exitentialist teen satire

Rating: Null/10 (3 January 2003)

Donnie Darko is the weirdest movie I've seen in a long time. And I mean that as a compliment. Through the first half of the film, the film switches gears back and forth between being a teenage American Beauty-style High School satire - and being a psychological drama that asks the question "what if Kurt Vonnegut re-wrote the classic film/play Harvey (Jimmy Stewart, 1950)? Ultimately, these 2 sensibilities become further intertwined throughout the running time, crashing together in the cataclysm of the end of the story.
Title character Donnie Darko is a horny teenage boy, roughly 17 years old. He has an "intimidating" IQ and appropriately, "emotional problems". Medicated and troubled, one late night, Donnie is drawn sleepwalking onto a golf course green by a mysterious voice and is confronted by Frank, a very scary 6-foot tall Rabbit (suit). Frank tells Donnie that the world will end, and at exactly what moment: in 28 days. . . . etc. Slowly, as this date and time approach, Donnie's tolerance for the hypocracy of polite society dissolves into open hostility for authority, mostly towards his Catholic High School. Appropriately, this dissolution is parallel to that of his apparent sanity, as his visions of Frank become more frequent and vivid, and it begins to appear that Donnie is being controlled by forces beyond him - or perhaps it's the onset of Paranoid Schizophrenia. The satire of this film lies largely in its setting of October, 1988. As such, there are well-written (and well-cast) references to Smurfs, Michael Dukakis, Patrick Swayze, Self-Help videos, Books Banned by the PTA, and Star Search. As well, there are scenes are dramatically scored with the songs of Tears For Fears, Echo and the Bunnymen (heh) and Duran Duran. While this could easily come off as a fetish - a nostalgic hook alone - these elements don't seem tacked-on or parody. This is the "American Beauty" part of Donnie Darko; a social satire of a specific time, age and personal crisis against authority. But that's the sugar to help the surreal and dark Psycho-drama go down. What this movie is really about is up to a lot of interpretation - but such would have to include: faith in God, Time Travel, Reality vs.Sanity, Self-Belief, Fear of Death, and the Apocalypse. Add to that a healthy dose of Religious Parable, and it's one strange, curious trip. Donnie Darko is not a film for people who like their movies to make concrete sense - concluding with a neat red bow on top. There is a lot to interpret, think and argue about here (mostly in the last 15 minutes). The ending is dramatic and undefined, and finally, filled with an sense of kindness, sympathy and resolution. The movie is by no means perfect: There are questionable acting/casting choices (Barrymore), and it can easily argued that the story never really ties up its loose ends. There's a latin phrase used in writing (and this film) - "Deus ex Machina": "God of the Machine". It has come to define what a writer will do when the story seems to have painted itself into a corner; let an "Act of God" sort it all out in the end. There's a bit of that in Donnie Darko. However, sharp writing, elegant and stylized visuals, and solid acting hold all of this together in an effective and intriguing way, helping the audience enjoy the ride while Donnie swirls round and round the drain - only to find that what's on the other side may not be so scary after all. [If you rent the DVD and really like the film, I highly recommend watching the 20 Deleted Scenes. Some are short inconsequential trims, but there are many that change and add imporant elements to the story. Especially if you're a fan of Watership Down.]