Does anyone know if the new movie, Coraline, has an adoption theme? ?

monkeykitty83

It's been awhile since I've read the book, but as I recall, the "Other Family" was really just a twisting of the child's own-- not really different people. I would see less of an adoption analogy, and more of an analogy to growing up and seeing that your parents are human, with flaws and good points... just in this case the flaws are represented in a frightening alternate reality.

Coraline doesn't actually get different parents-- she comes to see her own parents differently through her experiences with their frightening alternate versions. That's just shown in a stylized way rather than a realistic way.

Gaiman's work tends to do that-- split people into their good and bad sides, and represent them as separate entities. For example, see Good Helena and Bad Helena in Mirrormask... they're fairly clearly actually one person split in two.

Mirrormask also does the "child being kidnapped by evil alternate parent" thing, and again, I don't think adoption is intended, so much as the duality of the soul, since the Dark Queen attempts to replace her own lost child, one version of Helena, with the other version. There isn't a non-Helena child involved, just like Coraline doesn't have a separate set of parents.

Actually, if you're looking for an adoption theme in Gaiman, there's a MUCH better example. Check out Stardust. Though Tristan is raised by his biological father, he's relinquished to his father's sole custody by his mother because his life is in danger. Later on in the story he reconnects with his mother, and it's happy and joyous. For a story of how a mother missed and loved her lost child for many years, you'll do well with Stardust.

Both Coraline and Mirrormask are too stylized to be taken as a realistic representation of adoption, and are focused more on the good and bad dual nature of every person.

pixelscapes

It's based closely on the book by Neil Gaiman. It doesn't have an adoption theme, in my opinion, even though Coraline has an alternate set of parents in the flipside-reality.

Basically the Other Parents are trying to tempt Coraline into staying -- the Other Mother is essentially a predator at heart that only looks like Coraline's mother superficially.

Of course anyone could choose to read an adoption theme into it, but judging by Gaiman's other work he wouldn't be secretly preaching about adoption, pro or con. It's not really a book about about parenting, it's about the child's maturity and choices.

stg44mp44

The film is about a young girl, Coraline (Dakota Fanning), who unlocks a mysterious door in her new home and enters into a parallel reality, a fantastical and thrilling imitation of her own dull life. In this world, Coraline finds a new versions of her real mother (Teri Hatcher) and father (John Hodgman), her off-kilter neighbors Miss Forcible (Dawn French), Miss Spink (Jennifer Saunders) and Mr. Bobinsky (Ian MacShane). However, this other world soon begins to unravel and Coraline, along with her real parents, become prisoners to her Other Mother and must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home.

kateiskate

I was wondering the same thing.

But I don't think it directly deals with adoption. I do know that part of the plot is Coraline going to live with her "other mother" in an alternate reality. The longer she is with this "other mother" she sees how ugly she really is.

Redheaded Stepchild

I don't think it's specifically adoption related, but there could be some underlying similarities. I haven't heard if Tim Burton has any ties to adoption, but I'd be curious about the book's author.

MamaKate

Dear Sly,

I wondered the same thing at first. It's the "other mother" thing that threw me.

I don't think that adoption is an actual or conscious theme in either the book or the movie, but I can see how there could possible be some parallels or applications of the story to an adoption situation.

From what I know about the author, he does not have any direct ties to adoption but I believe some of his good friends are adoptees/APs but I don't think adoption topics or references are necessarily/purposely addressed or reflected in his body of work.

But, since I don't actually know the guy, I could be totally wrong.

http://www.neilgaiman.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Gaiman

kellyjanemartin

no it doesn't. i may be wrong, but her parents are her parents in the real world and then she has her "Other Mother" in the dreamland

MissK

No, there is no adoption theme. It's about a little girl who finds a door into another world but finds that it's not all it cracked up to be. There is an overtone that one should appreciate what one has, but no adoption theme. GOOD book, though.

â€ É¹É™ldÉÉ¯ â€

Coraline was a book, but the movie is so different they consider it to not be like the book at all.

And for those who keep saying Coraline by Tim Burton, YOUR WRONG! Its Henry Selick!

Every one says Tim Burton because it says the directer of the nightmare before Christmas, Tim Burton is PRODUCER!

GET IT RIGHT! OBVIOUSLY YOUR NOT TRULY A FAN OF TIM BURTON IF YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT!

Kimberly C

Coraline is actually based on a book with the same title.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: