IMDb > Donnie Darko (2001)
Donnie Darko
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Donnie Darko (2001) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 44 | slideshow) Videos (see all 14 NEW)
Donnie Darko (2001) -- Director's Cut
Donnie Darko (2001) -- A troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes, after narrowly escaping a bizarre accident.
Donnie Darko (2001) -- ZuGuide.com - Trailer (Flash)
Donnie Darko (2001) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)
Donnie Darko (2001) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Richard Kelly
Writer:
Richard Kelly (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Donnie Darko on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
30 January 2002 (France) more
Tagline:
Life is one long insane trip. Some people just have better directions. more
Plot:
A troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes, after narrowly escaping a bizarre accident. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
11 wins & 10 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(443 articles)
The Box
 (From Scorecard Review. 7 November 2009, 7:34 PM, PST)

"The Box" Movie Review
 (From Reel Empire. 7 November 2009, 6:51 PM, PST)

User Comments:
the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had more (1919 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut (USA) (director's cut)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for language, some drug use and violence.; Rated R for language, some underage drug and alcohol use, and violence. (director's cut)
Runtime:
113 min | 133 min (director's cut)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Colour:
Colour
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Company:
Pandora Cinema more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The black-and-white poster in Donnie's room, of an eye reflecting a skull, is a reproduction of an etching by the artist M.C. Escher. more
Goofs:
Continuity: During the Life Line activity in Mrs. Farmer's class, the Asian girl Cherita answers her question card by placing an "X" on the chalkboard. When Donnie is called next the "X" that Cherita placed on the board is barely visible, like it had been half-erased. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Elizabeth: I'm voting for Dukakis.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Degrassi: The Next Generation: Bark at the Moon (#4.13)" (2004) more
Soundtrack:
Never Tear Us Apart more

FAQ

How do the things in the movie happen? Is the Philosophy of Time Travel a real book?
Why did Dr. Thurman prescribe placebos to Donnie?
Why is there no soundtrack with the original '80s tracks?
more
257 out of 335 people found the following comment useful.
the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had, 23 May 2002
Author: lwjoslin (lwjoslin@msn.com) from Huston, TX, CSA

"Harvey" meets "The Mothman Prophecies," as a troubled teen starts hallucinating a horrific 6-foot-tall bunny rabbit that brings him dark forebodings about death and disaster in the very near future. A streak of "Heathers" is mixed in as well, with trenchant satirical observations of high-school life in the late '80s (story set in Oct. 1988), involving a priggish teacher, a self-help guru (Patrick Swayze!), and a put-upon fat girl at the fringes of the herd. Finally, a whiff of "Back to the Future," in the form of a local eccentric who just may have discovered the secret of time travel, but a secret that has more to do with spirituality than technology.

A lot goes on here. There's a meditation on the possible overlap between madness and the ability to perceive the divine. There's a demonstration of why, in the Bible, angelic messengers (if that's what "Frank" can be taken to be) are often so terrifying that they have to start by saying "Fear not." There's an enlistment of what martial artists refer to as the "ki" (or personal energy, emanating from a person's midsection) in the type of time travel depicted here (the term "ki" is never used in the flick, but the term "path," another word for Tao or "Way," is). Quantum physics theory about wormholes is tied to the Fortean phenomenon of things falling unexplained from the sky, in a way that's more pivotal, and therefore more interesting, than the gratuitous rain of frogs in "Magnolia."

Time travel paradoxes and ironies enter the picture as well. One character (no spoiler!), whose life is saved by Donnie's ultimate trip back in time, wouldn't have died in the first place if he hadn't dragged her along to the opening of the wormhole. Another character (again, no spoiler!), whose truly terrible secret comes to light in the wake of an arson investigation, must go unexposed as a result of that same time reversal, since the arson now won't happen. Surely that's no oversight on the part of the screenwriter; it must be an acknowledgment of the choices and trade-offs in life, as well as of a confidence that no such terrible secret can remain hidden forever.

Somehow this pastiche works, largely on the strength of good performances. Jake Gyllenhaal is appropriately moody and, also appropriately, not always likeable in the title role. Drew Barrymore, who executive produced, appears as a frustrated first-year teacher. The movie's often dreamlike atmosphere is enhanced by the cinematography, the subdued but effective special effects, and the choice of the music on the soundtrack, which includes '80's pop tunes, of course, and a haunting original song (over the end credits) titled "Mad World."

Not for all tastes, but better, stranger, and more complex than I expected.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (1919 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Donnie Darko (2001)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Twisted copy of Harvey!!! markmilo66
Top 10 Cult Movies of the Decade imaintdan
Overrated stormtrooper86
EMO? LimeH2O
Song In Directors Cut Trailer? Sublimeizbest
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Don't Look Now Raspberry & Lavender Halloween Carrie Crime and Punishment in Suburbia
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb top 250 movies IMDb Drama section
IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.