Coraline

We're here.

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Hello?

Who's there?

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You scared me to death, you mangy thing!

I'm just lookin' for an old well.

Know it?

Not talkin', huh?

Magic dowser, magic dowser.

Show me the well!

-

Get away from me!

Ooh, let me guess. You're from Texas or Utah.

Someplace dried out and barren, right?

I heard about water-witching before.

But it doesn't make sense.

I mean, it's just an ordinary branch.

It's a dowsing rod!

Ow!

And I don't like being stalked!

Not by psychonerds or their cats!

He's not really my cat. He's kind of feral.

You know, wild?

Of course, I do feed him every night.

And sometimes he'll come to my window

and bring me little dead things.

Look, I'm from Pontiac.

Huh? - Michigan?

And if I'm a water witch, then where's the secret well?

You stomp too hard, and you'll fall in it.

Oh!

See? -

It's supposed to be so deep,

if you fell to the bottom and looked up,

you'd see a sky full of stars in the middle of the day.

Huh.

Surprised she let you move in.

My grandma? She owns the Pink Palace.

Won't rent to people with kids.

What do you mean?

Oh, I'm not supposed to talk about it.

I'm Wybie. Wybie Lovat.

"Wybie"? - Short for "Wyborne."

Not my idea, of course.

What'd you get saddled with?

I wasn't "saddled" with anything.

It's Coraline. - Caroline what?

Coraline. Coraline Jones.

Hmm. It's not real scientific,

but I heard an ordinary name like Caroline

can lead people to have ordinary expectations about a person.

- Wyborne?

I think I heard someone calling you, Wyborne.

What? I didn't hear anything.

Oh, I definitely heard someone, "Why-were-you-borne."

Wyborne! -

Grandma!

Well, great to meet a Michigan water witch.

But I'd wear gloves next time.

Why?

'Cause that dowsing rod of yours, it's poison oak.

I almost fell down a well yesterday, Mom.

Uh-huh.

I would have died.

That's nice.

Hmm. So can I go out?

I think it's perfect weather for gardening.

No, Coraline. Rain makes mud.

Mud makes a mess.

Mom, I want stuff growing when my friends come to visit.

Isn't that why we moved here?

Something like that.

But then we had the accident.

It wasn't my fault you hit that truck!

I never said it was.

I can't believe it.

You and Dad get paid to write about plants

and you hate dirt.

Coraline, I don't have time for you right now.

And you still have unpacking to do.

Lots of unpacking!

That sounds exciting.

Oh, some kid left this on the front porch.

"Hey, Jonesy.

Look what I found in Grandma's trunk.

Look familiar? Wybie."

Huh.

A little me? That's weird.

What's his name anyway?

Wybie. I'm way too old for dolls.

Hey, Dad. How's the writing going?

Dad!

Hello, Coraline.

And Coraline... doll?

Do you know where the garden tools are?

It's pouring out there, isn't it?

Hmm. It's just raining.

Hmm, what'd "the boss" say?

"Don't even think about going out, Coraline Jones!"

Then you won't need the tools.

Oh...

Oh!

You know, this house is 150 years old.

So? - So explore it.

Go out and count all the doors and windows

and write that down, or list everything that's blue.

Just let me work!

-

Ugh!

Agh!

Oh, ugh!

Ah!

No. No, no! No!

One boring blue boy

in a painfully boring painting.

Four incredibly boring windows.

And no more doors.

All right, little me. Where are you hiding?

Huh?

Hey, Mom! Where does this door go?

I'm really, really busy!

I think it's locked!

Please? -

Will you stop pestering me if I do this for you?

Fine!

Bricks? I don't get it!

They must have closed this off

when they divided up the house.

You're kidding. And why is the door so small?

We made a deal.

Zip it!

You didn't lock it. -

Why don't you ever cook, Mom?

Coraline, we've been through this before.

Your dad cooks, I clean,

and you stay out of the way.

I swear, I'll go food shopping soon as we finish the catalog.

Try some of the chard. You need a vegetable.

It looks more like slime to me.

Well, it's slime or bedtime, fusspot.

Now what's it gonna be?

Think they're trying to poison me?

Don't forget about me, guys, okay?

Good night, little me.

Whoa.

Huh? -

Hmm, something smells good.

Mom?

What are you doin' here in the middle of the night?

You're just in time for supper, dear.

You're not my mother.

My mother doesn't have bu-- but--

Bu-- b-buttons?

Do you like them?

I'm your Other Mother, silly.

Now go tell your Other Father that supper's ready.

Well, go on. He's in his study.

- Hello?

Hello, Coraline.

Wanna hear my new song?

My father can't play piano. - No need to.

This piano plays me.

Look.