Not a dream, a choice

Rating: Null/10 (5 May 2003)

Spoilers Ahead
I really enjoyed this film which surprised me as I went in told about how it was all a dream and he had never woken up let alone gone sleep walking. So when I watched it I was really pleasantly surprised because I really don't think that this film is about Donnie's dream, otherwise why isn't it just wish fulfilment. Why does he face the man he killed? Or watch his true love (its always true love at 18) die under the wheels of someone's car? Why say a dream is going to last 30 days? The questions are resolved but only if you look at the film another way. Donnie Darko did wake up, he was just given a choice, they almost (bear with some bad imagery here) folded a month of time back to show him the alternative of living. He could live and this would happen or he could die and save those people, even those he hated.
Rather than compare this film to Jacob's Ladder its easier to compare it to Its a wonderful life.