Donnie Darko

May very be one of the most confusing, provocative films ever laid down. It seems simple enough, but after watching, you will wonder what has happened and begin spinning your brain in several different directions. Donnie is played by a very young, post October Sky Jake Gyllenhaal. The film is set in the late 1980's, and lasts a duration of the month of October. Donnie is a very disturbed young man. Did I say man? Genius more like it. Mad Genius. He is constantly at his sisters and parents throats. His real life sis, Maggie, is also his on screen sister. They have one of the greatest on screen dinner conversations ever. His parents don't understand him, so he is put in therapy a couple times a week. He's doped up by his doctor, which may or may not lead to some possible hallucinations. On October 2 he wanders out of his house in the middle of the night where he meets Frank the bunny. Frank informs him the world will end in 28 days 6 hours 42 minutes and 12 seconds. With this new information his wheels start turning. That night changes everything. While he is out talking with Frank a jet engine crashes through the roof of his house and lands on his bed. The funny thing is where it came from. No one knows. This info gets Donnie wondering about time travel, wormholes, and seeing the future. He consults his teacher played by Noah Wylie. They have good conversations, but not much comes of it. Eventually Frank asks (tells) him to do things. Bad things. Enter Jim Cunningham (Patrick Schwayze). A self starter, inspirational speaker brought into Donnie's school to help the kids with moral. His program is based on two extreme emotions. Love and Fear. Donnie has big issues with this logic and by questioning the establishment he is getting more bad attention and into more trouble than before. Jim ends up being the building block of the community until Donnie confronts him and brings it all down. So with each day coming closer to the end of the world, we begin to wonder about Frank and time travel portals and what Donnie will figure out. It twists and turns and gets weirder and weirder, but for some reason makes sense. Then it all ends in a way so unforeseen by me and let the debate begin. I have my theory and every time I watch it, it gets more intense than the time before. What's funny is on RT the theatrical version is rated 84%, but the Director's cut which adds 20 minutes or so hits 91%. I have the directors cut and if anyone needs to borrow this brilliant film, just ask. Add smaller roles by Drew Barrymore, and Mary McDonnell ("Stands with a Fist"), who plays Donnie's mother.

NBM rates Donnie Darko - A Cinematic Work of Art

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