You don’t actually hate your parents, you’re just a teen.

When looking for my piece of media for my first blog, my mind went straight to the movie Coraline, directed by Henry Selick. Coraline features multiple forms of doppelgängers/opposites in its sceneries and characters.

Coraline, who is the new kid in town, has moved into a new house with her parents, who couldn’t care less about what Coraline is up to. With an inattentive mom and dad, Coraline often explores the new town, meeting other neighbors such as her new friend Wybie, who doesn’t know when to stop talking, and Miss. Spink and Miss Forcible are retired actresses wanting to get back on the stage. Exploring the house as well, lots of work is put into the details of the old house. The plumbing and heating are broken, and much of the house’s decor is made up of pale yellows, blacks, and grays. These flaws in the town eventually foreshadow what doppelgängers have to do with the movie because they tend to be something that a character wants to be.

Desperately wanting to leave the town, it is emphasized that Coraline has always wanted to leave. Entering a secret small door within one of the rooms, she finds herself in an entirely new world. In this world, everything seemed to be the opposite of what her current life was. The house was colorful and had a wonderful aroma from the food being cooked. Around the town, Coraline meets her neighbors and friends but they are the opposite of what they were previously. The two women are shining stars performing on stage, and Wybie’s mouth is sown shut, unable to make the unnecessary commentary he used to.

Though everything in this new world seems wonderful, there are always slight differences from the real world, similar to most media when doppelgängers appear. The most obvious one is that everyone’s eyes are now buttons. Along with the eerie visuals, the mom is forcibly positive and loving, and it comes to an extreme level that is frightening and psychotic.

Doppelgängers played a big part in this movie because it shows an alternative reality where the people and places are what Coraline has always wanted them to be. While this reality could be permanent, Coraline realizes the consequences of living this new life, finally understanding why she should be thankful for her original parents and friends. From this movie, I think that Selick tried to use doubles as a life lesson for kids, helping them to understand that they don’t really “hate” their parents or life, and to be thankful for these things.