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Life & Arts

Insight given by film makes it cult-worthy

Psychological thriller ‘Donnie Darko' is layered and detailed enough to warrant numerous repeat viewings

by EVA KAMINSKAYTE
The Daily Cougar

Donnie Darko is a favorite among viewers who enjoy having to think rather than sitting back and laughing at a brainless summer comedy. It's a dark psychological thriller with a refreshingly innovative plot that leaves much to the audience's imagination and has gained a cult-like following over the years. 

Because it's original opening credits are in an Arabic-like font and feature a plane crash, the movie got off to a bad start in theaters when it was released around 9/11. 

It has gained momentum despite its mediocre stint in theaters.

The film is named after the protagonist Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal), a paranoid, schizophrenic high school student. In it, he is destined to save the world from obliteration by traveling through time and following the guidance of a hallucination named Frank, who just happens to be a 6-foot-tall bunny rabbit. 

The whole mess starts when Donnie is coaxed out of his room moments before a jet engine falls on his house in a freak accident that opens a time portal. And now he only has 28 days until the world ends.

The story itself is superbly written and directed by Richard Kelly, and it is so intricate that fans can watch the movie dozens of times and catch something new or interpret the plot in a different way each time. 

Is the whole story a dream in a young man's disturbed mind? Did everyone travel through time in an alternate universe? It's hard to say for sure.

This movie shows the horrific underbelly of a society where it doesn't matter what you do as long as people have a high opinion of you. 

Interestingly enough, the only person who recognizes these injustices is Donnie, the one character who has been diagnosed with a mental disorder, and it's hard to tell who is crazy -- Donnie or everyone else.

The casting features some prominent actors with Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore and Noah Wyle as some of the primary characters. 

Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Donnie's sister in the movie, which makes for a genuine performance, since she and Jake Gyllenhaal are actually siblings. 

The best performance is definitely by Mary McDonnell, who plays Donnie's alcoholic mother and makes the part so real that it can break anyone's heart. 

The only disappointment is Jenna Malone in the role of Donnie's girlfriend, whose performance seems lackluster when surrounded by such a stellar cast.

The soundtrack, filled with gems from the 1980s, bring a sense of normalcy to the white, middle-class suburban setting fraught with injustices and abnormalities. For instance, Swayze's character is a deified motivational speaker visiting a religious private school and who is involved in a child pornography ring.

There are two versions of the film: the original and the director's cut. The original is for the casual watcher and is 113 minutes long, while the director's cut has an extra 19 minutes of details to boggle the mind. 

Both versions have their merits, but many prefer the original because it allows more freedom for interpretation. The real nerds are those of us who watch both movies obsessively and debate the pros and cons of every little difference between the two versions. 

Start with the original if you haven't seen Donnie Darko yet, but definitely make time for the extended cut. It's an interesting movie that poses the question of what's real and gives viewers topics for many colorful debates about the state of the world.

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