Coraline & the Hero's Journey

The ordinary world:  In Coraline’s ordinary world she is bored and feels neglected by her parents and hopes for something more exciting. In hopes to find some adventure she finds a small door in the wall, but unfortunately to her luck- it is bricked up.

Call to Adventure:  Late at night Coraline discovers some of Mr. Bobinsky’s jumping mice wandering the house, so she decides to follow them in hopes for some excitement.

Crossing the Threshold:  Coraline follows the mice back to the tiny door, which is no longer bricked up and bares a portal to another world.

Meeting the Mentor:  Eventually in this other world, Coraline meets up with the cat Wybie introduced her to earlier in the film, who warns her that everything is not what it seems.

Tests, Allies, and Enemies:  As the story goes on she gains allies like the “other Wybie” and her other father who continue to warn her as well. As time goes on she finds that the “other mother” (the “Beldam”) is actually the enemy – trying to convince her to sew buttons into her eyes so she can eat her. As Coraline rejects the Beldams advances she continues to get more and more frustrated with Coraline and traps her in a mirror.

The Resurrection:   The Other Wybie helps her escape the mirror (where she meets the ghost children) and she makes a run for it. Once she returns home and thinks all is well she finds that the Beldam has taken her parents.

Approach the Inmost Cave:  Coraline returns to the other world where she intends to save her parents and the ghost children. The Beldam gives her a riddle to solve in order to save them so Coraline takes on the task.

The Ordeal:  Coraline completes all the takes, to retrieve the ghost eyes (for saving the ghost children) but struggles to find her parents. Once she finds them the Beldam still doesn’t intend on letting her go, so Coraline tricks her and faces a struggle out of the other world and to safety while still having to defeat a broken off hand of the Beldam by trapping it in the well.

The Reward:  Coraline returns home to find her parents are safe and sound. Now that she’s home everyone is getting along and Coraline is no longer bored and has a new found appreciation for  everything she has.