Film: Donnie Darko
Director: Richard Kelly
Country: USA
Released: January 2001
Runtime: 113 minutes
Genre: Science Fiction
Studio: Flower Films, Pandora Cinema
Influenced: Edgar Wright, Rian Johnson, Shane Carruth, J. A. Bayona, Gia Coppola
Richard Kelly wrote the screenplay for Donnie Darko while still a film student at the University of Southern California. He has cited various influences for the film, including his general interest in science fiction and time travel, but more specifically the writings of author Kurt Vonnegut. Kelly and his producing team attracted private investors who were willing to invest in the indie film, which was made outside of Hollywood on a relatively small budget. Drew Barrymore not only played the role of teacher Karen Pomeroy in the film, but also served as one of the film's producers through her production company, Flower Films. The film's story revolves around the life of Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal), a troubled teenager living in a seemingly ordinary suburban town. Donnie is plagued by a series of disturbing visions and experiences, including encounters with a mysterious figure in a grotesque rabbit costume named Frank. Donnie is warned by Frank that the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds.
Kelly's innovative use of music and slow-motion sequences, as well as a somber colour palette and moody visual style, add to the film's unsettling atmosphere. Donnie is a smart but troubled kid, deeply knowledgeable about everything from English literature to The Smurfs, while time travel and the work of Stephen Hawking (notably wormholes) feature in the film, as well as a reference to Back To The Future. As Donnie navigates the challenges of adolescence, the audience is taken on a journey that blurs the lines between reality and hallucination. His interactions with his family provide valuable insights into his character, and the brother-sister arguments between Donnie and Elizabeth (Maggie Gyllenhaal) are convincingly real, for obvious reasons. Donnie’s father is oddly indulgent of him and finds his swearing and rudeness amusing, while his mother Rose (Mary McDonnell) seems distant and removed. His parents only seem to learn about him by talking to his therapist, who says his odd behaviour derives from responding to perceived threats in the world. The therapist also tells them about Donnie's imaginary friend, the giant bunny rabbit Frank.
Donnie speaks to an unmasked Frank at the cinema while watching The Evil Dead and is shown a portal and is instructed to burn down the house of Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze). American motivational speakers were the subject of satire by several directors around this time, including Aronofsky and Paul Thomas Anderson, and Swayze is wonderfully cast against type as the hypocritical self-help guru. Many of the characters in the film are multi-dimensional and often subvert typical high school movie archetypes. Even more complex than the characters is the plot. Some believe Donnie got caught in a time-loop and, despite dying, was able to witness a month of his life before the loop closed back in on itself, while others believe the whole time travel theme is just a distraction. According to this theory, Donnie is shown by some sort of God, or Deus Ex Machina, what life could have been like for him in future if he hadn't died. Even director Kelly has said he prefers to keep the mystery of the film unresolved, simply stating that it's a story about divine intervention. He even set up a website about the film to clarify some of the issues.
While Donnie Darko was not a major box office success, it gained critical acclaim and has since developed a cult status and a devoted fanbase. The film received several awards and nominations at film festivals and from critics' associations, as well as a dedicated following through word of mouth and home video releases. No film I've watched has made better use of 80s English music. It wasn't until the release of Donnie Darko, in which The Killing Moon is played over the opening credits, that I was compelled to explore the music of Echo & the Bunnymen more fully. Kelly's use of Head Over Heels, as well as Mad World (covered by Gary Jules), also brought the songs of Tears For Fears to a new generation of kids in the early 21st century. In 2004, Kelly released a director's cut of the film, which added about 20 minutes of footage and further clarified some plot points, but this version has since sparked debate among fans about whether it enhances or detracts from the original. The film's enigmatic nature has led to numerous fan theories and academic analyses, and it's power to entertain and stimulate the mind remains undimmed.
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