Coraline Page #8

CORALINE:

Mmmmmm!

OTHER MOTHER:

Go on...

Coraline shrugs okay, starts for the door.

EXT STUDY DOOR TO BACK PORCH - CONTINUOUS

Looking out, she sees the broken-down garden from the

real world, still grey and lifeless in the dim light.

EXT. OTHER GARDEN - SAME

Coraline opens the gate to the garden. A large CRESCENT

MOON RISES, and THINGS START TO GROW.

Two dead shrubs start to RISE, then BLOSSOM, then the

blossoms themselves are LIT UP by some GOLD AND AMBER

HUMMINGBIRDS.

The hummingbirds circle around Coraline, light her

DRAGONFLY BARRETTE, then continue on, LIGHTING UP PITCHER

PLANTS that have grown up in a nearby flower bed. A

beautiful FROG POKES OUT of one blossom.

The birds lead Coraline up steps past a stone wall where

BLEEDING HEART GROW, AND GLOW, AND BEAT.

She spots the Other Father, riding a PRAYING MANTIS

TRACTOR on the hillside, planting SEEDS that instantly

grow into FLOWERING PLANTS.

OTHER FATHER:

Hey!!!

CORALINE:

I love your garden!

He waves back, calling:

OTHER FATHER:

Our garden, Coraline!

A gang of SNAP DRAGONS goes at her, TICKLING Coraline

till she falls down. Her squeals of delight grow into

HYSTERICAL LAUGHTER.

CORALINE:

(giggling)

Oh ah, stop! Stop tickling, ah!

The Other Father hears this and looks over.

OTHER FATHER:

Oops, daughter in distress!

He guns the tractor full-speed over a little bridge,

grabbing a GOURD TRUMPET from a vine and blowing it.

JACK-O-LANTERNS surface in the pond below and spout

STREAMS OF WATER.

Arriving beside Coraline, he waggles his finger at the

naughty snapdragons.

OTHER FATHER (CONT'D)

Tickle no more, you dragon snappers!

Then he deftly cuts a bouquet of them and presents it to

Coraline. She nods thanks.

CORALINE:

Well, she says it’s time for dinner ...

breakfast ... food?

OTHER FATHER:

Hop on, kiddo, I want to show you

something!

She does. The Other Father grabs the GEARSHIFT KNOB,

pulls it, and the mechanical mantis SPROUTS WINGS. They

RISE in the air. Looking down, she sees that the garden

is a PORTRAIT OF CORALINE.

CORALINE:

I can’t believe you did this!

OTHER FATHER:

Mother said you’d like it! Boy she knows

you like the back of her hand.

He pulls a lever and they ZOOM out of frame.

INT. OTHER KITCHEN - SAME

Coraline doesn't hold back this time. She stacks sausages

on eggs on top of waffles, rolls it up and stuffs it in

her mouth. The Other Mother FEEDS BITS OF SAUSAGE to the

HUNGRY SNAPDRAGONS bouquet now in a vase.

CORALINE:

Mmmm...so good!

OTHER FATHER:

I love dinner, breakfast food.

OTHER MOTHER:

Coraline, Mr. Bobinsky has invited you to

come see the Jumping Mice perform after

dinner.

CORALINE:

Really. That know-it-all Wybie said it

was all in Mr. B’s head, I knew he was

wrong.

OTHER FATHER:

Well, everything’s right in this world,

Kiddo.

Coraline hurries to shovel in the rest of her meal, while

her Other Parents smile at one another.

OTHER MOTHER:

Your father and I will clean up while you

and your friend head upstairs.

CORALINE:

My friend?

There’s a KNOCK at the door. Other Mother opens it to

reveal the OTHER WYBIE. He’s cleaner, with better

posture, and cute button eyes.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

Great... another Wybie. Hello, Why-wereyou-

born.

The boy nods, button eyes shining.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

Hello?

He just makes a shy smile, doesn’t answer. She’s

confused.

OTHER MOTHER:

I thought you’d like him more, if he

spoke a little less.

(shrugs, smiling)

So I fixed him.

CORALINE:

So he can’t talk at all?

OTHER MOTHER:

Nope.

She looks Other Wybie over appreciatively.

CORALINE:

Hmm, I like it.

OTHER MOTHER:

(proudly)

Now run along, you two, and have fun.

Coraline heads out the door with the mute boy.

EXT. OTHER ESTATE HOUSE - SAME

The Other House – lit by amber spotlights looks MAGICAL

with ornate GINGERBREAD TRIM; glowing TOPIARY in the

yard. The kids come out the front door.

CORALINE:

You’re awful cheerful, considering you

can’t say anything.

Other Wybie nods in agreement. Coraline and he start up

the stairs to Bobinsky’s.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

Uh...It didn’t hurt, did it, when she...

She points to her mouth. There’s an awkward moment and

then he points past her, excitedly: a SMALL BLIMP is

flying towards Bobinsky’s door.

They run up the stairs and watch it slip through an

opening above his door. Coraline knocks and the door

suddenly SPINS, THROWING THEM INSIDE.

INT. OTHER MR. BOBINSKY’S FLAT - SAME

They somersault to a stop and sit up. Down two rows of

SMALL CANNONS that face each, an amazing MINIATURE CIRCUS

has been set up, with a FERRIS WHEEL beside it.

CORALINE:

Whoa... cool!

Coraline goes right to the Ferris wheel where a

MECHANICAL CHICKEN eats dried corn on the cob, fires up

its belly, then POOPS OUT POPCORN into paper bags.

Other Wybie stomps a firing button and COTTON CANDY

shoots out of a cannon. He catches the cone, then starts

firing off all the cannons. Coraline looks back to find

him covered in the cotton candy.

CORALINE (CONT'D)

Look at you!

Spotlights come on in the big top, the entrance opens,

and a big voice is heard over loudspeakers.

OTHER MR. BOBINSKY (O.S.)

Lady and gentleman! For to tickle your

eyes and ears and making hearts to thump,

I – Sergei Alexander Bobinsky – am

introducing...

They race to the entrance, stoop down to crawl inside.

INT. MINIATURE BIG TOP - SAME

OTHER MR. BOBINSKY (O.S.)

... my as-tound-ishing, stu-pen-dulous

and AH-MAZING Jumping Mouse Circus!

They sit between miniature grandstands and watch as the

little BLIMP, bathed in spotlights, enters through a

flap. It circles around, rising to the top of the tent,

then NOSE-DIVES towards the ground! It CRASHES in the

center of the circus ring, and OPENS LIKE A FLOWER from

which 50 JUMPING MICE spring up like Chinese acrobats to

spell out C O R A L I N E.

CORALINE:

(delighted)

My name!

The jumping mice leap to the ground in formation,

BRANDISH TINY INSTRUMENTS, and DRUMMERS START POUNDING.

The DRUM MAJOR MOUSE parachutes down and whips out a

BATON. On his signal, the group launch into a WILD

RUSSIAN CIRCUS MARCH.

Coraline, grinning, turns to the Other Wybie.

CORALINE (CONT’D)

It’s wonderful, Wybie!

The boy smiles and nods to the beat of the bass drums as

the hopping band marches in and out of ever changing

formations - PINWHEELS, X’s, CIRCLES WITHIN CIRCLES.

They hoppers begin to SPIRAL to the center of the circus

ring when the floor RISES UP from its center to form a

six-foot Tower of Babel, the mice HOPPING TO THE TOP. The

DRUM MAJOR balances on the tippy-top on a COLORFUL CIRCUS

BALL.

CORALINE (CONT’D)

Wow!

He RUNS the ball DOWN AND AROUND the spiral as the MICE

HOP OFF, and when he hits the ground, the TOWER DROPS

AWAY to reveal the OTHER MISTER BOBINSKY! He CRACKS A

WHIP.

Coraline and Other Wybie STAND and CLAP. Other Bobinsky –

in a RINGMASTER’S OUTFIT with a full length cape – bows

graciously, doffing his tall black hat. His moustache is

waxed, his eyes black buttons.

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