Movie Madness: Donnie Darko rocks

Jen over at Daily Mish Mash is hosting a Movie Madness Blogging Carnival today. Since I love to blog about (mainly bad) movies I have seen, as well as take part in fun stuff, I decided I could not not participate (Did I ever mention I heart double negatives?).

Seeing as I have done quite a few blogs lately about movies that sucked (i.e., American Psycho and the Ruins), let me tell you about a movie I think rocks: Donnie Darko.

For those of you who do not know the movie (how is that possible??), Donnie Darko is a drama/science fiction movie from 2001. It is set in a small town in Virginia, in the late eighties (which makes for a killer soundtrack, with tons of better eighties songs). The story is all about Donnie Darko, a nice but weird (or slightly disturbed) boy who sleepwalks constantly and has an imaginary friend named Frank.

If you actually haven’t seen the movie yet, and you do not like spoilers, stop reading now. If you do not care about either spoilers or this movie, do keep reading.

The movie starts with a jet engine falling from a commercial aircraft into Donnie’s bedroom. Luckily, he avoids being killed by it because obeyed the voice in his head telling him to sleepwalk outside of his room. The voice is of Frank, his imaginary friend who dresses in a rabbit costume. Frank tells him that the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds.

Think this movie is weird already? You are right, but that does not make it any less fun to watch.

Besides telling him to sleep walk, Frank also instructs Donnie to flood the high school, and burn down the house of the motivational speaker at school, who turns out to be a pedophile. Luckily it is not all bad crimes and psychotic voices. Donnie gets himself a girlfriend named Gretchen.

He does not have much time to be happy and enjoy being in love, because one night she is run over and killed by a car. And guess who is driving the car that kills his girlfriend? No other than "imaginary friend" Frank, who is dressed in a rabbit costume for Halloween.

It is a good thing Donnie has learned all about time travel. He takes Gretchen’s body and drives to a hillside where a time portal is opening in the sky. Donnie's mother and sister experience turbulence on their return flight home; one of the airplane's jet engines detaches and falls. The engine travels through the time portal to 28 days earlier, crashes into Donnie's bedroom just as at the beginning of the movie.

This time though, Donnie chooses to stay in bed. The story ends on the morning after the jet engine accident. Donnie is dead. Gretchen is alive and rides by Donnie's house on her bicycle. Never having met Donnie, she talks with a neighbourhood child about the sad accident. That sure is one way of showing you love your girlfriend.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I just added your link to the Carnival.

I have never seen this movie so I stopped reading it at the spoiler notice. You are the second person that I read who had DD mentioned in their carnival post. I am definitely adding this to the top of my Netflix queue.

Thanks for participating!!
Mama Dawg said…
I've got Donnie Darko on DVD and agree that it's a weird movie. I would have like it more if anyone other than that Jake kid was in it (I can't stand him for some reason).

They're making a second one and it sounds like it's not going to be anywhere near as good as the first.
Anonymous said…
American Psycho sucked? What?!?! Bale was incredible. Especially love the scenes about the business cards....hilarious. Enjoyed your blog.
Tammy said…
I have never heard of this movie. I have a friend and my older kid's that I think would love this movie. Thanks for review it sound like a very different kinda movie.
Natazzz said…
Yes, DD is weird and different, but I love that sort of thing. I am horrified by the thought of a sequal.

And Kent, I did think American Psycho sucked. One of the worst adaptations from a book ever. The story was not supposed to be hilarious .
Abbreviated said…
I'll have to check out the rating.