gets up to clear the table with

Coraline.

MEL (CONT'D)

Coraline, why don’t you go visit

downstairs? I bet those “actresses” would

love to hear your dream.

CORALINE:

Miss Spink and Forcible? But you said

they’re dingbats.

MEL:

(nods)

Uh huh.

Coraline sighs, gets up to go.

EXT. HOUSE, FRONT PORCH - MORNING

It’s drizzling and a WHITE FOG has lowered over the house

and grounds. Coraline – yellow rain poncho, garden SHEARS

in hand – opens the front door. Stepping out onto the

porch, she TRIPS on a big bundle of mail. Annoyed, she

picks it up, starts leafing through the envelopes.

CORALINE:

Bo-bin-sky...Bo-bin-sky....Bo-bin-sky...

Smells something bad, sniffs the envelopes.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

Ohh, Poo-eeeee!

She goes down the front steps and finds a sign that reads

“Bobinsky there” with an arrow that points up long,

winding outside stairs. With an “oh well” shrug, she goes

up.

EXT. HOUSE, BOBINSKY'S - CONTINUOUS

At the top, she knocks on the door, a little anxious.

CORALINE:

H-hello?...

She knocks again.

CORALINE (CONT’D)

I think our mail got mixed up. Should I

leave it outside or...

The door swings open. Curious, Coraline peeks inside:

it’s dark and cramped with something boiling on the stove

and a caged chicken.

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