Donnie Darko

TheAuthor · Site Admin Joined: 25 Mar 2006 Posts: 698

I'm sure by now every stuck-up and self-loving "indie" person has seen this movie and personified themselves as the main character or mentioned that it has "enlightened" them. Either way, I saw it.

"Donnie Darko" is the story of Donnie Darko (clever, eh?) who has been troubled by mental instability for a long time. Or so we're led to believe. He's afraid and uncertain and you can't help but like him. One night he meets a man in a bunny suit with a creepy mask named Frank who leads him from his bedroom to a golf course. That same night, a jet engine falls out of nowhere and destroys Donnie's room. Frank saved his life. However, Frank also has a nasty message of "the world is going to end in such and such days". Donnie now needs to find a resolution, whether it's stopping Frank or just the end of the world.

All right. My friend from college who I had a huge crush on was obsessed with this movie. Granted I have a crush on all my guy friends and this guy gets obsessed with EVERY movie, it was actually a pretty good movie. It was well produced, the story was beautiful and the side roads it took were completely understandable. As the end wrapped up, you were suddenly aware of what was happening or going to happen. I cried at the end, not only because I cry over everything but also Gary Jule's cover of "Mad World".

My own fascination with time and space and blackholes gave me an edge of understanding. Even Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" was placed in one scene. Sure, I haven't read it, but I've been meaning to get a copy of Hawking's even simpler "A Briefer History of Time". I swear, when he retires from his position this year, he'll write "A History of Time for Dummies".

Anyway, a lot of science/belief in this movie. Obviously another reason why my friend liked it (as he is a blatant atheist/borderline nihilist). I'm a bit tired of the way people who have beliefs are portrayed. It's like if you had a movie where the agnostics and atheists had nothing to talk about but how much they hated religion and everyone was stupid.

Stereotypes...gotta love em.

I'm agnostic, but I play the "I'm out" card; whatever religion you are, and yes, atheism is a religion, I don't really care. I like to play defense for religion, only because it's fascinating and shouldn't be forgotten (how else are humans ever going to learn?). Atheism is like...the Hot Topic of religion. You have to conform to be non-conformist. I find that funny because every atheist I've ever met is trying to turn believers of other religions into atheists.

I digress.

This movie was very good. I'm sure if you're reading this, you've seen it by now. It was sad and suspenseful. I'm not personally going out and buying it, but I'd watch it again should the occasion call for it.

I'd better stop writing or I'll get into the philosophy of religion and beliefs and morals and...well...I'm just bad at making arguments. My whole life is defined by staying out of things.