Disclaimer: I only listened to the audiobook of the graphic novel, so I don’t have a comment on the illustrations.

Director Henry Selick understood the assignment. “Coraline” translated better on the big screen as he took on Neil Gaiman’s dark fantasy horror and successfully brought it to life. 

With shades of Tim Burton, the stop-motion animation is the only way this movie succeeded. There were plans to have it be live action, with Dakota Fanning starring in the titular role. I’m glad Selick went this route as animation provides more freedom in a fantasy story. Plus, Fanning still provided the voice work for Coraline.

The story is of a girl and her parents who move into an old apartment. Coraline discovers a hidden door within her apartment and finds a parallel universe, where she meets Other Mother and Other Father. At first, she enjoys living in the doppelganger world as Other Mother lets her eat anything she wants, and she got into an argument with her original mother. 

Where the book and movie differ is that the book takes place in England, while the movie takes place in Oregon. I would have preferred if the movie stuck with England. There was a sinister tone that I felt would have elevated the movie if the characters were British, such as with the ghosts that Coraline ran into. The movie did get the gloomy aspect since the setting was in Oregon, but it didn’t capture the creepiness of the apartment or the parallel universe better than the book. 

Another inclusion for the movie was the Wyborne character, who wasn’t part of the book. We see Wyborne as a way for Coraline to say out loud her intentions, while in the book we are simply reading her thoughts. I thought he was a great addition and played an important character. While this is a fantasy story, “Wybie” helps Coraline get out of predicaments in ways that are plausible.   

When listening to the audiobook, there were some creative moments, such as the singing mice and background music after a significant plot point. 

Ultimately, the movie is a better medium for this fantasy story, as Selick visually exceeds Gaiman’s graphic novel by creating an aesthetic that would leave kids fascinated and frightened. 

Selick uses an array of bright colors as a tool to amplify how conniving the Other Mother is to Coraline. When Coraline fights back, the colors dissipate back to the melancholy atmosphere. 

The movie earned a well deserved Oscar nomination. While I didn’t think it should have won over the likes of “Up,” it earned my praise for creating a children’s story into a visual gem.

https://www.cbr.com/coraline-biggest-differences-book-movie/