Not Everything Appears as They Seem
“Be careful what you wish for” — these are not the words one would want to hear when given the life of their dreams on a silver platter. But for someone like Coraline, a warning like this would not be enough to quell her curiosity. Driven by a great desire to explore, the girl would love nothing more than to drink in every bit of love and attention offered by the Beldam and The Other World. Who would not want to spend the rest of their life in a place filled with lush animated gardens, theatrical performances, jumping mice circuses, and luxurious feasts every night?
At least, that is what the Coraline from Henry Selick’s film adaptation experiences. But what about the other Coraline (no pun intended) from Neil Gaiman’s book? While the film serves as a respectful and faithful adaptation, some interesting changes exist between the book and the film, and most likely for the best intentions. Here are the top most interesting differences between both versions of Coraline.
5. The Other Mother
In the film, the Other Mother (Beldam) presents herself as someone who looks inviting and innocent to Coraline. This throws Coraline off because she appears to be every bit identical to her real mother, Mel Jones. The only noticeable difference is that she is more put together and has button eyes. Her sweater is freshly pressed and soft, her shoes are bright red and polished, and her hair is styled and well-groomed.
Additionally, when Coraline meets her for the first time, the Beldam hums and uses a lot of feminine gestures, which adds to her softness. By presenting herself this way, the Beldam’s true intentions become subtle, as she can lure Coraline easily with promises of love and affection. It is only later throughout the film that Coraline begins to see her true monstrous nature, as the Beldam slowly begins to morph and decay into her arachnid form.
In the book, however, the Beldam is immediately described as someone Coraline finds unnatural and disturbing. Her face is as white as paper, her fingers are too long, her fingernails are sharp, and her body is taller and thinner. Right away, this figure already seems like an entity with unnerving features, and unlike her movie counterpart, it does not seem like she is trying much to hide this monstrous part of herself.
4. The Other Father
If there is any character that does not change how loving they are to Coraline, it is the Other Father. Throughout the film, the Other Father resembles what every child would dream of having in their childhood. He sings catchy songs, plays piano, his clothes are fun and vibrant, and he even takes Coraline on a little joyride on his flying grasshopper machine. Who wouldn’t want a father as fun and adventurous as him? Towards the film’s end, he becomes deformed and is controlled by his grasshopper machine in the garden to hurt Coraline. However, he does not wish to hurt her, and even when he knows he will die for it, he frees himself and gives Coraline the lost soul she is looking for.
This is not the same for his book counterpart. In Gaiman’s novel, the Other Father’s introduction is underwhelming and nothing short of a quick hello when he meets Coraline. He also does not sing any songs or pilot any grasshopper machines. In fact, he does not even interact much with Coraline, except when he stares at her and says the occasional creepy line. It is at the end of the book where readers see the most dramatic difference between the book and film versions of him. Neil Gaiman’s Coraline finds him in the basement of the Pink Palace, and he is described as a pale glob that is “white, huge, and swollen. Monstrous, thought Coraline, but also miserable.” On top of that, he slowly loses his sanity and eventually becomes a blind, monstrous creature that twists and contorts as he mindlessly attacks Coraline.
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3. Wyborn
Perhaps the most obvious difference between the book and the film is the inclusion of the character Wyborn. Wyborn ultimately serves as a foil to Coraline. He is the only other child in the film who also lacks a parental presence to help shape a meaningful childhood experience. While Coraline has parents, they are often neglectful of her and are too consumed in their work lives to give her the love, attention, and affection she desires. Because of this, Coraline and Wybie share a special bond with each other (albeit a rather unique one).
However, Wyborn does not share the same excitement she does to explore or travel to distant supernatural lands, and he is not attentive to Coraline. This annoys her, so when she meets the Other Wyborn in the Other World, her exploration becomes a more meaningful experience. The mimic Wyborn manifests as her desire to be heard and seen, which helps her cope with her isolation from her parents’ absence. But also, at the end of the film, he is also the only character to believe in what she says, which helps keep her sanity intact.
In the book, Wyborn does not exist. Because of this, Coraline is left to explore the Other World and its inhabitants alone. This further isolates her because she has no peers her age to influence her decision-making. Being alone also restricts her ability to rationalize her interpersonal struggles with her family in the real world. She does not have anyone to relate to in her experience with neglect, and because of this, Coraline soon gets caught in an identity crisis and loses her ability to distinguish illusion from reality.
2. The Pink Palace
Interestingly enough, there are also differences concerning the Pink Palace and how it is depicted in the movie versus the book. Henry Selick’s film gives the house a subtle but straightforward role to help viewers distinguish between the real and impostor versions. In the real world, the house is dull: the pink paint is washed out, the garden is withered and lifeless, and the water is infested with insects. In the Other World, the pink palace is refurbished; the paint is bright and clean, nothing is chipped or broken, all the furniture is much more decorative, and everywhere is teeming with life.
In contrast, Neil Gaiman’s Coraline presents the Pink Palace as something unsettling and possessing anthropomorphic qualities. For starters, Coraline’s other bedroom has an off-putting color scheme of green and pink. Other areas, like the theater, are poorly lit and dusty. There is also no sign of a garden in either the real or cloned world, as there is no indication of Coraline’s parents’ occupation. Eerily, the other house shares so many qualities identical to the one in the real world that Coraline begins to lose her sanity and struggles to identify which one is real and which one is fake.
In both the film and the book, the house experiences its own decay as Coraline continues to collect the souls of the lost children. In the film, the outside world is stripped of its color and withers into nothingness, and the house slowly crumbles into pieces. However, in the book, the world outside the house shifts into a formless void. Meanwhile, the house itself begins to twist and stretch, so it seems to be crouching and staring at Coraline. As the story progresses, the house resembles less of a house and appears more like a picture than a drawing and then a scribble.
1. The Jumping Mice
Arguably, the creepiest change between the book and the film is the nature of Mr. Bobinsky’s jumping mice. In Selick’s film, the jumping mice in the Other World are perceived as adorable and innocent creatures with matching band uniforms and miniature instruments. The mice are also introduced in the Other World in a circus setting, performing synchronized dances and tricks as they play whimsical tunes. Not only that but when Coraline goes to see the show, the other Wyborn is with her, which further emphasizes the atmosphere as friendly and innocent. Because the jumping mice are revealed this way, it becomes quite shocking that their true forms are ugly and vicious when the cat bites into one of them.
The changes in the film are probably for the best since the book only ever portrays them through a dark and malicious lens. Whenever Coraline comes across them, she notices their red eyes and terrifying smiles. Even worse is that instead of playing catchy tunes, they chant threatening messages, often in rhyme. These creatures remain static in behavior throughout the entire novel, so it’s a wonder that Coraline even enters the Other World in the first place.
Official Coraline Trailer
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Author
Marc Agbayani's favorite genres to write are fantasy, science fiction, horror, action,n and mystery. His inspiration for writing stems from his love of various forms of pop culture, such as the film series Star Wars by George Lucas and the video game series The Legend of Zelda by Shigeru Miyamoto. In his free time, he enjoys writing, reading, listening to music, going to the gym, and hosting game nights with friends
