Written by Richard Kelly
Directed by Richard Kelly

Back around 2008, I’d heard so much about the film Donnie Darko, and yet I still didn’t know what I was in for when I finally watched it. Although parts of the story became clear early on, some of it even after the film was over left me scratching my head. That’s not to say it wasn’t a good film – it’s just one of those films that work quite well with repeat viewing as some nuances are captured then.

Jake Gyllenhall is the title character, Donnie Darko, a high school student who lives in a suburban community but doesn’t quite fit in. He’s under the care of a psychiatrist, but goes off and back onto his medication regularly.

One night, he hears someone calling him out of the darkness. He wanders out of his bed and follows the voice out of the house to find a six-foot tall rabbit named Frank who speaks to him. While he’s out of the bedroom, a plane engine crashes into it. He awakens the next morning on the green of the golf course at the local country club.

The next day at school, he’s something of a celebrity. The new, beautiful girl at school, Gretchen (portrayed by Jena Malone), even sits next to him.

But the rabbit returns, prompting dark thoughts and some actions. Life goes on around him, in the crazy world of suburbia. Things that are seemingly unrelated happen, and although not all is revealed right away, staying with the film to the end really has it all work.

I don’t want to reveal too much as the film works best when you’re surprised by what happens. It’s a film in the vein of The Sixth Sense in that the ending has everything else make sense, but it also begs you to go back and watch it again (and again, and again for some of us) to try and catch clues to what’s going on.

The acting is solid all around. Donnie Darko was released in 2001 which was before Jake Gyllenhaal had really broken out as an actor. However, the role shows his potential greatly. Many actors can portray the troubled, sometimes psychotic teenager. Few can give it the authentic feel. Couple that with the way he handles the events that take place in the film, and you have a fantastic performance. The first time I viewed Donnie Darko, he convinced me that Donnie was a deeply troubled teen who was mentally unstable after the engine landed in his room. Once I learned there was more to what was happening than what it seemed at first, his acting also worked well seeing the character in a new light. Gyllenhaal has managed to create a multi-dimensional character out of what at first seemed to be a typical troubled teen character.

Credit for this also goes to Richard Kelly who wrote and directed Donnie Darko. Thinking of how this must have sounded when he pitched it to the studio, I am amazed that he had the wherewithal to get it made as well as follow it through to completion. There is a Director’s Cut of the film which does add to the overall tone and story, but the fact that it was made as faithfully as it was in its original form speaks to his dedication. He did a tremendous job bringing the project to life and telling a quirky, somewhat dark story about what happens when the fabric of life is ripped apart. The depth of his characters is excellent, as there seems to be little that’s said or done that’s wasted. Everything has a purpose and everything makes the characters that much more fuller and richer.

The secondary cast is terrific, with names like Maggie Gyllenhaal and Mary McDonnell as Donnie’s family. They fall into the area of families we’ve seen before who are so caught up in life and trying to get through each day they fail to stop and notice the details of what’s happening, whether those details are good or bad. McDonnell is particular is good as a mother who is stretched too far but is doing the best she can. Patrick Swayze as one of these “motivational speakers” a la Tony Robbins is hilarious. Katharine Ross gives one of her rare performances as Donnie’s therapist. Rounding out the cast are such names as Noah Wyle and Drew Barrymore.

It’s perhaps Jena Malone’s role as Gretchen that gives the character of Donnie balance. Again, it’s a storyline that could fall into being a cliche, as the pretty, new girl attaches herself to the outsider. Combined with Kelly’s writing and directing, Malone is good at keeping Gretchen as more than just a pretty face or trophy.

The soundtrack is excellent, with a good selection of songs from artists of the 1980’s such as Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, Oingo Boingo, and Echo and the Bunnymen.

The extras on the DVD are good, particularly the commentaries.

Donnie Darko is not a light film. it’s quite dark, but those elements will definitely appeal to teenagers, which is the audience the film seems aimed toward. That said, adults can get it fine if they choose to. I liked it a lot and have watched it several times. It’s quite well-balanced with a good deal of suspense and drama and just enough humor to take the edge off.


SPECIAL FEATURES:

* Commentary with Writer/Director Richard Kelly & Jake Gyllenhaal
* Commentary with Writer/Director Richard Kelly, Drew Barrymore, Producer Sean McKittrick, Jena Malone, Beth Grant, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne, Katharine Ross, and James Duval
* Production Diary
* “They Made Me Do It Too: The Cult of Donnie Darko”
* Storyboard-to-screen featurette
* #1 Fan: A Darkomentary
* Director’s cut theatrical trailer