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The film was shot in [[California]]. Donnie's [[high school]] was portrayed by [[Loyola High School (Los Angeles)|Loyola High School]], a prominent [[Catholic]] school in [[Los Angeles, California]]. Donnie awakens in a [[golf course]] in [[Burbank, California]]; the hotel where his family lodges is the Burbank, California, [[Holiday Inn]]; the Aero theater where Donnie and Gretchen watch the double feature is a cinema in [[Santa Monica, California]].
The film was shot in [[California]]. Donnie's [[high school]] was portrayed by [[Loyola High School (Los Angeles)|Loyola High School]], a prominent [[Catholic]] school in [[Los Angeles, California]]. Donnie awakens in a [[golf course]] in [[Burbank, California]]; the hotel where his family lodges is the Burbank, California, [[Holiday Inn]]; the Aero theater where Donnie and Gretchen watch the double feature is a cinema in [[Santa Monica, California]].

The limited release of this film happened only a week before the attack itself (9-11). It was then held back for almost a year on the international releases where it fared much better and was viewed by many more cinema goers. From here the cult following of this movie began and the DVD release of the film brought it again to American audiences.


== Score ==
== Score ==

Revision as of 16:47, 20 April 2008

Donnie Darko
File:6990 poster.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed byRichard Kelly
Written byRichard Kelly
Produced byAdam Fields
Nancy Juvonen
Sean McKittrick
StarringJake Gyllenhaal
Jena Malone
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Patrick Swayze
Drew Barrymore
CinematographySteven B. Poster
Edited bySam Bauer
Eric Strand
Music byMichael Andrews
Distributed byNewmarket Films
Release dates
October 26, 2001 (USA)
Running time
113 min. (original cut)
133 min. (director's cut)
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish
BudgetUS$4.5 million
Box officeUS$4,116,307 (worldwide)

Donnie Darko is a 2001 drama/psychological thriller/science fiction film written and directed by Richard Kelly. The film had a small opening upon its release in the United States, but gained newfound popularity upon its DVD release and a cult following over the years.

Plot

The story takes place in 1988 in the town of Middlesex, Virginia,[1] during the time of the United States presidential election. Donnie Darko is an intelligent and emotionally troubled teenager who sleepwalks and is in the medical care of a psychiatrist. One night, a jet engine from a commercial aircraft falls into Donnie's bedroom. He avoids death only because prior to the accident, he had obeyed a voice in his head that led him to sleepwalk outside of his room. The voice is that of Frank, an apparently imaginary friend in a man-sized rabbit costume. At midnight on October 2, Frank prophesies to Donnie that the end of the world will occur in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds.

Later, Donnie begins seeing time portals in the form of "silvery plastic gel" spears[2] that flow out from people's chests. Such a spear indicates where a person will travel in the near future. In one example, Donnie sees one spear snake into the room, followed by his younger sister skipping through the room. Another spear leads Donnie to a pistol in his parents' closet, which he takes and keeps.

Meanwhile, Frank instructs Donnie to perform acts which provoke certain chains of events:

  • Donnie is instructed to flood his high school, which ends up giving him the opportunity to court his new classmate, Gretchen Ross.
  • Donnie is intrigued by Frank to pursue the question of time travel, so he starts a conversation with his science teacher. The teacher gives him the book The Philosophy of Time Travel by Roberta Sparrow, an old woman known as "Grandma Death" among the neighborhood youth. The book explains the scenario that Donnie is going through.
  • Donnie burns down the house of a motivational speaker he ridiculed at a school assembly, thereby exposing the speaker's secret "kiddie porn dungeon". The speaker's arrest begins a series of events that results in Donnie's mother chaperoning Donnie's younger sister and her dance group on a flight to Star Search in Los Angeles.

With both of their parents out of town, Donnie and his sister Elizabeth host a Halloween costume party on October 29, a day before the prophesied end of the world. At one point in the party, Donnie finds that the memo board on his refrigerator reads, "Frank was here... went to get beer!!"

Donnie leads Gretchen and two other friends to seek advice from Roberta Sparrow when they get ambushed by two school bullies who happen to be robbing the house that night. During the struggle, the bully asks, "why the fuck are you here?" to which Donnie proclaims "Deus ex Machina". Gretchen, having been pushed to the ground by the other bully, is run over and killed by a car swerving to miss Roberta Sparrow. The bullies flee. The car that killed Gretchen stops, and Donnie sees the driver as Frank in a rabbit costume for Halloween. Donnie uses his parents' pistol to shoot Frank in the eye, killing him. This was foreshadowed by an earlier scene in which Frank removes his rabbit mask to reveal a gaping wound in his right eye.

Arriving home with Gretchen's body, Donnie spots a portal opening in the sky and drives to a hillside. Donnie's mother and sister experience turbulence on their return flight home; one of the airplane's jet engines detaches and falls. The engine travels through the time portal to 28 days earlier, crashes into Donnie's bedroom, completing the predestination paradox. This time, Donnie laughs and stays in bed.

The story ends on the morning after the jet engine accident. Donnie is dead and the people his actions affected are stunned. Frank, wearing a ghastly rabbit costume subconsciously touches his right eye. Gretchen is alive and rides by Donnie's house on her bicycle. Never having met Donnie, she talks with a neighborhood child about the sad accident. She waves somberly to Donnie's mother and they seem to share a vague sense of mutual recognition.

Cast

Production

Donnie Darko was filmed in 28 days on a budget of US$4.5 million.[3] It almost went straight to home video release, but was publicly released by the production company Flower Films.[4]

The film was shot in California. Donnie's high school was portrayed by Loyola High School, a prominent Catholic school in Los Angeles, California. Donnie awakens in a golf course in Burbank, California; the hotel where his family lodges is the Burbank, California, Holiday Inn; the Aero theater where Donnie and Gretchen watch the double feature is a cinema in Santa Monica, California.

Score

Main article: Donnie Darko (soundtrack)

In 2003, composer Michael Andrews and singer Gary Jules found their piano-driven cover of the Tears for Fears' hit "Mad World", featured in the film as part of the end sequence, at the top of the UK music charts.[5]

A slightly remixed part of the song was used in the David Fincher directed TV commercial for the 2006 Xbox 360 game Gears of War. The advertisement brought the song an increased level of popularity, propelling it to number one in downloads at the iTunes music store in late 2006. This song has also had a strong presence in Internet culture, as it has been used countless times for fan videos and trailers. The song was also used at the end of an episode of CSI, at the end of an episode of Jericho, and in Smallville.

Other mainstream songs appear in the film, all of which are featured on the first CD of the British edition of the soundtrack. One continuous sequence involving an introduction of Donnie's high school prominently features the song Head over Heels by Tears for Fears, Samantha's dance group, "Sparkle Motion," performs with the song Notorious by Duran Duran, and Under the Milky Way by The Church is played after Donnie and Gretchen emerge from his room during the party. Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division also appears in the film during the party and shots of Donnie and Gretchen upstairs. However, the version included was released in 1995, although the film is set in 1988.

Release and marketing

  • The Donnie Darko Book (2003), written by Richard Kelly and introduced by Jake Gyllenhaal, explains some of the film's details. The script is the director's cut.
  • NECA released a six-inch (15 cm) figure of Frank the Bunny, and later, a foot-tall (30 cm) 'talking' version of the same figure.

Reception

Donnie Darko had its first screening at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19th 2001. Critic Andy Bailey billed Donnie Darko as a "Sundance surprise" that "isn't spoiled by the Hollywood forces that helped birth it."[6] Although critically acclaimed, the film debuted in U.S. theaters in October, 2001 to a tepid response. Shown on only 58 screens nationwide, the film grossed $110,494 in its opening weekend. By the time the film closed in U.S. theaters on April 11, 2002, it had grossed $517,375.[7][8]

Despite the poor showing at the box office, the film had attracted a devoted fan base. Donnie Darko was originally released on DVD and VHS in March of 2002. During this time, the Pioneer Theatre in New York City's East Village began midnight screenings of Donnie Darko that continued for 28 consecutive months.[9] Strong DVD sales led Newmarket Films to release a "Directors Cut" on DVD in 2005. Bob Berney, President of Newmarket Films, described the film as "a runaway hit on DVD," citing US sales of more than $10 million.

Awards and nominations

2001 — Richard Kelly won with Donnie Darko for "Best Screenplay" at the Catalonian International Film Festival and at the San Diego Film Critics Society. Donnie Darko also won the "Audience Award" for Best Feature at the Sweden Fantastic Film Festival. The film was nominated for "Best Film" at the Catalonian International Film Festival and for the "Grand Jury Prize" at the Sundance Film Festival.

2002 — Donnie Darko won the "Special Award" at the Young Filmmakers Showcase at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The movie also won the "Silver Scream Award" at the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival. In 2002 Kelly was nominated for "Best First Feature" and "Best First Screenplay" with Donnie Darko, as well as Jake Gyllenhaal being nominated for "Best Male Lead" at the Independent Spirit Awards. The film was also nominated for the "Best Breakthrough Film" at the Online Film Critics Society Awards.

2003 — Jake Gyllenhaal won "Best Actor" and Richard Kelly "Best Original Screenplay" for Donnie Darko at the Chlotrudis Awards, where Kelly was also nominated for "Best Director" and "Best Movie."

2005 — Donnie Darko ranked in the top five on My Favourite Film, an Australian poll conducted by the ABC.[10]

2006 — Donnie Darko ranks ninth in FilmFour's 50 Films to See Before You Die.[11]

It also came in at number 14 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 Best High School Movies, and landed at number 2 in their "Greatest Independent Films of All Time" list.

Director's interpretation

Writer/director Richard Kelly does not deny personal interpretations, but has expressed his own theories through the extra commentary on the two DVDs, his own (fictional) book The Philosophy of Time Travel, and in various other interviews.

According to Kelly and his Philosophy of Time Travel, at midnight on October 2 a Tangent Universe branches off the Primary Universe around the time when Donnie is called out of his bedroom by Frank, immediately before the appearance of the Artifact, the faulty jet engine. The inherently unstable Tangent Universe will collapse in just over 28 days and take the Primary Universe with it if not corrected. Closing the Tangent Universe is the duty of the Living Receiver, Donnie, who wields certain supernatural powers to help him in the task.

Those who have died/will die within the Tangent Universe (and would not have died otherwise) are the Manipulated Dead (Frank, Samantha Darko, Rose Darko, and Gretchen Ross). Manipulated Dead Frank, at least, is also given certain powers in that he is able to subtly understand what is happening and have the ability to contact and influence the Living Receiver via the Fourth Dimensional Construct (water). All others within the orbit of the Living Receiver are the Manipulated Living (e.g. Ms. Pomeroy, Dr. Monnitoff), subconsciously drawn to push him towards his destiny to close the Tangent Universe and, according to the Philosophy of Time Travel, die by the Artifact.

There are two "Franks" in the story: the living boyfriend of Donnie's sister Elizabeth (at the end of the film he is killed by Donnie) and the Manipulated Dead Frank who appears to Donnie as a premonition from the future in the disturbing rabbit suit (the second Frank is dead, or undead). Dead Frank is aware of Donnie's fate and destiny.

Director's cut

File:Donniedarkodvd.jpeg
Director's Cut DVD Cover

The director's cut of the film was released on May 29, 2004 in Seattle, Washington at the Seattle International Film Festival, and later in New York City and Los Angeles on July 23, 2004. This cut includes twenty minutes of extra footage, an altered soundtrack, the director's interpretation and visual excerpts from the book The Philosophy of Time Travel. The director's cut DVD, released on February 15, 2005, included the new footage and more soundtrack changes, as well as some additional features exclusive to the two-DVD set: excerpts from the storyboard, a 52-minute production diary, "#1 fan video," a "cult following" video interviewing British fans, and the new director's cut cinematic trailer. The director's cut DVD was released as a giveaway with copies of the British Sunday Times newspaper on February 19 2006.

Differences

In the director's cut:

  • The opening-scene song was changed from Echo and the Bunnymen's "The Killing Moon" to INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart". The INXS song was the intended original number. "The Killing Moon" later replaces "Under the Milky Way" by The Church during the party scene, although it's a remixed version of the song. "Under The Milky Way" now plays on the radio in the car scene with Donnie and his father.
  • In the original cut, when Donnie walks into the kitchen at the end of the first scene, the opening music fades and the "The Killing Moon" is playing on a radio in the kitchen. Yet this is not so for "Never Tear Us Apart" in the Director's Cut.
  • Donnie follows a transparent "spear" while watching the football game; the spear does not form a finger and beckon him, as in the original.
  • Donnie's psychiatrist informs him that his pills are placebos, and tells him that he is an agnostic, and not an atheist as he thinks.
  • The Holiday Inn scene is longer.
  • The scene with Cunningham in the school is longer. Cunningham goes through the kids' problems in greater detail.
  • Several scenes in Ms. Pomeroy's classroom are re-inserted: Donnie reading his own poetry about Frank in class, the teacher announcing the banning of Graham Greene's The Destructors and its replacement with Watership Down, and the class later watching the animated adaptation of Watership Down.
  • Frank does not apologize in the theater during The Evil Dead.
  • In the theatre, Frank's voice is changed from the usual whispering heard in the original, to the same 2-layered, distorted voice as heard when he is first heard.
  • Karen Pomeroy's firing is shorter, while the scene in which Donnie asks her about the words "cellar door" is longer and contains almost entirely different dialogues.
  • Various transition scenes show chapter excerpts from Roberta Sparrow's The Philosophy of Time Travel.
  • There is more of Donnie and Gretchen, including an arcade scene with Donnie playing the race-car game Outrun. In the game the car is red, as is human Frank's TransAm.
  • In a new scene, Donnie's mother and father are eating dinner in a restaurant as they discuss Donnie's situation.
  • Donnie and Elizabeth are shown carving jack-o-lanterns. Donnie carves his into the shape of Frank's mask. In the original version, this lantern is still present on the kitchen bench but is not seen being carved.
  • The shot of Donnie's eyes bulging as his face enters the spear at the Halloween party is removed.
  • A series of fireworks, clips from the animated film Watership Down, and shots from the Outrun video game are superimposed over the montage at the end of the film.
  • The scene in which Frank first wakes Donnie is longer.
  • Certain events first appear as images within Donnie's eye, described as deus ex machina by director Richard Kelly in the audio commentary for the Director's Cut. The first image of Frank flashes in Donnie's pupil as Frank wakes him; the second image is that of rushing water to represent the flooding of the school; and there is a shot of fire in Donnie's eyes before Frank tells him to burn Cunningham's house down (instead of a full-screen shot of Cunningham's house on fire). The eye appears every time Donnie is commanded to do a task.
  • Near the beginning of the movie, when Donnie's mom comes into his room, "Voices Carry" by Til Tuesday is playing in the background.
  • The deleted scenes (included in the first DVD release) are hidden as easter eggs.
  • In the original, when Frank shows Donnie a portal in the movie theater, the portal transitions into a picture of Cunningham's house as Frank tells Donnie to "burn it to the ground." In the Director's Cut, the portal transitions to a shot of Donnie's eye with flames in the eye's reflection as Frank then tells Donnie to "burn it to the ground."

Stage production

Marcus Stern, Associate Director of the American Repertory Theatre, directed a staged adaptation of Donnie Darko at the Zero Arrow Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the fall of 2007. It ran from October 27 to November 18, 2007, with opening night fittingly scheduled on Halloween. An article written by the production dramaturg stated that the director and production team planned to "embrace the challenge to make the fantastical elements come alive on stage."[12]

More details and commentary about the production can be found on the A.R.T.'s official website and the A.R.T.'s official blog.

In 2004, Stern adapted and directed Kelly's screenplay for a graduate student production at the American Repertory Theatre's Institute for Advanced Theatre Training (I.A.T.T./M.X.A.T.).

Notes

  1. ^ Q&A with Richard Kelly, Madstone Theaters and the San Diego Film Critics Society. "The movie is intended to be Virginia but we shot it all around Southern California....It’s meant to be a stylized, satirical, comic book, fantasyland version of what I remember Midlothian, Virginia to be, I guess."
  2. ^ Donnie Darko screenplay.
  3. ^ "Donnie Darko". Richard-Kelly.net (unofficial fansite). Retrieved 2007-03-05.
  4. ^ "'Darko' takes a long, strange trip". USA Today. Retrieved 2005-02-14.
  5. ^ "Donnie Darko". Indie Wire. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  6. ^ "Donnie Darko". Indie Wire. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  7. ^ "Donnie Darko". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  8. ^ "Donnie Darko". IMDB. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  9. ^ "Donnie Darko". Indie Wire. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  10. ^ "My Favourite Film". ABC. Retrieved 2006-07-11.
  11. ^ "C4 relaunches Film4 with '50 films to see before you die' list countdown". Brand Republic. Retrieved 2006-09-16.
  12. ^ Sarah Wallace (2007-08-07). "Bringing the End of the World to Life". American Repertory Theatre. Retrieved 2007-10-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

References

  • Kelly, Richard (2003), The Donnie Darko Book, Faber and Faber, ISBN 0571221246.
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