I saw most of this film on tv last night but I missed about half an hour at the start. I gathered what had happened roughly in the bit I missed as the film conveniently back tracks a lot towards the end.
My question is: Huh??? Can anyone enlighten me as to what ACTUALLY happened. I know this is tough because it's not a straight forward film to describe but I'm completely confused as to what was real and what was in Donnie's world.
2006-10-19 06:30:40 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Entertainment & Music ➔ Movies
I just want to add that I really enjoyed what I saw of it (including the acting) but I just thought there would be more of an answer to it all at the end. I'm understanding it a bit more thanks to everyone's answers so far.
2006-10-19 06:45:00 · update #1
Spoiler: Donnie is visited by the man he shot in the future, who is dressed in a bunny suit for Halloween- he also happens to be the boyfriend of Donnie's sister. He instructs Donnie to do certain things in order to bring about a certain future which would enable Donnie to go back in time and fix the lives of the people he loves (and keep from shooting Frank the bunny).
For example, if Donnie doesn't burn down the perv's house, the school teacher would not cancel her trip and have Donnie's mother go instead, placing on the plane for the time travel event.
If Donnie did not flood the school, he would not have been able to meet his new girlfriend who must die to set things in motion.
2006-10-19 06:42:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Watch it again from the start. The secret is: it's not supposed to make any sense. It's a superhero flick, effectively, just that it never actually states it or makes it obvious.
Despite knowing what it's all about, parts of it make no sense at all (like, why does Donnie's mum have to be on the plane? How does Donnie travel through time?)
The truth is that Richard Kelly isn't that good a filmmaker, which could be why Southland Tales did so badly at Cannes. Think of Donnie Darko as an interesting fluke.
2006-10-19 06:40:58 · answer #2 · answered by Joker 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
well the rabbit was in Donnie's world and, from my opinion, the rest was in the real world but at the end, he time travels back to the when the plane engine falls through the house because Donnie was meant to die in that. It was because of frank that he didn't die. The whole of the film is basically frank showing Donnie why he' s meant to die. frank allows Donnie to see all the bad stuff that'll happen to the people around him if he doesn't die. and as the psychologist says, and it is shown at the end, if the world was to end all that would be left is him frank and all the people who's lives he had touched.
2006-10-19 06:40:24 · answer #3 · answered by ameebas rock 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I Have Seen It Lot's Of Times And Still Don't Get It Its A Great Film Thought But I Don't Understand It!
2006-10-19 06:37:30 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question...it's a haunting film...but I think you need to watch it a couple of times & all the way through….
I've not seen the Directors cut..(which is supposed to explain more...) but it can be interpreted in a few ways.
One explanation. It seems he decides to travel back in time to die (as predicted by ‘Frank’) under the jet engine (whereas previously he didn’t…) to correct things that shouldn’t of happened…e.g. the girl getting run over …
PS I don’t know how much you missed…so it’s worth seeing again from the beginning.
2006-10-19 06:47:20 · answer #5 · answered by Mr Crusty 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've watched the film on DVD a year ago. To my impression, all is real as facts in the movie, but only Donnie can see and encounter the truth.
The movie tells us and wants to remind us that everything unimaginable can happen, although you may not and cannot believe in them.
That's my opinion.
2006-10-19 06:38:13 · answer #6 · answered by exsolister 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a toughie to explain, even if you've seen the whole film !
However this is an excellent film and I would recommend you buy the Directors cut DVD and watch it right through with the directors commentary on.
2006-10-19 07:03:37 · answer #7 · answered by monkyman 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
watch some of the director's comentary on the DVD, watch it 2-3 times, you get more out of it because you need that beginning half hour, and 3rdly go to IMDB.com the main description or review of the movie is a good explanation. It really is the best movie ever
2006-10-19 06:39:23 · answer #8 · answered by Steveo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Donnie Darko is one of those movies that's worth watching again. I would also recommend having the director's commentary on as well.
2006-10-19 06:35:03 · answer #9 · answered by Fenris 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
basically, an engine from an aeroplane crashes into Donnie's room at the beginning, but he was out when it happened, and from then on in he was tormented by visions of evil rabbits, eventually leading to the death of his girlfriend, but he uses the cellar door to travel back in time at the end so he decides to go back to when the engine crash happened and decided to let himself be asleep in his room when it happened so that his girlfriend would not have to die, but he would instead.
2006-10-19 07:38:38 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋