Well crafted, thoughtful film.

Rating: 9/10 (7 March 2003)

I'm not going to talk much about the plot of DONNIE DARKO, I think many of the scenes and revelations work much better without aforethought. I will say that the ending, though debated, is best left open to personal interpretation. I have not seen the DVD, or heard the director's commentary, which may reveal the true meaning of the film's conclusion...I don't know. The ending evokes David Lynch, with its' ambiguity, and allows the viewer to complete the story in their own way. DONNIE DARKO does not labor to explain away the finale, it simply concludes leaving the viewer with resonance and echoes.
What really surprised me was that this is a film about teenage life that actually has ideas. The lead role (superbly acted by Jake Gyllenhaal) is a troubled young man, but not in that cinematic "troubled young man" way. His character builds and transmogrifies, subtly, throughout the narrative. Donnie is nuanced and vulnerable, defiant and submissive. He has a abstracted and unhealthy view on sex (at that age who really has a healthy one?); he stands up for people, but is not a hero. Upon arriving at the conclusion, this kid has been dragged through inner conflict and doubt, pressure and confusion, final release.
The film nurtures its' sci-fi roots with references to Minkowski's space-time theory, Einstein's worm-holes, along with other allusions to physics and science. The film draws a sense of time travel via Philip K. Dick and throws in a little Bradbury here, a little Vonnegut there.
The prophetic rabbit is equal parts Harvey and Alice in Wonderland, and the time period is wonderfully supported by the 88' presidential debates. Donnie Darko backstops the material in a way that many films are simply too lazy to do. These qualities add greatly to the mystery and nuance of the on-screen action. DONNIE DARKO gives the audience credit and does not pander. In an early scene at the bus stop, notice the way the characters' comments can go from jovial humor, to cold racism in a single breath. Also, the scene in which Donnie calls his mother a "bitch" is extremely well executed.
The supporting cast creates a realistic family dynamic; the father, played by Holmes Osborne, is torn between stolid parenting and breaking out into rowdy laughter. In a time of stereotyped teenage images (TV's SAVED BY THE BELL, etc., or the film American PIE and other such pubescent sex-romps), it is refreshing to find such strong and layered characters as the ones portrayed in this film. DONNIE DARKO walks a fine line, but finds the right balance and rarely falters. 9/10