starring Jake Gyllenhaal, James Duval, Mary McDonnell, Patrick Swayze (add more)
The "questions" section is for any random questions that occurred to you while watching this film, or anything you didn't entirely understand, and which Google or the IMDb can't help with. Submit them as a question, and hopefully someone will answer (the bold comments in brackets) - check back regularly. If the answer is wrong, or missing information, please use the "clarify answer" option. Don't feel limited - want to know what music played in a certain scene? Whether this was the first film to use a certain effect? Here's the place to ask!
How did Donnie actually travel back in time, I just didn't understand this. [He returned to the place he started the film at. He somehow knew that that is the place he had to be to catch the wormhole express back in time.]
Answered by Grumpy Scot
In the part of the movie when the science teacher and Drew Barrymore are sitting in the staff room, what does their conversation mean? Science teacher says, "Donnie Darko." and Drew Barrymore says, "I know." What significant plot does this have? [According to the audio commentary, "they're being manipulated and they are aware that something is going on with this kid and are laughing about it." Director's commentary is very interesting.]
After Donnie has gone back to the start of the loop, he lets himself be hit by the jet engine, presumably to save Gretchen, Frank and everyone else whose life he screwed up in the alternate future. What I don't understand is, since he knows what's going to happen and can see the path (literally) in front of him, why doesn't he try to change it? If he knew what was coming he could save Gretchen without dying himself. [There are a couple reasons. One, the whole timeloop where Gretchen dies is the result of him surviving the jet engine incident. If he were to survive it, everything will happen again including Gretchen's death. He gave himself up for her. The other reason could be, that he is happy and not sure if it is a dream, so he just lets it happen (this is said in the commentary).]
What is the point of the chinese girl? I've watched the film and can't quite figure out what she does with the plot, especially when Donnie grabs her face and says "Everything will be better for you". [Throughout the film, themes of alienation and disillusionment are prominent - an illustration of the alternate universe plotline. Cherita is that theme manifested in a very visible sense - people make fun of her, reject her, and she obviously doesn't fit in.]
When Donnie is talking to his teacher, he says that he can't continue the conversation because he could lose his job. Why? Does this have anything significant to do with the plot? [Donnie is attending a private religious school (thus the uniforms and the fact that a former teacher, Ms. Sparrow, was a nun) and if his science teacher continued his explanation he would be teaching against the conservative religious curriculum.]
What is the ending actually about. I think that when the plane engine goes through Donnies room, he dies and the rest of the film is him in a time loop seeing what would have happened but didn't because he died. Frank and most of the characters are vague memories from the last loop, kind of like de-ja-vu, but i'm not sure, so could someone tell me what the actual story is? [Something, in the form of Frank the rabbit, altered his destiny. Perhaps some benevolent force, we aren't told and it's never made clear, began the time loop. He lived a tangent and fell in love with his girlfriend. He realized in this tangent, that she died, so he went to where the loop began to start it again, sacrificing himself to save his girlfriend.]
Answered by Grumpy Scot
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