I just watched the film for the first time (great movie, btw!), and I'm stumped!!! What does it mean? Why go through all that crap only to have such a depressing ending? What did Donnie accomplish? What am I missing?
Maybe we're not supposed to get it, either... *shrug*
2006-07-05 19:21:11 · 8 answers · asked by crono37 2 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Movies
The Wikipedia entry goes into a lot of detail about this, so if you're interested in the non-abridged version, I would suggest checking them out, in addition to the official movie website.
In the movie, there are four critical elements: the Primary Universe and the Tangent Universe, the Living Receiver and the Artifact. Donnie is the Living Receiver, and the plane engine is the Artifact that transcends both worlds and must kill the Living Receiver. The Tangent Universe is created in the instant Donnie is awoken by Frank and lured to the golf course. By leaving his room, Donnie sets into motion a series of events that ensures he will die in the end -- among other things, he meets Gretchen (their romance leads to the final act of killing Frank), and burns down the pedophile's house, causing the conservative gym teacher to want to go to his trial and thus forcing Donnie's mother to accompany Samantha and the dance team to L.A. for Star Search, which put them on the plane whose engine fell through the worm hole and landed on Donnie's bed in the Primary Universe, killing him at the end of the movie.
I don't think Donnie sacrificed himself; I think he had to go through the Tangent Universe (in which Gretchen, Frank, hist mother and his sister all die) in order to put into effect the chain of events that would cause his mom and sister to be on the plane that would kill him, effectively closing off the worm hole and Tangent Universe. Apparently, had the worm hole not closed and had Donnie (the Living Receiver) not died by the Artifact (the engine), the Primary Universe would end. In a way, perhaps it is a sacrifice, but it's not really his choice... at least, I don't read it that way.
2006-07-06 14:45:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it is a great movie. I finally watched it a couple months ago. I don't want to get too technical here, so I think he basically ends up the hero in the end. I love how his girlfriend comments on his name, "Donnie Darko? What the hell kind of name is that? It's like some sort of superhero or something." Donnie: "What makes you think I'm not?"
It's kind of the same principle of "The Butterfly Effect" how he reversed everything to the point that he didn't even exist anymore so that everyone else could live out a normal, happy life. That's why Donnie sacrificed his own life. He knew that by escaping reality and cheating destiny, others were going to have to pay the price for his selfish acts. He did the selfless thing of thinking of his family, friends, and girlfriend rather than himself. That's what makes you love and respect his character even more. As sad as it seems, he knew that by staying around, it would only lead to more pain and destruction for everyone else. He spent all that time trying to figure things out, when there was really nothing to figure out. I know it sounds corny, but "you can't cheat destiny." He was simply meant to die.
2006-07-05 21:48:55 · answer #2 · answered by Manda 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, go to the official website at www.donniedarko.com/. It explains a lot. I had to do the same thing. It all has to do with the fact that reality got off track when "Frank" prevented Donnie from dying at the beginning when he called him out onto the golf course. The rest of the movie is about people alive and dead manipulating circumstances to put reality back on track so that Donnie chooses to die like he was supposed to so that it can undo all the bad things including the death of his girlfriend. However, at the end people still have some consciousness in the back of their heads of what really happened.
2006-07-05 19:27:49 · answer #3 · answered by torreyc73 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's open to numerous interpretations. But the way that *I* interpreted it was that Donnie was going to die, anyway, but this way he got a chance to live AND to see what the consequences of his living would be. Given that his living would have had bad consequences, he was able to go back in time and go to his death happily (which is why he was laughing when the engine crashed through the roof).
2006-07-05 19:26:55 · answer #4 · answered by Cyn 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It has been a while since I saw it also, but I believe that it's about love. His death saved his girlfriend. It was a great sacrifice on his part, a way for him to make his life meaningful, if that makes sense. Thank you for the reminder. I will watch it again soon.
2006-07-05 21:07:23 · answer #5 · answered by Gina N 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
K. I'm not sure about this, so don't hold me to it, but I think everything that happens is somewhat like a premonition and in the end, knowing what's going to happen, I think he choses not to be saved...and just...dies...but it's been awhile since I've seen it, so yea...don't hold me to that interpretation
2006-07-05 19:55:21 · answer #6 · answered by Danielle 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
basically... if donnie lives, his girlfriend croaks.. he opted to die, and since donnie was waaaay ahead of the curve, he knew the consequences of his living...he chose to die.. and was very happy with it.
2006-07-05 20:18:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i don't get it either
2006-07-05 19:26:22 · answer #8 · answered by luv2partey 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋