Donnie Darko (2001)

After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.

Director:

Richard Kelly

Writer:

Richard Kelly

Stars:

Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell

11 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Donnie Darko
Holmes Osborne	...	Eddie Darko
Maggie Gyllenhaal	...	Elizabeth Darko
Daveigh Chase	...	Samantha Darko
Mary McDonnell	...	Rose Darko
James Duval	...	Frank
Arthur Taxier	...	Dr. Fisher
Patrick Swayze	...	Jim Cunningham
Mark Hoffman	...	Police Officer
David St. James	...	Bob Garland
Tom Tangen	...	Man in Red Jogging Suit
Jazzie Mahannah	...	Joanie James
Jolene Purdy	...	Cherita Chen
Stuart Stone	...	Ronald Fisher
Gary Lundy	...	Sean Smith

Storyline

Donnie Darko doesn't get along too well with his family, his teachers, and his classmates; but he does manage to find a sympathetic friend in Gretchen, who agrees to date him. He has a compassionate psychiatrist, who discovers hypnosis is the means to unlock hidden secrets. His other companion may not be a true ally. Donnie has a friend named Frank, a large bunny which only Donnie can see. When an engine falls off a plane and destroys his bedroom, Donnie is not there. Both the event, and Donnie's escape, seem to have been caused by supernatural events.

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Plot Keywords:

surrealism | mental illness | cult film | imaginary friend | schizophrenia | 

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Taglines:

Life is one long insane trip. Some people just have better directions.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some drug use and violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Karen Pomeroy was named for sex researcher Wardell Pomeroy of the Kinsey Institute.

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Goofs

When Donnie is talking about time travel with his science teacher for the first time, the slinky around his neck changes positions from behind the collar of his shirt to around his neck when the camera switches between frontal and rear angles.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Elizabeth: I'm voting for Dukakis.

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Crazy Credits

After the closing credits, on the director's cut, there is the title of the movie followed by a drawing of Frank.

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Alternate Versions

A director's cut of the film has been released. This new cut includes additional scenes, some changes to the soundtrack, a much improved sound mix. Also, pages from the Philosophy of Time Travel, previously viewable only as a DVD extra or on the website, have been inserted between scenes. The result is a movie that tells a much more coherent story.

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Connections

Edited into Hollywood Burn (2006)

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Soundtracks

Ave Maria
Written by Giulio Caccini (as Giulio Caccino) and Paul Pritchard
Courtesy of Associated Production Music LLC

User Reviews

Weird, Creepy, Emotional, Funny, Beautiful. All at the same time.

I don't know what to type. Honestly. This is just one of those movies you have to see for yourself.

Its also one of those movies that to fully get it, you have to see it more than once. Its a brilliant film, but a bit confusing.

Well, the plot may sound stupid, and if it hadn't been as brilliantly executed, it probably would have been. But its brilliant. I am going to attempt to explain it. Here goes...

A giant rabbit (no kidding) comes to proclaim the end of the world (no kidding) to troubled teenager Donnie Darko. Then, an aeroplane engine crashes into his bedroom while the rabbit is proclaiming the end of the world. (no kidding. Donnie then is able to see peoples 'paths', (represented as a long tube in front of the person, showing where they are going to go next) and is able to deny his own path. Confusing eh? This is a movie I can't explain any more. The rest has to be seen for yourself. Don't go in expecting a fully blown horror movie or any type of film with a straightforward, easy to understand plot. Because this film is really deep. Thought provoking, captivating, mesmerising and moving, this is a work of genius. This isn't the sort of film you can just watch casually though. You have been warned....

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Spain]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 January 2001 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$110,494, 28 October 2001

Gross USA:

$1,478,493

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,980,337

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pandora Cinema, Flower Films (II), Adam Fields Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min 134 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS (theatrical version) DTS (5.1) Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1