The phrase “it me” — used to identify an image, situation, or fictional character that resembles one’s own experiences — wasn’t a common expression in 2009. If it had been, though, a generation of moviegoers would’ve uttered those two words while basking in the wonderment of “Coraline,” Henry Selick’s stop-motion film based on Neil Gaiman’s novella of the same name.
The “Coraline” filmmakers map out a hero’s journey for the titular character that paints a universally relatable portrait of youth that’s also specifically niche. Like every other tween, Coraline loves her parents, but is frustrated by their rules. However, her primary extracurricular — a fixation with her neighbor’s rats — represents her slant toward the macabre, a trait probably shared by fewer (but no less passionate) kids in the audience. In a decade when movies and television series usually depicted their main characters as up-and-coming superstars (call it the “Hannah Montana” effect), Selick instead presented Coraline as a real person who faces real challenges, keeping her relatable even as the story ramps up the fantasy and whimsy.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated “Coraline” for best animated feature, and with good reason. The film’s visual artistry is par for the course for Selick, who made his directorial debut with “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in 1993. Within the intricate inner-workings of the “Coraline” narrative, there’s a lot to unpack, particularly as the film reaches its conclusion and its layers begin to unfold and interconnect. This is the ending of “Coraline,” explained.
“Let’s try this one more time. My name’s Coraline. I was bitten by a radioactive spider and” — wait, wrong movie. When “Coraline” begins, Coraline (Dakota Fanning) and her parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) move into a new home. As her mom and dad continue their writing careers, Coraline encounters a talkative neighbor, Wybie (Robert Bailey Jr.), who finds a doll that looks exactly like Coraline, right down to her wardrobe. Coraline dislikes her new home and yearns for more exciting people in her life. Her wish comes true when she discovers a hidden door in the wall that leads to a seemingly perfect alternate world.
This new place is the same, but different. In this new dimension, Coraline’s house has the same layout, but its aesthetic is friendlier. Coraline is still an only child who lives with two parents, but this “Other Mother” and “Other Father” shower her with treats, and while they’re still into horticulture, they focus on actually gardening, not just writing about it. Her neighbors are pleasant, not aggravating. Aside from everyone’s button eyes, it all seems too good to be true. As you might be able to guess, it is.