Revealing the Startling Connection between Coraline's Parents and the Beldam

I've been seeing a lot of theories surrounding Coraline's parents and the grown-ups in the film there is still a lot of discourse among returning viewers as well as brand new ones about the adults in the movie being neglectful particularly Coraline's parents and I wanted to go over it in this video so grab your popcorn and blanket and let's get started the initial Theory posed by this user is that Coraline's real mother and the Beldum are the same person this idea is based on how Coraline feels rather than what she experiences or how it appears from the outside looking in Coraline already has a strained relationship with her mother they often argue and she is emotionally unavailable Coraline can be a bit petulant and needy at times but she's 11 nonetheless both of her parents appear entirely uninterested in her even uncaring as if she's nothing more than a bother contrary to the treatment she receives from her mother when Coraline visits the other world she receives a lot of attention from the Beldum in fact she seems to be the other mother's entire universe the other mother buys her anything her little heart desires writes her nice messages and so on Coraline can't believe it she now has parents who truly care about her and wants her around but then Coraline starts uncovering some very dark secrets about the Beldum and everyone in that world and she realizes she doesn't want to stay there any longer because she knows it's all a ruse that world no matter how wonderful it appears to be is a sham built just to feed the Beldum remember when the other mother red her real colors and locked Coraline in the dungeon with the ghost children one of the final things those kids stated to her was that the Beldum ate up their lives now it's possible that she literally ate them but fans pointed out that it could have a double meaning abusers require victims to feed on emotionally for love comfort and power and as long as they have their victims under their thumbs they can feed on them for the rest of their lives just as a child of a toxic parent may feel obligated to spend time with them and do their bidding long after becoming an adult because they are emotionally trapped the other parents are metaphorical substitute parents it represents perpetrators close relatives teachers youth group leaders and so on who see a vulnerable child and begin grooming them with the promise of a better life when the child sees through the facade a switch flips much like the Beldum and the abuse begins all over again the ghost children however are not Coraline's siblings according to one fan these are children of other violent parents who refer to the Beldum as their own because she and their abusive mothers are so similar as a result the Beldum is a more abstract concept of any abusive parent wearing a mask when Coraline faces the other mother her temperament suddenly shifts and the Beautiful World around her becomes a moldy shell of itself when a child accuses an authority figure of being kind or kind to their child just to use it against them later it doesn't end well the fan further hypothesized that the other father is complacent and lifeless in in the other world because he too is abused he accepts it and like a coward cares about his child but not enough to confront the Beldum he's a textbook codependent who lives with a terrifying narcissist this would also explain other wbe and why he's on Coraline side he's the same person as the original ybe just a quieter one one who listens but doesn't speak wbe and Coraline have gotten so close that he understands and believes she is being abused even if he is initially hesitant and in denial the other world is a representation of abusive parents who in public can be amazing and the last people you'd expect to mistreat their children it can also be a representation of abusive parents who after doing something nice for their child cause the child to question the abuse and wonder how the parent could ever be abusive gaslighting them which is a form of manipulation in and of itself when the otherw world is rotting at the seams that's what very few people get to see and those that do don't return the same even though Coraline is a hostage in her own home she is receiving attention that she doesn't receive in the normal World which is why she is more likely to act out against her mother than the other mother this shows that the two worlds are still interconnected the buttons and the deal that comes with them symbolize committing to letting your abuser abuse you for a taste of the other world that brief but nice period that victims of domestic violence often seek this honeymoon phase feels Unforgettable like nothing bad has ever happened before and that is one of many reasons victims take their time to leave their abusive Partners the ending was something that irritated several fans when Coraline's parents return from being trapped seeing as how a child sometimes barely recognizes their parents anymore when being treated poorly they act peacefully as if nothing happened and then when Coraline calls them out about the snow on their clothes when they deny being trapped at all the snow melts away quickly and her mother says what's gotten into you Coraline as if to say you're crazy that didn't happen which is a form of gaslighting but we'll get back to that this fan pointed out that her parents actions resembles borderline personality disorder or another emotional disorder Coraline's mother is different every day while her father is practically the same bar being a little quieter in the normal world the moment where they introduce the other wbe and eat breakfast for dinner it made me think about this notion as well as the fact that days seem to pass in the other world as if she spends one day there and the next in the normal World fans believe her mother is a narcissist with borderline personality disorder or another sort of manic condition in which she is extraordinarily loving caring and motivated one day and nasty strict and callous the next a lot of narcissists and persons with BPD tend to blow out and or Gaslight when they are called out I've also seen speculation about Coraline's parents may be being stolen many believe the Beldum can simply swoop them up or that her parents never went went missing in the first place this is something that the YouTuber the theorizer talked about he says that when Coraline enters for the third time she leaves the door wide open she and the other mother both have a propensity of leaving doors open as you've noticed and that her parents ultimately get home as evidenced by Coraline discovering rotten groceries and a car on the driveway they discover Coraline is not at home and see the doorway that goes to a tunnel rather than a brick wall compelling them to enter to find her after she's been ra waving about the other world Coraline's other mother was not present the last time she willingly entered the door Coraline's real parents had left the house for the groceries at the same time the other mother had laid meals out perhaps the Beldum can travel outside the other world via the well and went to capture them this user believes the Beldum duped them into going to what they thought was the zoo it's unclear whether she pretended to be Coraline and fled there or whether she just set traps to get there but she did create them a doll which I believe is significant because they needed to be enticed they also seem to recognize they were in trouble much sooner than Coraline does I'm not sure if that's because they're grown-ups or because the Beldum was losing time and wasn't able to keep the illusion up as long but there are also people that portray the parents as sympathetic and caring Mel is seen wearing a neck brace as she continues to rehabilitate from a recent car accident after moving into a new home which leads fans to say that children don't always need to be the center of their parents' world so it's understandable that Coraline isn't right now their only child a teenage girl is almost certainly the only one they can afford and they share an apartment with her to accuse Charlie and Mel of irresponsibility is to miss the big picture however one exchange makes you reconsider everything Mel says I promise I'll make it up to you and Coraline adds that's what you always say possibly implying that this is their family dynamic in general the movie tries to convey that Coraline's parents engaged with her and enforced limits which is a good and responsible thing to do by saying your school might be fun in response to Coraline's boarding school gripes her mother is obviously attempting to get her to see things from a different angle she faces a threat from her dad to put her to bed if she acts entitled and rude over supper the fact that Mel tells her daughter to take her multivitamin first thing in the morning demonstrates how seriously they take her health it makes you think that they are not careless but rather only overwhelmed with the reloc and the completion of the catalog I believe the writers inserted these in other minor instances Hollywood portrays middle class and upper middle class families living in beautiful homes and desirable neighborhoods as normal or standard whereas in reality this is not how most people live their lives Coraline and her dad have a different Dynamic and seem more attuned to each other from the beginning it also looks like Mel is the domineering one the way Charlie refers to her as the boss fans saw Coraline's bratty nature but the film never explicitly stated that she was neglected instead it dropped hints and pieced together small facts and the fact that the other mother only LED in those she deemed unhappy the film definitely encouraged different opinions the notion of neglect is suggested while still demonstrating at times the parents active involvement she watched our lives through the little doll's eyes and saw that we weren't happy that we weren't happy there are many ways in which joy and sorrow can manifest line was a teen girl and she was an only child which can sometimes mean that she is accustomed to more attention or a different kind of attention because she had to uproot her life and adapt to a new home while her parents were busy with work then the crash happened adding even more stress to the family's lives Coraline may have experienced less neglect and more loneliness which could have been enough for the Beldum who didn't have much time left before she had to devour another young soul to keep her immortality fans who have read the book agree and hold on to their opinion that Coraline's parents aren't necessarily careless both the novel and the movie make it seem like they're too busy to spend as much time with Coraline as she wants even though they are still concerned parents they just cannot afford to fulfill her wishes like purchasing the gloves or spend quality time with her they obviously still care about Coraline but they were so preoccupied with other matters as the events of the book and film unfolded that they neglected her giving the other mother the opportunity to influence her to choose her alternate reality from the beginning when they had just moved in and were trying to catch up on work as much as possible since they are probably pretty low on money judging of subsequent comments we notice that they are going through a tough period and try their best to emotionally support Coraline while they are going through a bad financial moment Coraline's mother decides to buy the gloves despite her inability to meet her promises and tries to make jokes with her about how dad has something special planned we observe that Coraline's father prepares nutritious home-cooked meals for her and we notice that they are financially strapped thanks to the mother's comment about the ATM when Coraline makes fun of it her father answers affectionately without showing any signs of anger saying it's slime or bedtime fusspot fot we see them playing with Coraline as she gets ready for bed the mother in an example of good parenting doesn't just ignore a problem she tries to remedy it by closing the door as soon as she finds rat traces this is unpleasant for Coraline but it's necessary some fans think that ignoring context seems to be the only indication of the neglect that many people claim the parents exhibit in the beginning they were attempting to get caught up on work that was due because they were so close and they did interact with Coraline though agitatedly likely as a result of their high levels of stress particularly for the mother who was likely in agony from a car crash good parenting also includes choosing to improve rather than merely ignoring your child's comments like when Coraline says you always say that it's suspicious but we can tell that her mother is upset not with Coraline but with herself for that so she goes and buys gloves to cheer herself up even though Coraline annoys her with my other mother would buy them a statement that would annoy any parent she persists in responding to Coraline which is commendable during the scene where she is trying to purchase her uniform even preoccupied since she had the dad send in a very important report for them the parents are always trying to interact with Coraline the only time they tell her to leave is at the beginning which as I mentioned they are super busy during so it makes sense that they are less in the mood to interact Coraline's father appears to be rushing to meet a deadline for some writing her mother is wearing a visible neck brace and handling all of the household duties of getting her family settled in a new place and Coraline is acting like a normal kid who is bored and cranky for the most part even if the people weren't aware of the bedum situation at the end of the film her father appears to have completed his work and her mother appears to be enjoying herself with her family and Neighbors at the party even without the supernatural element it appears to be quite realistic you're viewing them Through The Eyes of their child what you see is Coraline's interpretation of their actions and words in turn you can observe how she understands the other mother now we're going to talk about wb's Grandma and why she'd rent a Coraline's parents it eventually connects but first it feeds the notion of all the neglectful grown-ups in this film wb's grandmother knows what's wrong with the house and wbe says that his grandmother doesn't usually rent to people with kids why did she make the C for Coraline's family that means she knowingly put a child in danger so was it to protect W there is some discussion about how as wbe Becomes of age to be stolen his grandmother attempts to save him by giving the Beldum other bait some have taken it even further by saying that she found a doll of wbe and allowed Coraline into the house to get it to change it into someone else there is also the scene where wbe takes the doll back from Coraline and says his grandma was really mad that he gave it to her so maybe Coraline parents were really desperate and so she made an exception for them and then locked the Coraline doll away to protect her it's just weird to imagine her offering up another kid fans wondered why didn't she love her grandson more if all the children stayed cuz they didn't feel loved I understand that she did take precautions but I still don't get it maybe she knew Coraline could outsmart the bellm but then again she seemed to not want Coraline to be in danger this is where it connects to the Coraline's parents being neglectful Theory Coraline's parents were so neglectful that they could have forgotten to tell Miss lovat about her so she endangered Coraline unknowingly it's a little far-fetched but some theories are but if wb's Grandma is aware of the problems with the residents and wbe claims that his grandmother does not typically rent to families with children what was her reasoning for making an exception for Coraline's family maybe at first glance especially at a younger age you believe the film is about appreciating the parents you have but after rewatching the movie movie you can see why some believe that rather than it being about fun imaginary parents bad real lame parents good Coraline is a story about not only abuse but control but the way it does it is interesting because the other mother does not just control Coraline physically but she also tries to justify her control over Coraline by giving her everything she wants in exchange for having nice things she needs to have button eyes which are a literal symbol of the other mother's eyes if Coraline wants to be treated nicely by her parents must see things through her eyes only the home exists as part of that area in the other dimension since the Beldum understands that's all she has to know to impress Coraline and the other mother isn't just in charge of Coraline she also has authority over the other father who wants to help and feels truly horrible about his powerlessness she manipulates the other version of the boy Coraline dislikes so that he only smiles and never speaks implying that she wants those in her care to be grateful for the love she offers them and will not allow it if they do not want to obey and do everything that is expected of them what these two characters have in common with the other mother is that they were both apparently created a sensient beings as part of her plan to impress Coraline with all the gifts food and nice treatment some fans believe it's pretty much a critique of the phrase I gave birth to you and raised you so because your parents took care of you you are now obligated to take care of them and always be in their control rather than parents seeing their children as independent people and not many versions of themselves and while Coraline does want her parents back despite of their mediocrity and negligence it isn't about her having to appreciate her parents no matter what another aspect that contributes to the concept of control is demonstrated by the neighbors Mr bobinsky is revealed to be a bunch of rats controlling his actions in the other world and not a single aspect of himself exists and in the film he doesn't just surprise you by becoming a bunch of rats but he tells you that he is no longer what he was he is now little more than a swarm of nasty rats disguised as circus animals and the two ladies very much determine that every dog who they refer to as their children that dyes will be angel ornaments for their home this relates to the second more visible subject of mediocrity and imperfection versus exceptionality and perfection in the other world the two lesbian ladies are depicted to be highly humorous and skilled young entertainers yet in the real world they are just crazy old ladies Coraline unintentionally control the image of her neighbors by wanting something that her parents and neighbors cannot give her and in the end she values them for who they are now rather than trying to change them and part of how she defeats and learns about the dangers she's about to enter is because of the real neighbors ultimately she escapes and defeats the other mother by refusing to follow the rules of the game she has agreed to with the other mother and instead refusing anything less would be breaking her Rules by her command and to be forever bound to her fans also believe this theme is why they chose a cat to play the role of the supernatural helper the classic cat is uncontrollable by gifts and serves as a role model for freedom from Authority even within the family Coraline's rebellious individuality entangles her in a world where she values her parents and their responsibility to guide her Coraline is designed as a rebellious adolescent with the cat representing Independence and the buttons representing subduing the soul but it can also work on a broader level in terms of concealing 's impression of abuse Coraline deviates from it due to her independence but also to the realization that her parents are enough and that the grass isn't always greener Mr babinsky is obviously the most devastating manifestation of that illusion the two unattractive neighbor couples always struck me as her accepting that the grass isn't always greener they're just two people she sees as ugly and insane but that's beside the point the juxtoposition of the color pallets of Both Worlds and the film demonstrate that emotional unavailability is the primary cause of neglect even if it is inadvertent children will seek it out even from adults who use it as a form of abuse and bait there is also a conspiracy theory that her real parents knew about the other mother and her plan but were fine with it because of reasons unknown to the audience however they had a change of heart Midway through the film which is why the other mother takes them hostage according to this user the real mother removes the key to the small door and hides it from Coraline without a solid explanation why would she do anything like this for a key to a door that leads to a brick wall it's plausible to assume she was aware of the door's actual nature but if she did why didn't she hide the key from the start or tell Coraline later in the film her act of concealing this exact key which in her perspective goes to a bricked up wall is quite peculiar implying that she was aware of the other world's existence or at least partially aware but was hesitant to inform Coraline about it however which sensible and decent parent would merely hide the key and not reveal the hazards of the door to their child if they truly understood what was going on the only answer is that the real mother was aware of everything yet was fine with it for some reason that is until she has a change of heart halfway through the film when she betrays the beldums plot by hiding the key resulting in her and the real father being kidnapped there's also the question of how long Coraline spent in the other world before her parents went missing when she returns home her parents are gone and the suggestion is that they were kidnapped while she was gone she examines the grocery bag on the table and notices that all of the food is decaying but here's the thing we can see that a large amount of the food is fruit and that fruit should be good sitting on the counter for at least a week before turning soft and even longer before turning black and rotting so her parents had been away for a long enough time for those to spoil which is certainly more than a single night also each of the parents has their own doll so it's time for the Beldum to construct a fresh doll to tease them with how long did they spend looking for Coraline did they eventually decide to look for her through the small door did the Beldum come into the house to take them if they didn't if that's the case why wouldn't she just take Coraline the ambiguity of this scene has always bothered me but it fits the tone of the rest of the film then there is the hot take from one fan that stated the Beldum did actually want Coraline as a daughter the cat suggests the idea that she might want something to love or something to eat we know from the previous children that she can and will eat children so it's assumed that's the goal with Coraline however some fans think by the time Coraline comes around the Beldum is lonely she is the only real living thing in her world and she wants some else to bond with to be a part of her family when Coraline is playing the game at the end of the movie and even before that we see some of the other creatures help Coraline against the beldam I think it's fair to say the general consensus is that part of their being is representative of the person they're mimicking and that person would would help Coraline but what if they were specifically designed that way by the Beldum the other father was designed to be a dad to Coraline and wbe was designed to be a friend so they would both care for Coraline but the neighbors Mr bobinsky and and forcible were designed purely as entertainment so they don't care for Coraline personally but when the game is specifically made to have the odds against Coraline why wouldn't they all turn against her how and why are they able to Aid Coraline I believe it's because the originally weren't meant to trick and trap her they were meant to act as an actual family with the Beldum as the mom father as the dad and wbe as the neighborhood kid she could play with then there is the fact that the Beldum continues the charade even after the truth is revealed even after Coraline discovers it's a trap and what the Beldum actually looks like she continues the motherly act she refers to herself as Coraline's own mother she prepares meals for her she plays plays a game with her she punishes her instead of eating her why would she continue with these things why not forcibly take Coraline's life Coraline knows she isn't her mom so why keep up the ACT it's because she still hopes to convince Coraline to stay she treats her politely uses family etiquette even kidnaps her real parents to use as a bargaining chip when Coraline proposes the game the beldums eyes gleam not because she's a sucker for games but because if she wins she gets exactly what she wants a permanent dog the Beldum also Waits go resort to force we know the Beldum is capable to forcing Coraline to stay either physically or with some sort of magic nonsense but she doesn't try to do this until the last second it's not until Coraline attacks her and fle for the door that she realizes she has no other options she turns the room into a web and chases Coraline tries to catch and tie her up until this point she's continued with sweet motherly language but now she knows that doesn't work so she resorts to force she waits for this long because she wants Coraline to like her to choose a life with her if she didn't care about that the Beldum would have simply caught Coraline right away or at the very least as soon as the truth was revealed but maybe she does care because she wants that family Dynamic with Coraline another theory is posted by this user and it's about Coraline being adopted Coraline initially moves into a new home with her parents the two are portrayed to be loving but also neglectful and oblivious to their daughter's perilous predicament she is seen to travel to the other world with her new better mother which could represent Coraline fleeing her neglected home life and seeking Refuge with a relative or close friend of her parents Coraline runs away more and more to this better world as the novel unfolds getting to know her new mother who most likely adopted her after contacting CPS on Coraline's parents this is demonstrated by her parents being trapped or imprisoned by the other mother but in actuality Coraline's parents are probably in jail or prison as the other mother put it maybe they ran away to somewhere without you or something along those lines this might be Coraline's new mother trying to explain where her parents went without telling her the whole truth Coraline may have liked her adoptive mother but she eventually exposed her true colors she most likely began abusing Coraline and possibly pressuring her husband to assist or not notify the appropriate authorities he is depicted as a broken shell of a man prepared to to do whatever the other mother orders this could be because of the other mother's mistreatment of him with Coraline and the ghost children when Coraline confronts her other mother about her abuse she breaks down and becomes even more abusive to her adoptive daughter this results in Coraline and the other children fleeing and the other mother being arrested and imprisoned not before the untimely death of their other father and other perpetrators of child maltreatment Coraline's parents have been released from prison or imprisonment following the resolution of their abuse charges I I know some of these theories are far-fetched but I always say the different theories are part of the reason we loved the movie Coraline symbolism Duality complex Characters thought-provoking themes and emotional resonance is what makes it a great film that I think it will always create discourse among its viewers really quick announcement if you like my content I have started a membership and at just $4.99 a month you'll gain access to more exclusive content and as a member you'll unlock different membership perks click click the link in the description box below and join or the Beldum will get you but seriously I would really appreciate the additional support don't forget to like comment share your thoughts down below and subscribe for more great content thanks for watching

Channel: Toon Dad

Views: 8,180

Keywords: Coraline, Coraline movie, Neil Gaiman, Other Mother theory, abitfrank, alternate realities, analysis, animation, coraline, coraline 2, coraline animation, coraline never escaped theory, coraline other mother, coraline review, coraline theory, dark fantasy, dark themes, door theory, explained, fan theories, halloween, hidden messages, movie analysis, mysteries, psychological elements, psychological thriller, secrets revealed, the other mother, the pink palace, theories, wybie

Id: YWCLYxKW0lc

Length: 26min 44sec (1604 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 04 2024