Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko
Written and Directed by Richard Kelley
2001
Pandora Cinema
Rated R

Plot Summary:
Donnie is an emotionally troubled boy with a propensity for sleepwalking. His family worriedly pressures him to take his meds and talk to his shrink; which he seems to do, for the most part. One day, part of an airplane engine crashes into Donnie's bedroom. Concurrently, a large bunny named Frank begins making overtures and suggestions to Donnie, most of which involve small-scale vandalism and destruction. Frank's visits to Donnie steadily increase, along with his countdown to Halloween, the day he says the world will end.
Critical Evaluation:
Despite its rootedness in a suburban neighborhood and a small private school, Donnie Darko immediately signals its grander ambitions with its opening aerial shots and grand musical score. The film's combination of confused boy and abstract existential philosophy plays to unique ends, allowing for an indulgence that graces both while refusing trivialization. Kelly very obviously bites off much more than he can chew, but the faithful emotion and polished style he brings to the material affords a grace that is unsurpassable.
Reader's Annotation:
A bunny keeps whispering to Donnie that the world is about to end. But between his encounters with Grandma Death, Stephen Hawking's worm hole theories, and his infatuation with the troubled new girl, he's not sure what to believe. Then it all starts to come together...
Genre:
Science-Fiction/Bildungsroman
Reader (Viewer) Level/Interest Age:
A teenage, post-apocalyptic cult movie.
Author Info:
Richard Kelly went to college with my sister in Radford, Virginia. Donnie Darko was his first film, debuting to apathy, building to intense B-movie fandom. Kelly has since directed two films, both of which garnered mixed, confused reviews.
Filmtalking Ideas:
*Who is Frank and why does he choose Donnie?
*What role do the 2 sympathetic teachers play in Donnie's life?
*Does his mother understand his plight? And, what about his therapist?
*Why is the old lady on the hill referred to as Grandma Death?
Challenge Issues:
The film is rated R for language, violence, and "some" drug use. However, the drugs are prescription anti-depressants, the language is typical, and the violence is minimal. The themes are mature and dark though, and probably of interest only to older teens and morose adults.
Why Include?:
Because I love this film and believe it to be an important document recording teenage anxiety, confusion, and possible schizophrenia.