The cult classic Donnie Darko (2001) has confused its viewers so much that no one wants to talk about it. Its release came shortly after 9/11, which halted all publicity for the movie because of the central conflict being a jet engine falling into Donnie's bedroom. The film also didn't include many notable names in Hollywood since it was writer and director Richard Kelly's feature-length debut. Because of its lack of outreach, the film was not nominated for many awards, only winning twelve from 2001 to 2003. Most notably, Richard Kelly won the Young Filmmaker's Showcase Special Award at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films in 2002 for his work on Donnie Darko. Kelly wrote the script in October 1998 in 28 days, the same timeframe as the film. The film's inspiration came from his own teenage years and school life, especially the conflict between the teaching methods of two teachers (Kitty and Karen). Despite a low turnout at its theatrical debut, Donnie Darko scored 86% on Rotten Tomatoes' Critic Reviews and 80% with its audience score. Similarly, it scored 8.0/10 on IMDb.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in the titular role, Donnie Darko. He is supported with performances from Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katharine Ross, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, Stu Stone, Daveigh Chase, and James Duval. The movie shows the life of Donnie after escaping an accident in his home, where he is plagued by visions of a man in a giant rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes. Donnie visits a therapist who prescribes unspecified pills and diagnoses him with paranoid schizophrenia. Throughout the film, we can see Donnie's mental state deteriorate and falter throughout various moments. So, what the fuck actually happened in Donnie Darko?
No doubt about it, Donnie Darko is among my top 10 most complicated movies. But its complexity is the main factor to its ingenuity. I watched the film twice now, and I felt the sudden urge to mansplain what it’s actually about.
According to the Philosophy of Time Travel (a fictional book created just for the movie), at midnight on October 2nd, a Tangent Universe branches off the Primary Universe around the time when Donnie is called out of his bedroom by Bunny Suit Frank, immediately before the appearance of the Artifact (the faulty jet engine). The unstable Tangent Universe will collapse in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds and take the Primary Universe with it if it isn’t corrected. Closing the Tangent Universe is the duty of the Living Receiver (Donnie) who wields supernatural powers to help him in the task.
Tangent Universe: the timeline we see happen in the movie. Donnie does not die in the Tangent Universe. Because he doesn’t die, many more deaths occur (Gretchen, Frank, the people in the aircraft).
Primary Universe: the timeline we see happen at the end of the movie. Donnie dies because the jet engine crashes in his room. Because he dies, the deaths are avoided.
There are two Franks in the movie: Donnie’s sister’s boyfriend (let’s just call him Frank, he’s alive until Donnie kills him... then Frank becomes Bunny Suit Frank), and Bunny Suit Frank (Manipulated Dead) who appears to Donnie as a premonition from the future. Bunny Suit Frank is dead (technically undead) at the end of the film because he’s killed by Donnie because Frank killed Gretchen (Donnie’s girlfriend). Bunny Suit Frank is aware of Donnie’s fate and destiny. Donnie’s role in the whole movie is to sacrifice himself in order to bring the Artifact (jet engine) from the Tangent Universe back to where it belongs (aka the Primary Universe).
Those who have died/will die within the Tangent Universe (who would not have died otherwise) are the Manipulated Dead (Frank, Gretchen, and the people on the plane). Bunny Suit Frank (Manipulated Dead) is also given certain powers, in that he is able to understand what is happening and has the ability to contact the Living Receiver (Donnie) via the Fourth Dimensional Construct (water). Everyone else within the trajectory of the Living Receiver (Donnie) are the Manipulated Living (Karen and Kenneth, the two teachers who Donnie gets along with). They are subconsciously drawn to push the Living Receiver (Donnie) towards his destiny to close the Tangent Universe and die by the Artifact (jet engine). Karen chooses to teach “The Destructors” by Graham Greene that inspires Donnie to flood the school and burn down Cunningham’s house. She also mentions the cellar door. This puts Donnie in the situation where Gretchen dies and Donnie kills Frank. Kenneth talks to Donnie about time travel and gives him the book written by Roberta Sparrow/Grandma Death. Their influences helped Donnie realize that his sole purpose was to die to prevent further deaths.
The point of Donnie Darko is a hard one to decipher. It’s like a Chinese puzzle box. There are many different cogs and parts that work together to bring the film’s meaning to light. At the end of the day, the film is just meant to make the viewer feel something. It’s meant to be memorable. Most viewers might leave the film shaking their heads and hating the film because of its complex story and nonsensical end, while others find comfort in its intricacy. I think the movie is about the universe. The universe is highly unstable and dangerous, because it will eventually collapse in on itself. All of the characters in this movie are the Manipulated Living or the Manipulated Dead, and their purpose is to help or hinder Donnie on his quest to save the Primary Universe.
If you don’t understand the workings (or think it’s effed up) of the time travel in Donnie Darko, I highly recommend reading this post. It breaks down the movie using the psychoanalysis lens and it’s really cool!
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