Question: 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?
Answer: 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.
Question: What was the message that Dr. Thurman was trying to say to Rose? She said she needs to talk to Rose for some reason. Why?
Answer: I think I can recall enough to answer. Dr. Thurman's most recent therapy session with Donnie resulted in her assessment that Donnie's condition had quickly deteriorated and he was (or might be) in imminent danger of hurting himself or engaging in some type of dangerous or violent or self-destructive behavior (or doing something bizarre, such as attempting time travel). Under hypnosis, Donnie admitted to Dr. Thurman that he "did it again" (flooded the school), burned down Cunningham's house because he had "kiddy porn", that "Frank" was going to kill someone, and the "sky was going to open up"; Donnie was also crying. Dr. Thurman wanted Rose to be aware and, undoubtedly, keep a close eye on Donnie and inform her immediately of any changes or behaviors of concern. Why Dr. Thurman would leave a telephone message under these circumstances and fail to immediately intervene or take preventive measures does not speak highly of her competence. I think showing the party before Dr. Thurman leaving the message left some viewers in the dark.
Question: Couldn't the events of the movie have been avoided if Frank just let Donnie get hit by the jet engine and die from the beginning instead of waking him up and taking him out of his room?
Chosen answer: In short: no. Because of the films themes of wormholes, time travel, alternative dimensions/parallel universes and meta-physics the events of the film had to happen the way the did or else they wouldn't have happened at all! It's very difficult to wrap your head around but it's one of the many many paradoxes caused by time travel (cause and effect becoming effect and cause).
Question: If Donnie was supposed to die anyway, why did Frank call him out of his house at the beginning? Please don't say it was his schizophrenia and the fact that he is "prone to wander at night", because it IS Frank who calls him out, he doesn't get up on his own.
Answer: Frank calls Donnie out because the airplane engine has fallen through a portal into an alternate universe, and at some point during his sleepwalk Frank guides Donnie through another portal to move him to the alternate universe (from the movie theatre we know that Frank can make portals at will). Frank appoints Donnie to be the guardian of the engine and make sure it falls through the alternate universe's portal into the original universe. Donnie cannot be allowed to die until the engine is escorted into the second portal, but if he dies before then the engine never reaches the second portal and remains in the alternate universe, causing the original universe to unravel. Once he and the engine return, he must die because his experiences of the alternate universe predict the future, potentially causing paradoxes.
Question: The scene where they are watching a Washington Redskins game on TV, shows Doug Williams throwing a pass in slow motion and it looks like they are losing the game. In the timeline this game is played before October 18, 1988. The only game which he played in and lost that year was against the N.Y. Giants on Monday night to start the season so I could not place the date or opponent of the game that was airing in the scene. Who/when was it?
Answer: Several key factors in determining which game it was. The commentator said, in regards to the Redskins it's been a disappointing "night for the Super Bowl champions", meaning this game took place in 1989, since the Redskins won the Super Bowl in '88. Additionally, he said "Mark Rypien has some big shoes to fill." Rypien took over the starting QB role in '89 over the Super Bowl MVP Williams. The slow motion shot was probably a Super Bowl highlight. Given this was a night game with the Redskins missing a field goal, it was the Nov 20, 1989 game vs Denver Broncos where the Redskins lost 10-14.
Question: It might just be in my head, but, at the end, when Gretchen talks to Donnie's mom, it seems like they knew each other or their 'conversation' had a deeper meaning. Does it really?
Chosen answer: The characters who died in the first running of time are known as the "manipulated dead" who were required to die to fix the hole in time. So although when the hole is closed at the end and the characters didn't die because time has been altered, they can't remember anything that happened, but supposedly have some kind of recognition for each other as the events were like a dream to them.
Question: In the Director's Cut, there is a scene where Drew Barrymore tells the students they will be reading Watership Down instead of The Destructors but there have been copies of The Destructors reserved at the Mall. She then turns to Donnie and says "perhaps you and Frank could read it together". Does she know about Frank and if not what does she mean by this?
Answer: There is a cut scene in which Donnie reads a poem he wrote in front of the class and he mentions Frank. Drew asks who Frank is and he states he's a 6 foot tall bunny rabbit. That is how Drew knows about Frank and since Watership Down's main characters are rabbits, this reference to Frank is appropriate.
Question: 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?
Answer: 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.
Question: What film/text/person does Kitty Farmer confuse with Graham Greene when she replies to Rose Darko: 'I think we've all seen Bonanza.'?
Answer: Lorne Greene was the star of Bonanza which aired regularly from 1959 until 1973. He played Ben Cartwright, the wise widowed father of Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe.
Question: Does anyone have any thoughts on why at the very end of the credits, the national anthem is played? I found it interesting, i just wonder if someone else has any theories on how this ties in with the movie.
Chosen answer: Back in the 80's most channels went off the air at a certain time at night. Right before the channel went off it would play the national anthem then go to static. This is an obvious homage to the 80's (twice the TV Donnie's dad is watching is showing static, indictating that the channel had gone off the air).
Question: What is the creepy opera-esque music playing when Donnie sees Frank in the movie theatre called? I can't find it in the soundtrack.
Answer: The track is called "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and it's composed by Steve Baker and sung by Carmen Daye. You're right, it's not on the soundtrack but it can be found through a search engine.
Question: After watching "Donnie Darko" I watched another film which also featured a character identical to Frank. He too appeared in the dreams of the lead role and had all the traits of Frank. I am pretty sure it was not the film "Harvey", as I do not believe it was a film as old as that. Can anyone help me identify what the other film was?
Answer: I believe this film may have been 'Sexy beast' starring Ray Winstone. It's a British film, and is even listed on the IMDb as similar to Donnie Darko in this sense. In 'Sexy Beast' a human height sized bunny rabbit stalks the dreams of the lead character, played by Ray.
Question: What was the significance of Frank wearing the rabbit suit? Was it because the face was supposed to stick in Donnie's mind so he'd remember what he had to do? I can't think of any logical reason why he'd have to wear the suit to accomplish his mission.
Answer: According to the DVD special features, people who die in the alternate universe (the Manipulated Dead) have more power and self-awareness than those who live throughout. The supernatural force that appoints Donnie to end the alternate universe adopts Frank's face because a) he wants a form that Donnie can interact with and b) as a Manipulated Dead Frank has more understanding of what is going on and maybe wants to help. The costume is necessary because it's an essential part of Frank's character as a dead person - it's what he was wearing when he died - and also because it's so alien Donnie will understand that he's dealing with things beyond normal ken.
Question: At the end, when Mad World is playing and it shows the FAA people talking, is one of them Jon Stewart? He isn't listed in the credits, but I am quite sure of it.
Question: In the very last scene (I have only seen the original version, not the Director's cut), a crowd is gathered outside the Darko house and Gretchen comes along on a bike and talks to this little blond kid. When she asks him "What happened?", if you listen closely you will realize that the kid's response is not exactly standard English. It sounds, in fact, like complete gibberish, or just possibly something meaningful in a non-English language. What exactly is that kid saying, and what is its significance?
Answer: It is, in fact, English. He says "Got smushed by a jet engine".
Question: I didn't understand where the engine that killed Donnie at the end of the movie came from. This plane belonged to the tangent universe right? So when Donnie gets back to his room where all has started, he gets back to the real world. Is this engine a residue from the tangent universe? Because they say in the movie that no plane has lost an engine in the real universe.
Answer: Yes the engine has come from the tangent universe or the alternate future so to speak. The reason they have trouble finding the engine is because it hasn't happened yet and it has entered a corruption in the universe. With that in mind the key difference from the start of the film to the end is that Donnie managed to send the engine through the wormhole as opposed to the engine entering the corruption at the start of the film.
Question: I understand that Frank is part of the manipulated dead and I also understand that he does not travel through time, but rather manipulates it as it happens. This leads me to ask, how was it possible for Frank to guide Donnie before Donnie kills him? Is this implying that the loop has happens over and over until Donnie gets it 'right' and sacrifices himself?
Answer: No, the timeline is not a loop. Frank's death is just bound to happen and he is supposed to make sure Donnie kills him, after accidentally killing the girl. That is the "trap" as they call it. To make sure that Donnie is forced to fix the universe and saves everyone.
Question: In the short scenes following Donnie's death, many of the characters are shown reacting to his death, I think. Why is Patrick Swayze crying? Does it have something to do with his regret of participating in child pornography?
Question: Where did that engine comes from which causes Donnie's death? If he had returned the engine to the PU than how could the plane crash when his sister and mother were still in their room? And Just Before Donnie died why did he laugh? Was it because of his awareness of what's gonna happen in the future?
Chosen answer: His mother and sister didn't need to be on the plane for it to crash and the engine traveled back in time regardless of whether Donnie was in his room or not. But by staying in his room to die, Donnie saved his mother's and sister's lives since they cancelled their trip on account of his death, and prevented many other deaths. The one downside seems to be that the child pornographer would remain uncaught, but 10 days after the PU is restored, he commits suicide by shooting himself in the head.
Chosen answer: Song: Manipulated Living. Composer: Michael Andrews.