Coraline Page #6

CORALINE (CONT’D)

Hmmm...

Suddenly a HUGE BLUE MAN swings down behind her and

scolds:

MR. BOBINSKY

SEE-KRET...

She whips around to find MR. Bobinsky - upside down,

reaching right at her face! She ducks and he reaches past

her to his actual target - his door knob - and pulls it

shut.

The Russian giant, dressed in a sleeveless T-shirt and

shorts, pulls a RAW BEET from his pants. He’s not happy.

MR. BOBINSKY (CONT'D)

(scowling)

Famous Jumping Mouse Circus not ready,

little girl!

CORALINE:

(confused)

Circus?... Oh, uh, I brought this for

you.

She holds out his mail. Bobinsky takes it, smelling the

stinky envelopes deeply. Nods approvingly.

MR. BOBINSKY

(sniffs)

Mmmm... Noviseer.

CORALINE:

Huh?

MR. BOBINSKY

New “cheese” samples.

He swings down like a spider monkey and stands beside her

on the balcony. Coraline backs away.

MR. BOBINSKY (CONT’D)

Very clever, using this "mix up" to sneak

my home and peek at meeshkas

CORALINE:

Meeshkas?

MR. BOBINSKY

The Mice!

CORALINE:

Oh, sorry. I’m Coraline Jones.

MR. BOBINSKY

(bows)

And I am the Amazing Bobinsky! But you

can call me Mr. B, because amazing I

already know that I am.

He smells his mail again, makes pleased sound, then seems

to fall off the side of the third story porch! Coraline

rushes over, looks down. He cartwheels in from the porch

railing behind her.

MR. BOBINSKY

Ha! You see, Caroline, the problem is my

new songs go oompah oompah. But the

jumping mice play only toodle toot, like

that. Is nice, but not so much amazing?

So now-

(indicates smelly mail)

--I switch to stronger cheese, and soon –

VATCH OUT!

He opens his door, crouches low and turns. He hands her a

beet.

MR. BOBINSKY (CONT'D)

Here, have beet. Make you strong.

(salutes her )

Daas vee DAAN ya, Caroline.

He scuttles inside and slams the door shut. Coraline

mutters.

CORALINE:

Cor-a-line.

Looking at the beet, she makes a disgusted sound and

tosses it away, then heads down the stairs.

EXT HOUSE, SOUTH SIDE YARD - CONTINUOUS

When she gets to the bottom, she starts towards the back,

gardening shears out.

CORALINE:

(to herself)

Oompah oompah, toodle toot, toodle toot.

MR. BOBINSKY (O.C.)

EHHH! CAROLINE:
PA-DAZH-DI’-- WAIT!!

She looks up.

CORALINE:

No!!!

Bobinsky LEAPS all the way to the ground, landing beside

her, out of breath.

MR. BOBINSKY

The mice...asked me to give you message.

CORALINE:

The...jumping mice?

Mr. B nods gravely. He leans down, so close his moustache

touches her ear, and whispers, his voice DEAD-SERIOUS.

MR. BOBINSKY

They are saying:
do not go through leetle

door. Do you know such a thing?

Coraline is startled.

CORALINE:

The one behind the wall paper? But...

it’s all bricked up.

The old man shrugs, straightens.

MR. BOBINSKY

Bah. So sorry, is nothing. Sometimes the

mice are leetle...

He points to his head and rotates his finger.

MR. BOBINSKY (CONT'D)

...mixed up, hmmm? They even get your

name wrong, you know. They call you

Coraline instead of Caroline, not

Caroline at all.

He starts back up the stairs.

MR. BOBINSKY (CONT’D)

Maybe I work them too hard...

Coraline stares after him.

EXT. HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER

SHEARS IN HAND, Coraline approaches the family VW, where

one PINK SUITCASE remains tied to the roof. She snips it

free and takes out her special HAT, a black Japanese

schoolboy's cap.

EXT. HOUSE, STAIRWELL DOWNSTAIRS FLAT – SAME

Coraline climbs down the steps to the basement flat. At

the door, she tries the comedy/tragedy door knocker and

waits. Nothing. She glances down at the doormat - it

reads "No whistling in the house."

She peers through the door glass. A YAPPING DOG suddenly

LEAPS UP inside, startling her, and a moment after, MISS

SPINK – wearing some sort of house robe – opens the door

and three SCOTTIE DOGS – HAMISH, JOCK, AND ANGUS – shoot

out and surround Coraline. Spink tries to quiet them

down.

MISS SPINK:

(harsh)

Oh cease your infernal yapping!

(to Coraline, sweetly)

How nice to see you, Caroline. Would you

like to come in? We’re playing cards.

CORALINE:

Still Coraline, Miss Spink.

MISS SPINK:

(over shoulder)

Miriam, put the kettle on!

INT. MISSES SPINK & FORCIBLE’S FLAT - SAME

Miss Spink leads Coraline into the living area, as MISS

FORCIBLE, taller and sporting a platinum wig and a very

large bosom, prepares tea in the kitchen to the side. The

dogs race ahead and jump onto the sofa. Coraline scans

the walls to see framed POSTERS from the “Shakespeare”

the ladies used to perform like King Leer and Julius

Seize Her. Miss Forcible peers out her, half-blind

without her glasses.

MISS FORCIBLE:

April, I think you’re being followed.

MISS SPINK:

It’s the new neighbor, Miriam - Caroline?

She’ll be having the Oolong tea.

MISS FORCIBLE:

No, no, no, no. I’m sure she’d prefer

Jasmine.

MISS SPINK:

No, Oolong.

MISS FORCIBLE:

Ah, Jasmine it is, then.

Forcible grabs a handful of tea, puts it in the pot and

pours boiling water in.

MISS SPINK:

Come on, boys!

The dogs leap off the sofa and, as Coraline takes their

place, she looks to the side and sees a towering bookcase

filled with STUFFED SCOTTY DOGS IN KNITTED SWEATERS WITH

ANGEL WINGS.

CORALINE:

(alarmed)

Are those dogs .... real?

MISS SPINK:

(sighs)

Our sweet, departed angels. Couldn’t bear

to part with them ... so we had them

stuffed.

(continues)

(MORE)

MISS SPINK (CONT'D)

Now, there’s Hamish the third, the

fourth, the eighth, the ninth. Angus the

second, the fifth, the..

Miss Forcible arrives with a tea tray and urges Coraline

to take a candy as Spink goes on and on.

MISS FORCIBLE:

Oh go on, have one – it's hand-pulled

taffy from Brighton – best in the world.

Coraline reaches for a pink and green one. But the taffy

is so old and sticky, her fingers get stuck. Then her

other hand gets stuck, trying to get the first hand out.

MISS SPINK (O.C.)

...seventh, the third, the ninth, yes,

the fourthI’m right; and Jock Junior,

Jock senior, Jock the third, the

fourth...

Coraline, using her feet, finally un-sticks the candy

bowl which FLIES UP and sticks to the ceiling.

MISS SPINK (CONT’D)

...oh, and that's Jock’s 2nd cousin,

twice removed.

She turns to Coraline, about to sip her tea. Spink

indicates cup.

MISS SPINK (CONT'D)

I’ll read them, if you like.

CORALINE:

Read what?

MISS SPINK:

Oh, your tea leaves, dear. They’ll tell

me your future. Drink up then, go on.

Coraline gulps down the bitter brew.

MISS SPINK (CONT’D)

No, not all of it, not all of it. That’s

right, now hand it over.

Coraline passes her the cup. Spink puts a saucer on top

and swirls it three times, removes the saucer and peers

in at the abstract leaf pattern. She purses her lips.

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