Watch and Read: Spotlight on Media Tie-ins
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Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 1/12/2009
A Delectably Frightening Fairy Tale
Another highly acclaimed children’s book makes it way to the big screen as Coraline (PG), based on Neil Gaiman’s novel (HarperCollins, 2002), premieres in theaters on February 6, 2009. Presented by Focus Features and LAIKA animation studio, this animated stop-motion production is directed by Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas), who also wrote the screenplay. Though the book was set in the United Kingdom, the film takes place outside Ashland, OR. Eleven-year-old Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) has just moved to a rambling Victorian house and misses her old life in Michigan. Bored and ignored by her busy parents, she stumbles upon a mysterious hidden door in her new home. When unlocked, the small door reveals only a brick wall, but Coraline later finds her way through it, crossing into an alternate reality that seems much more extraordinary—and alluring—than her own tedious existence.
Here, she discovers a different version of her real mother (Teri Hatcher) and father (John Hodgman), who go out of their way to please and play with her; they even look better than Coraline’s parents…except for their button eyes. This magical place also features fantastical versions of Coraline’s odd-ball neighbors—the elderly Miss Forcible (Dawn French), Miss Spink (Jennifer Saunders), and Mr. Bobinsky (Ian MacShane)—and Wybie Lovat (Robert Bailey Jr.), a boy who is annoying in real life but becomes a friend in the alternate realm (the character was created for the film). Before long, she realizes that the Other World is not as perfect as it seems, and when her Other Mother takes her prisoner, Coraline must rely on her courage, ingenuity, and resolve to save herself and her real parents.
Coraline has the distinction of being the biggest production ever filmed in stop-motion animation, utilizing a mind-boggling number of puppets (crafted from silicone and foam latex with metal skeletons), miniature custom-made props, and more than 150 hand-constructed sets. It is also the first stop-motion movie to be filmed in stereoscopic 3-D. Kids can visit the official Web site for a taste of the atmospheric animation and eerily innocent-sounding music. Filled with colorful images and character cameos, the site cleverly echoes the movie’s essence (the timer icon is a spinning button). Youngsters can also explore a panoramic re-creation of the set, visiting different locales to access downloads and find out more about how the movie was made. A series of brief videos—neatly scripted and set to music—provides intriguing glimpses into production elements: animators discuss how puppets are manipulated and brought to life; a dancing “Moustachio” gives a good example of stop-motion filming; one montage shows miniature sets and highlights props (including cherry blossoms made of popcorn); a costume fabricator describes the knitting of Coraline’s tiny sweaters; director Selick muses about a puppet’s point of view. The level of craftsmanship, labor, and artistry that went into this “handmade” production is truly amazing, and kids who have seen or are planning to see it will be mesmerized by these accessible and entertaining behind-the-scenes glimpses.
Movie Tie-ins
If all of your copies of Gaiman’s Coraline have disappeared into an alternate reality, it’s time to re-supply. Winner of a 2003 Hugo Award and Nebula Award, among other accolades, this international best seller remains a popular choice for young readers. HarperCollins has published two movie tie-ins, both of which feature cover art from the film and include the original text and Dave McKean’s eerie, stylized black-and-white drawings. The paperback Movie Tie-in Edition is adorned with a clever and appropriately spooky film image: Coraline confidently strides across an outdoor scene lit by a moon (actually a large milk-white button) as the branches of a shadowy tree (frighteningly reminiscent of her nightmare mother’s sticklike fingers) reach down toward her. The dust jacket of The Movie Collector’s Edition, a hardback, shows Coraline kneeling in shadows and looking through the mysterious door, her face lit with ethereal light. In addition to an eight-page inset of full-color movie photos, this book also appends notes about the film written by Gaiman and Selick and an excerpt from the screenplay. The original edition, with McKean’s cover painting of Coraline holding a candlestick, is also available. Libraries with listening collections may want to consider purchasing an unabridged CD version (2002), performed by Gaiman with original music by The Gothic Archies, or the new Movie Tie-in Unabridged CD.
Catch the eye of Coraline fans, as well as the attention of the comic book crowd, with the graphic novel version of Gaiman’s Coraline (HarperCollins), which earned a place on SLJ’s 2008 Best Books list. Adapted and illustrated by Eisner Award winner P. Craig Russell, this riveting retelling combines crisp panel artwork, concise language, and relentlessly suspenseful pacing to keep readers mesmerized and petrified.
Movie-goers—adults and young readers alike (Gr 5 Up)—will find lots to browse in Stephen Jones’s Coraline: A Visual Companion (Morrow). Lively, well-researched chapters introduce the creation and impact of the book, the making of the movie, the characters and actors, and versions of Coraline in other formats. Much of the text focuses on the production process from the design of storyboards, to the creation of intricately detailed handmade puppets and sets, to explanations of the latest in stop-motion animation technology. Salient and copious commentary from Gaiman (who wrote the foreword), Selick, the production crew, and cast members shed light on the movie’s creation and evolution over time. The pages are illustrated with full-color behind-the-scenes photographs, reproductions of artwork created for both the book and film, and luscious movie images.
Pub Info
GAIMAN, Neil. Coraline: Movie Tie-in Edition. illus. by Dave McKean. 2008. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-06-164969-1.
_____. Coraline: The Movie Collector’s Edition. illus. by Dave McKean. 2008. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-0-06-164970-7.
_____. Coraline. illus. by Dave McKean. 2002. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-38097-778-9; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-06-0575915.
_____. Coraline CD (Unabridged). 2002. CD $22.00. ISBN 978-0-06-051048-0.
_____. Coraline Movie Tie-in Unabridged CD. 2008. $9.95. ISBN 978-0-06-166016-0.
_____. Coraline: Graphic Novel. adapt. and illus. by P. Craig Russell. 2008. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-06-082543-0; PLB $19.89. ISBN 978-0-06-082544-7.
ea vol: HarperCollins.
JONES, Stephen. Coraline: A Visual Companion. Morrow. Jan. 2009. Tr $34.99. ISBN 978-0-06-170422-2.
