Movie Review
Audience: People who have already seen the movie but who may have come to a different conclusion of the ending than I have.
Purpose: To expose evidence that leads my audience to see the movie in a different way than before. To make more sense of the ending
Persona: Casual Movie Reviewer
Donnie Darko: Not Just a Hallucination
By Jake Zweber
September 15, 2013
When I first watched Donnie Darko I didn’t think much of it. It was a coming of age tale of a teenage boy who wanted to find meaning in his life. Add the time traveling aspect and it immediately seemed too farfetched to be enjoyable. But after watching it several times I have finally been able to piece together the plot and have realized that it is truly a remarkable piece of work. Hidden throughout the film are pieces of foreshadowing that lead the viewer to believe that the events that occur are not just in Donnie’s head but rather something much more real and complex.
The film follows the life of troubled teenager Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) who has problems getting along with his family and friends due to his schizophrenia. But this is not the only problem in this adolescent’s life. Donnie’s life takes a turn for the surreal when he is contacted by a man, dressed in an incredibly menacing looking bunny suit, named Frank. Frank is a messenger from the future and tells Donnie that the world is going to end in 28 days and it is up to him to save it. Throughout the movie Frank reappears to Donnie and tells him to commit various crimes including flooding his school and burning down the house of local celebrity Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze). Donnie hopes that by committing these crimes he can influence the events that will fix the space-time continuum and save all existence.
I would like to warn those who have not yet seen the movie as I will be covering some important plot points which may contain spoilers. If you have not yet seen the movie I highly recommend you watch it as it is a very interesting and thought provoking film.
There is evidence all over the film that suggest that the events are not all in Donnie’s head and that they are in fact real. A lot of the evidence is not directly referenced and as such can be hard to spot. Reviewer James Plath says “You can do what Donnie does at one point and go backwards and pick up on a lot of the things you missed the first time around. And in so doing, you can appreciate the artistry of this film and understand why it's become a cult classic.”
The first piece of evidence is revealed to the audience when Donnie busts the water main at his school, causing it to flood. When the police come to investigate the crime they find an axe driven into the head of the statue of the school’s mascot which is made out of solid bronze. Director Richard Kelly explicitly states in the commentary that “There is no way a 16 year old boy would be able to do something like that on his own.” This starts to get the viewers thinking. The axe provides the audience with a subtle hint that Donnie possesses some sort of supernatural strength but it is often overlooked the first time viewing the film.
The next piece of evidence is given to us when Frank appears to Donnie in the movie theater. Frank shows Donnie an image of Jim Cunningham’s house and tells him to “burn it to the ground.” Donnie listens to Frank and goes to Jim’s house and begins to pour gasoline all over the place. After pouring the gasoline, Donnie mysteriously ignites it. This piece of evidence is very easy to ignore as it is only shown for about 3 seconds. What we begin to see, however, is that Donnie clearly possesses some kind of otherworldly abilities as he is able to conjure flames at will.
The final piece of evidence is presented at the very end of the film. Donnie is found sitting in the same spot as he was at the beginning of the film only this time what appears to be a great storm is massing over his town. It is revealed to be the portal between the two universes the film is set in; the primary universe, and the tangent universe, where most of the film actually takes place. Donnie uses what appears to be some form of telekinesis to pull the engine off a passing jet and send it through the portal, returning the engine to the primary universe. “The pieces finally come together. The flooding of the school, the burning of the house all lead to this moment where he (Donnie) finally saves the universe and sacrifices himself.” Kelly describes Donnie’s decision to pull the engine from the plane and explains how all the events leading up to this moment were influenced by Frank.
The ending of the film gives the audience a lot to think about. On the first viewing, it is easy to attribute all of the events to Donnie’s mental condition. But as you analyze the clues put into the film by Kelly the real plot begins to unfold and you start to understand how every little detail plays an important role. Reviewer Annilee Ellingson says “All of this culminates on Halloween, when, Frank says, the world will come to an end. Instead, only the world as Donnie has known it comes to an end, and all that was upset by his not sleeping in his own bed that fateful night is resolved in a narrative arc that is as unpredictable as it is riveting.” Donnie Darko is a film that deserves multiple viewings and is sure to intrigue anyone from the biggest sci-fi nerd down to the most casual viewer.
Works Cited
“Donnie Darko.” Photo. michaeldvd.com.au Web. September 15, 2013.
“Frank Donnie Darko.” Photo. www.digitalspy.com Web. September 15, 2013.
“Back to the Future ad Donnie Darko.” Photo. Philosophyandspringfilm2013.wordpress.com Web. September 15, 2013.
Donnie Darko. Dir. Richard Kelly, II. By Richard Kelly, II. Perf. Jake Gyllenhaal and Jena Malone. Twentieth Century Fox, 2001. DVD.
“Audio Commentary: Richard Kelly.” Donnie Darko. Perf. Jake Gyllenhaal and Jena Malone. Twentieth Century Fox, 2001. DVD.
Ellingson, Annilee. "Donnie Darko." Rev. of Donnie Darko. n.d.: n. pag. Boxoffice.com. 26 Oct. 2001. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://www.boxoffice.com/reviews/theatrical/2008-08-donnie-darko>.
Plath, James. "Donnie Darko Blu-ray Review." Rev. of Donnie Darko. n.d.: n. pag. Movie Metropolis. 31 July 2011. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://moviemet.com/review/donnie-darko-blu-ray-review-0#.UkPEqoZ4I_g>.
Purpose: To expose evidence that leads my audience to see the movie in a different way than before. To make more sense of the ending
Persona: Casual Movie Reviewer
Donnie Darko: Not Just a Hallucination
By Jake Zweber
September 15, 2013
When I first watched Donnie Darko I didn’t think much of it. It was a coming of age tale of a teenage boy who wanted to find meaning in his life. Add the time traveling aspect and it immediately seemed too farfetched to be enjoyable. But after watching it several times I have finally been able to piece together the plot and have realized that it is truly a remarkable piece of work. Hidden throughout the film are pieces of foreshadowing that lead the viewer to believe that the events that occur are not just in Donnie’s head but rather something much more real and complex.
The film follows the life of troubled teenager Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) who has problems getting along with his family and friends due to his schizophrenia. But this is not the only problem in this adolescent’s life. Donnie’s life takes a turn for the surreal when he is contacted by a man, dressed in an incredibly menacing looking bunny suit, named Frank. Frank is a messenger from the future and tells Donnie that the world is going to end in 28 days and it is up to him to save it. Throughout the movie Frank reappears to Donnie and tells him to commit various crimes including flooding his school and burning down the house of local celebrity Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze). Donnie hopes that by committing these crimes he can influence the events that will fix the space-time continuum and save all existence.
I would like to warn those who have not yet seen the movie as I will be covering some important plot points which may contain spoilers. If you have not yet seen the movie I highly recommend you watch it as it is a very interesting and thought provoking film.
There is evidence all over the film that suggest that the events are not all in Donnie’s head and that they are in fact real. A lot of the evidence is not directly referenced and as such can be hard to spot. Reviewer James Plath says “You can do what Donnie does at one point and go backwards and pick up on a lot of the things you missed the first time around. And in so doing, you can appreciate the artistry of this film and understand why it's become a cult classic.”
The first piece of evidence is revealed to the audience when Donnie busts the water main at his school, causing it to flood. When the police come to investigate the crime they find an axe driven into the head of the statue of the school’s mascot which is made out of solid bronze. Director Richard Kelly explicitly states in the commentary that “There is no way a 16 year old boy would be able to do something like that on his own.” This starts to get the viewers thinking. The axe provides the audience with a subtle hint that Donnie possesses some sort of supernatural strength but it is often overlooked the first time viewing the film.
The next piece of evidence is given to us when Frank appears to Donnie in the movie theater. Frank shows Donnie an image of Jim Cunningham’s house and tells him to “burn it to the ground.” Donnie listens to Frank and goes to Jim’s house and begins to pour gasoline all over the place. After pouring the gasoline, Donnie mysteriously ignites it. This piece of evidence is very easy to ignore as it is only shown for about 3 seconds. What we begin to see, however, is that Donnie clearly possesses some kind of otherworldly abilities as he is able to conjure flames at will.
The final piece of evidence is presented at the very end of the film. Donnie is found sitting in the same spot as he was at the beginning of the film only this time what appears to be a great storm is massing over his town. It is revealed to be the portal between the two universes the film is set in; the primary universe, and the tangent universe, where most of the film actually takes place. Donnie uses what appears to be some form of telekinesis to pull the engine off a passing jet and send it through the portal, returning the engine to the primary universe. “The pieces finally come together. The flooding of the school, the burning of the house all lead to this moment where he (Donnie) finally saves the universe and sacrifices himself.” Kelly describes Donnie’s decision to pull the engine from the plane and explains how all the events leading up to this moment were influenced by Frank.
The ending of the film gives the audience a lot to think about. On the first viewing, it is easy to attribute all of the events to Donnie’s mental condition. But as you analyze the clues put into the film by Kelly the real plot begins to unfold and you start to understand how every little detail plays an important role. Reviewer Annilee Ellingson says “All of this culminates on Halloween, when, Frank says, the world will come to an end. Instead, only the world as Donnie has known it comes to an end, and all that was upset by his not sleeping in his own bed that fateful night is resolved in a narrative arc that is as unpredictable as it is riveting.” Donnie Darko is a film that deserves multiple viewings and is sure to intrigue anyone from the biggest sci-fi nerd down to the most casual viewer.
Works Cited
“Donnie Darko.” Photo. michaeldvd.com.au Web. September 15, 2013.
“Frank Donnie Darko.” Photo. www.digitalspy.com Web. September 15, 2013.
“Back to the Future ad Donnie Darko.” Photo. Philosophyandspringfilm2013.wordpress.com Web. September 15, 2013.
Donnie Darko. Dir. Richard Kelly, II. By Richard Kelly, II. Perf. Jake Gyllenhaal and Jena Malone. Twentieth Century Fox, 2001. DVD.
“Audio Commentary: Richard Kelly.” Donnie Darko. Perf. Jake Gyllenhaal and Jena Malone. Twentieth Century Fox, 2001. DVD.
Ellingson, Annilee. "Donnie Darko." Rev. of Donnie Darko. n.d.: n. pag. Boxoffice.com. 26 Oct. 2001. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://www.boxoffice.com/reviews/theatrical/2008-08-donnie-darko>.
Plath, James. "Donnie Darko Blu-ray Review." Rev. of Donnie Darko. n.d.: n. pag. Movie Metropolis. 31 July 2011. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://moviemet.com/review/donnie-darko-blu-ray-review-0#.UkPEqoZ4I_g>.