Far from perfect, but not a bad film

Rating: 7/10 (20 June 2012)

This film is strangely polarizing. It seems that most people either loved it or loathed it, and I don't consider myself in either group. I saw this movie for the first time years ago and didn't remember most of the details, so I decided it was time to watch it again and see what all the fuss is about. The version I saw was the director's cut, so I can't speak for the original.
First off, I'd like to praise the acting. Most of the actors in this film were spot on, particularly Mary McDonnell as Donnie's mother, Rose. The only performance for me that didn't quite hit the mark was Jake Gyllenhaal's, but I think that's just a matter of personal preference, not a flaw in his acting. Drew Barrymore was excellent as the English teacher and I've always been a fan of Maggie Gyllenhaal's.
One thing that really stood out for me in this film is how well the relationships between the characters were written. I found them well-developed, genuine and very enjoyable to watch, particularly those of the Darko family. Obviously the sibling relationship portrayed by the Gyllenhaals was spot on, but I also very much enjoyed the interactions between not only Donnie and his parents, but between the parents themselves.
The negatives in this film come largely from the supporting characters and from some of the writing. I felt that most of the characters in Donnie's school were very two-dimensional and the dialogue between the young characters felt like it was written by someone who couldn't quite remember how they spoke in their teen years and gave it their best approximation. The banter between the teenage boys was stiff and not quite believable (and there was one line in particular directed at a young female character that I found offensive and unnecessary).
I did enjoy the way everything plays out and comes together in the end. Though any story that deals in time travel is bound to have plot holes, I felt the plot was fairly well-executed and didn't leave any glaring inconsistencies.
All in all, I found Donnie Darko to be quite watchable and reasonably intelligent, but with room for growth in the filmmaking. I wouldn't go so far as to call it brilliant or a masterpiece as so many others have, but it's a film that makes you think, and those can be hard to come by these days.