A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Positive Messages
some
Lives aren't supposed to be perfect -- imperfection can be wonderful. It's important to spend quality time with loved ones. Themes include self-control, gratitude, and compassion.
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Positive Role Models
a little
Coraline's parents show humility and learn important lessons from their daughter. Coraline herself is brave and resourceful, despite being impatient at times. The Other Mother wants Coraline to behave a certain way and pursues her goals at any cost. Intergenerational friendships are formed.
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Diverse Representations
a little
The two main characters, Coraline and her mother, are complex women who are neither completely good nor bad. The animated characters are mostly White, as are the characters' voice actors including Dakota Fanning (Coraline), Teri Hatcher (Mother/Other Mother), and Ian McShane (Bobinsky). Keith David, who's Black, voices the Cat. Coraline's neighbors include two aging actresses who are told they're past their prime but refuse to stop believing in their talent.
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Violence & Scariness
a lot
The movie has a very dark, creepy tone overall, and the Other Mother sometimes takes on a frightening appearance. It's implied that she has killed at least three children. Her minions try to catch Coraline and the Cat, but they don't succeed. Brief strangling. A character loses a hand, which then attacks Coraline.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
very little
Two characters with large breasts wear tiny costumes for a performance (one in a reference to Botticelli's famous Birth of Venus painting).
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Language
a little
Infrequent use of words like "crap" and "oh my God." Insults include "jerkwad," "idiot," "evil witch," and "stupid."
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
very little
Coraline's mother thinks Mr. Bobinksy drinks too much.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Coraline is a stop-motion animated film based on a book by Neil Gaiman. The movie is quite dark, and the "other" world that Coraline (Dakota Fanning) discovers turns into a frightening, dangerous place where she could very well die (and other ghost children already have). Scary situations include extremely creepy characters and acts that seem very violent but don't have graphic consequences, like when Coraline throws a cat at someone. Language is mostly insults (like "jerkwad" and "idiot"), and sexuality is limited to two scantily dressed actresses in one scene. It's suggested that one of the characters drinks too much, but nothing is shown. Characters demonstrate self-control, compassion, and gratitude. The movie deals with mature themes -- being careful what you wish for, thinking the grass is always greener, seeking a perfect life, and being disappointed in your parents -- that are best suited for tweens and up. The cast lacks racial diversity, with animated characters and voice actors mostly White, but main characters Coraline and her mother (Teri Hatcher) are complex women who are neither completely good nor bad. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
CORALINE Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning) is an only child who's unhappy about moving to a new house with her seemingly self-absorbed parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman), who are too busy working to spend any time with her. The other inhabitants of their building are an eccentric crew: Russian mouse-circus ringmaster Mr. Bobinksy (Ian McShane) and bickering actresses Miss Spink and Miss Forcible (Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French). When Coraline opens a small hidden door in her apartment, she discovers a secret passageway to a parallel other world where everything -- her parents, her house, her neighbors, her magical garden -- seems much better ... or is it?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Coraline's theme of wishing for a different, "perfect" life. Do you ever feel like Coraline? What about her parents made her initially prefer the Other Mother and Father?
How do Coraline and her parents change over the course of the movie?
Do you think this movie is meant for little kids, or is it too scary?
How do the characters in Coraline demonstrate self-control, gratitude, and compassion? Why are these important character strengths?
Movie Details
- In theaters: February 6, 2009
- On DVD or streaming: July 21, 2009
- Cast: Dakota Fanning, John Hodgman, Teri Hatcher
- Director: Henry Selick
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Focus Features
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Book Characters, Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Gratitude, Self-control
- Run time: 100 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor
- Last updated: April 23, 2024
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