Why We Love Caroline
Coraline
Like many, I love the movie Coraline. Its continued success is evident each year when it returns to theaters in August. This year, making the 15th anniversary of Coraline, the re-release made a cumulative domestic total of $30.6 million.
Coraline is set in a world where boredom and sadness haunt her life. The rainy day that traps her inside when she want to play outdoors, the sad portrait of a boy on the wall, and even the sloppy food her father serves her all seem to paint Coraline’s world as dreary. Yet Coraline is the opposite of this dullness, She wears a bright yellow rain jacket, matching boots and her hair is blue. Coraline stays true to herself despite the gloom she faces. An example, as mentioned, is her hair dyed blue.
I have heard from many that women dye their hair wild colors to seek attention. But I’d like to think that, just like Coraline, many girls in adolescence—and even women—navigate a world full of uncontrollable events, and dyeing our hair can be a way to reclaim power and stay true to ourselves despite all the changes happening around us.
Like Coraline, many of us feel our lives are full of boredom, and we crave excitement, attention, and love. In the Other world Coraline gets everything she could imagine and more. One example is when the Other Father sings to her calling her “cute as a button” and promises undivided attention. Even though Coraline notices how everything in the Other World conveniently adapts to her desires, she chooses to ignore the warnings and enjoy it. I think many of us can relate to being in situation like that—where we know something is too good to be true, but we dive in anyway.
The Other World doesn’t just bring Coraline’s dreams to life—it transforms the rest of the residents in the Pink Palace too. A circus of jumping mice? Acrobatic sisters performing incredible stunts? These are the kinds of magical experiences that the real world doesn’t offer, and it’s easy to get swept up in them.
And yet, like many of us who unintentionally find ourselves in trouble while chasing excitement, attention, or love, Coraline eventually has to face the consequences of ignoring all the warning signs, and—most importantly—her own intuition. She has to set everyone free from the Other Mother, including her parents, all while staying true to herself and trusting her instincts, which is why Coraline even after 15 years remains a comfort movie for so many of us.
One thing I love about Coraline is that it doesn’t rely on a love interest to carry the story. It’s simply about a girl finding her way and learning to trust herself. That’s what makes it so unique and powerful—it’s about her journey, her strength, and her growth.
