So very confused...

Rating: Null/10 (11 January 2003)

SPOILERS!!! Ok... i finished watching this film less than an hour ago and just got done reading everyones opinions on it and i must say i am more confused about this movie than any other i can recall.
First, where does this story come from? because some of you talk about it as though it is taken from an actual event and some of you talk about it like it was a story created from someones imagination.
My first set of questions... 1) Is the PoTT real? 2) was Donnie Darko real?

If he was real then how was this story written? because if he was real then movie is a contradiction to itself. because in the end it is clear that DD is dead. but the way that he died was that he travelled back in time to make a different choice and stayed in bed, which in turn took his life since he layed in the spot that he knew the plane would fly over...and the engine, referd to by others on this site as engine X, killed him.
now, idea 1... Donnie on October 2 gets out of bed and goes to Frank.
frank, in a way, saved his life. because if DD hadnt moved he would have been smushed. now, DD goes on comitting these acts that frank suggests and seems to get away with them all untill he chooses to go back in time to die so that he can stop being alone. if this is the case then in the end we are brought back to the beginning where reality starts. if he would have died in that room, even if all of the other 112 minutes of the movie actually happend, we wouldnt have known, because we wouldnt have sen him live them, because he went back and chose to die. ( i know this sounds really bad but its a complex and confusing subject. ) so now we have DD dead because of engine x. now where did engine x come from? in the movie we are shown that it comes from the plane that DD's mother and sister are on. well if engine x really did kill DD then i think engine x would have had to come from somewhere else. here is why. you have to ask yourself why were DD's mother and sister on that plane. they were on it because they were coming home from a big competition of some sort where everyone seemed to be excited. if DD died aprox. a month earlier i dont think that his mother and sister would be on a plane coming back from a dance competition. i just dont think that they would be up to the trip you know what i mean.
This is when i get confused...because then you have to ask yourself about religion and all of that... would someone answer there questions...
1)why does DD's mom stop crying and wave at DD's would have been future girlfriend at the end? 2) what is the name and artist of that song at the end of the movie i believe it was called Mad World or somthing like that. 3)why does the teacher sit up in the end...what relivance does that have? 4)who is the guy in the red jump suit and does it have a religious referance? 5)what relevance does the chinese girl have and DD's name written on her book? also whats the deal with the ear muffs. 6)when Dres Barrymore walks out after being fired what does she stop yelling and look at the little girl as though they are communication or have communicated before about somthing that seems to be rather important(i dunno about you, but thats the feeling i got when i saw that pause in the movie) 7)Why doesnt DD just go talk to "Grandma Death" and get her opinion on whats going on and her help as well? 8)if frank was real and the whole thoery of time travel is real then why cant DD's little sister see him..and why cant we see him in certain frames while they are in the theatre? ( i know hes supposed to be an imaginary friend but he was real at one time so i am confused)