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Donnie Darko is an intense, complicated movie loaded with hidden messages, comments on human behavior, and insights into the mysteries of life and the possibilities of time travel. On the surface the film is a poppy science culture flick, with white attractive actors and actresses playing roles viewers can look at and link to people within their lives. When one looks deeper into the movie, however, this superficial layer is peeled away revealing themes and ideas about people that are incredibly powerful. There is, however, a unifying theme within the film; people who are trying to live their lives “normal,” fitting into convenient roles that are comfortable versus those who venture out to be themselves. These opposite lifestyles interwoven together really show different ways humans act, and what those actions cause. Why have this dynamic? Is the director trying to say one way to live is better than another? Only the movie can lead us to an answer.
Donnie Darko is an outcast, but not in the conventional way. He has his friends, he lives in a middle to upper class white suburban home, and goes to a private school. These people he surrounds himself with, however, don’t really know who he is. In reality, he is a boy who keeps to himself, constantly drowning in problems with his “disease” and relationship issues with his families. When his life is saved by a six feet tall metal bunny rabbit from the future, Donnie has a choice; he can go on living his just saved life, or he can act out what this rabbit wants him to do. He owes something to this being who rescued him, and this is a chance for him to step out of his normal life and do extreme things. He gets to lash out any emotion he has (which on the surface is none) and make a difference. Donnie wants to change things. He brings up change when discussing Graham Greene’s book and, when walking with Gretchen mutters so she can barely hear him that maybe one day he’ll “change things.” This is his chance to break out of the monotony and be who he really is, which may be a superhero.
Gretchen is another character trying to start a new life, break away from her past. She doesn’t want to be the scared, helpless girl she was when her dad was around. She is not just going to be another person; she too is used to being away from the normal girl mold with her life experiences, and she’s not just going to go back. She is who she is, which is shown by people she’s hardly talked to (the bullies) knowing the history of her mother. She is who she is, and her past is nothing to hide; a trait very few teenage girls exemplify.
Karen, Donnie’s English teacher, is also trying to break herself, as well as her students, away from the cookie cutter way of life and learning. She is paving new way, being the progressive teacher in the conservative school. She presents her students with a controversial book, and forces her students to delve into things. When she is challenged for her actions, she stands strong, even though it eventually costs her job. Is the director trying to say this is the way to live? As who you are and for what you believe? If so he is not shy about showing the possible drawbacks from this; and repercussions from those who do not live that way.
Kitty Farmer, quite possibly the most annoying character in a movie ever, exemplifies the idea of living “the way you should” just because it is the thing to do. She is, in both ideals and style, straight out of the 150’s. She believes in good Christian upbringing and lifestyle, and doesn’t approve of anything out of the norm. Kitty, along with the help of Jim Cunningham, provides the second way of living the director is trying to compare Donnie, Gretchen, and Karen to. Jim Cunningham is an even more extreme version of Kitty, but his “normal” lifestyle is proven false.
After looking at these characters, it is the scenes between them that show the dynamic the director is trying to compare. There are many scenes involving the characters that not only show different ways to live, but how hard it is for them to coincide. Donnie Darko is in Kitty Farmer’s class when she wants to do an exercise inspired by Jim Cunningham’s video. There are two words written on the chalkboard; Fear and Love. Every situation that is presented to the class is supposed to be placed on the board, near either word. When Kitty asks Donnie to do this, he brings up a problem with the exercise, saying “you can’t just lump things into categories, things aren’t that simple.” Kitty replies with “the life line is divided that way” Donnie “Life isn’t that simple.” There is not a more obvious scene where the director makes the distinct difference of these two types of lifestyles. He again, however, doesn’t make it obvious which he is saying is better (if any).
Another great scene for recognizing this difference involves a character that is not very prominent in the movie, but in everyday life. This involves Karen and the principle of the high school, an authority figure hired to promote a normal, bland, commonplace life. When Karen is discussing how he doesn’t have a clue about these kids she mentions that “we are losing them to this prescribed nonsense,” showing her contempt for the normal system. His only reply is “I’m sorry that you have failed,” turning all responsibility of his own into her mistakes, he hasn’t done anything out of the norm. This in charge position is symbolized by another character trying to impose a way of living of everyone else, Jim Cunningham.
When there is an assembly for the school by Jim Cunningham promoting his no fear all love lifestyle, there is a chance for the audience to ask questions. Donnie takes this opportunity to “change things;” get the other students and teachers thinking about how living with this monotony is not smart. When Cunningham is challenged, he playes an easy card “You are a troubled and confused young man,” you are not like the rest of us. To which Donnie claims proudly “I am pretty troubled and I’m pretty confused and I’m afraid, actually, really afraid… but I think you’re the fucking antichrist.” He is stating for everyone in the room to know that he is not living like everyone else, he is jumping out of his shell, met with cheers from the crowd.
The director is not showing that being who you are for everyone to know is always best, or right, or easy. Donnie is obviously very troubled, with an extreme diagnosis, and dealing with therapy. Gretchen knows who she is but still gets upset when bullies tease her about her past, and Karen knows she has lost a battle when she loses her job. These people are who they are and unashamed, but paying for it. The characters who are living the way they feel they should, trying to impose their lifestyles on others also aren’t always happy or relaxed. Jim Cunningham breaks down in tears at the end of the film, showing that he is living a lie, and has created an image he doesn’t match; losing his sense of self. Kitty can’t even be there for her daughter at Start Search because she has to defend a man who doesn’t deserve it; she’s imposed his views on so many others now she must live with them herself. She needs to bring herself to ask the most complicating character for help, after doing what she can to bring her down.
Donnie’s mother, Rose, does not fit either lifestyle. She is not living in the traditional, molded way, but not acting out on her emotions as who she really is either. She is that in the middle; the gray area the director covers to show another way to live. Rose loves her son. She misses the Donnie she had and is afraid she might be losing him to his sickness. Towards the beginning of the movie she tries to talk to Donnie but is met by a cold stranger who calls her a bitch. This is obviously upsetting to her, but she is not ready to give up on her son. She visits his doctor, and wants to do anything she can to make him better. She is not the mother to sit quietly or be ashamed of her son. After the incident with Donnie and Mrs. Farmer Rose has an incident with her. During this conversation she not only expresses great concern for her son and what’s happening, but also doesn’t give in to Kitty’s nonsense. Kitty tells her that everyone must be on a path to righteousness and that she is concerned with her abilities as a mother. This doesn’t even faze Rose. She knows she is a good mother and this righteous rhetoric doesn’t mean anything, and it’s certainly not going to save her son. She also shows her willingness to stand up for what she believes at the PTA meeting. She calls Kitty out on her ridiculous notion to ban the Graham Green book, and tries to make Kitty look dumb by asking her if she even knows who that is. There is a time, however, when she does melt back into that mold; when Kitty needs her help.
Rose has a fairly normal life, with Donnie being the only complicating factor. She could choose to ignore him, forget about him, and concentrate on her husband and two daughters, but she doesn’t. She sticks by him even though he tries to push her away, and won’t give up on him. When she is asked to go with her daughter to Star Search she has to make a choice. Donnie has been through a lot lately and his therapist even wants to increase his medication. She goes though, knowing that although she loves Donnie and will be there for him forever, she needs to let him deal with some things on his own. It may be the only way he’ll ever get better. She is living in between the rest of the characters in the movie; not being too her, because it may cause her to lose her sense of self, but not being too molded, because she then just takes the shape of those around her.
Is this what the director is going for? Is he trying to say there is a happy medium? In the end of the movie the characters that lived in convenient boxes already set up for them don’t really end up happy. Jim Cunningham is shown sobbing, knowing he is living a lie, and Kitty can’t be with her daughter for the one thing she has shown any passion for throughout the whole movie. On other side, Gretchen will be alive, never knowing what she has missed, Karen is safe with her job, and Donnie has accomplished something he never has before. He has repaid all those he has loved; finally given something to those who meant something to him. He couldn’t show his mother he loved her, or Gretchen, or even his sisters. He was thankful to Karen, and this was the only way to thank them. They would never know he did it, but it is that peace within him that is important. What Donnie Darko did was heroic, and sprung from two very different emotions; fear and love. His fear for hurting all the people he would hurt if he was to continue living, and his love for them he was unable to show. Are Jim Cunningham and Kitty right? Is that the basis for everything we do? Donnie Darko was a complicated character, but he would have been a great example for any of
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