Donnie Darko. WTF?

[Samuel T. Cogley]

I had heard so many good things about this movie that I finally rented it a few years back. It made no sense to me at all. I couldn't figure out what I was missing.

The "Director's Cut" came out a while back, and I heard, "Oh, if you didn't like it before, you're going to love it now!" I added it to my Netflix list back then, but I kept postponing watching it, for fear of taking one bad experience and doubling it.

So the DVD finally arrived today, and I'm going to give it another shot.

Can anyone put the charm of this thing into a nutshell for me?

I went to the Wikipedia site and my eyes stared rolling into the back of my head after reading it.

I'm a pretty smart guy, and I love funky, weird culty stuff.

What am I missing?

Is it just so weird that you have to let the weirdness wash over you and not try to make sense of it?

Or is it just a shitty movie and people are afraid to say that the Emperor has no clothes?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I dunno, I haven't seen it, but have you seen "Videodrome?"

 

[Daneel]

The "Director's Cut" came out a while back, and I heard, "Oh, if you didn't like it before, you're going to love it now!"

Interesting... I've actually heard that the "Director's Cut" is worse. I kind of liked the mystery and ambiguity of the film, even though it doesn't really make a lick of sense. From what I understand, though, the DC tries to offer explanations as to what is going on in the movie... and those explanations are beyond lame. The film may leave me scratching my head, but at least I can come up with my own answers; I find that for some movies, like Donnie Darko, this is the ideal scenario. If I'm wrong about the details of the Director's Cut, then by all means, somebody tell me.

Ultimately, I don't think the film is exceptional, but I consider it entertainingly trippy -- no classic, but worth seeing at least once. I can certainly understand how it could turn off some viewers, though.

 

[Canadave]

Donnie Darko makes no sense at all, but I love it anyway. It's got a great style and it's really enjoyable to watch, so I have a hard time disliking it.

 

[Samuel T. Cogley]

Sounds like maybe I just need to let go and (try to) enjoy the ride.

 

[sidious618]

Ultimately, I don't think the film is exceptional, but I consider it entertainingly trippy -- no classic, but worth seeing at least once. I can certainly understand how it could turn off some viewers, though.

Pretty much my reaction to the film as well.

 

[Barbados Slim]

It's the most overrated movie of all time.

I saw it once in the theater and remember thinking it had the sci-fi elements of a typical Star Trek episode and the rest was the most drug-trippy elements of "Harvey."

I also heard from fans that the director's cut is worse. I think Richard Kelly may be a hack, having seen Southland Tales' 2 1/2 hours of crazy. His next film The Box is supposed to be interesting and the script great. It's about a couple who finds a box with a button or something that if they press it, one person, somewhere on Earth will die and they'll get $1M. Sounds interesting but he'll screw it up.

 

[RoJoHen]

What I love/hate about Donnie Darko is that you can ALMOST make sense of it if you really try. But ultimately, I just think it's weird and awesome, and it has some great lines.

"Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!"

 

[Harvey]

I love the film a great deal. I don't think it's all that difficult to make sense of if you stop to think about it. I DO think the director's cut erases any subtlety or ambiguity found in the theatrical version, which is by far the superior film.

 

[T'Baio]

If you have a unique visual flair and believe in your own bullshit, you can make a lot of people think your movie is brilliant.

And they'll still stay it's brilliant even when you admit you had no idea what you were doing.

But the studio marketing machine will figure it all out for you. And they'll eat it up.

Everyone wants to be a part of the new indie discovery.


That almost sounds like a poem.

 

[Nardpuncher]

If you have a unique visual flair and believe in your own bullshit, you can make a lot of people think your movie is brilliant.

And they'll still stay it's brilliant even when you admit you had no idea what you were doing.

But the studio marketing machine will figure it all out for you. And they'll eat it up.

Everyone wants to be a part of the new indie discovery.


That almost sounds like a poem.

I hear ya.
Some people do that with books that are popular too...they're afraid to say that it was boring or pretentious or tried to hard to be droll. So they just say it was brilliant.

 

[ALF]

What I love about Darko is that

Spoiler: Darko

you don't realize it is science fiction until the movie ends

 

[Deckerd]

It had me completely baffled. It was pretty to watch though.

 

[bigdaddy]

People I have talked to told me to watch it because I love American Beauty.

I watched the trailer, I have no clue why I would like that mess if I liked American Beauty.

 

[Mr Light]

I didn't think it was that confusing... the airplane engine that crashes though the house at the beginning of the film was future-D dying. A wormhole was about to destroy the universe, but by going back in time and sacrificing himself he saved the world by never creating the wormhole in the first place. And the bunny guy was a future specter telling him what to do to prevent the catastrophe. As I recall, it's been awhile.

 

[Bisz]

Never seen Donnie Darko.

And just to fly in the face of what people have said in this thread: I have seen Blade Runner at least twice and I don't get it, I just don't think its that good of a movie.

 

[Garibaldi O'brien]

^ That is a great story about the couple who is given a box by a MIB type, with a button that if they press it, one person, they will never know will die and they'll get $1M. They did a wonderful version of it on the 80's Twilight Zone Revival. I don't think it needs to be padded out to feature length.

I liked Donnie Darko, but Southland Tales proves that California has the best drugs in the nation. And taking a few less in the edit bay might be smart.

 

[LitmusDragon]

I didn't like this movie much. I see it as kind of a poor-man's Jesus allegory. Jesus at least died for political reasons. Donnie died because the universe would "amg asplode" if he didn't. Lame.

 

[Garibaldi O'brien]

^ That's not how I saw it at all. I thought him choosing to die in bed, rather than set the events in motion that killed his girlfriend, among other things was quite a good ending. I love the look on contentment on his face when he know he's going to die a hero, without anyone ever knowing.

 

[CaptainHawk1]

It's a mediocre film that's completely overrated by its cult following. Reminds me of Bladerunner in that regard.