Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut (2004)
"Think of the first one as the original
version. This is the extended remix."
- Richard Kelly at the Dobie theater
in Austin, August 24, 2004
Note: Some spoilers.
What if you could go back and change
a crucial incident in your past in a move that you
know would make everything seem to fall into place
and set the future on the course of life that you
know it should be? Ironically that question, which
is so relevant in the film "Donnie Darko," is also
relevant in its maker Richard Kelly's journey in turning
his script into a film. And in turn turning his failed
truncated debut film into the successful "Donnie Darko:
The Director's Cut" which opens in theaters this summer.
"Donnie
Darko" is an amazing film. When I saw it in 2001
at the Austin Film Festival (this re-release has been
co-opted by SXSW in a somewhat sneaky move), I called
it "the blackest, most complex and troubling teenage
film since "The Virgin Suicides."
The film was open-ended, ambiguous,
interesting, compelling and, most importantly, much
like teenage existence, utterly melancholic. This
was a film to make you think, one full of darkness
and dreams. It was so good that I made sure that it
was one of the first DVD's that I got when I finally
got a DVD player.
"The Director's Cut" of the film
explains more about the story and makes the "time
travel" aspects of "Donnie Darko" come much more sharply
into focus. Adding 30 minutes to the film, restoring
it to nearly exactly what was shown at Sundance in
2001, filmmaker Richard Kelly gives us more little
glimpses into Donnie's relationship with his family
(a restored scene between Donnie and his father is
particularly important); more weird transitory shots,
including an amazingly clear close-up of a blue eyeball
that is simply astounding; and some text on the screen
that is taken from the character Roberta Sparrow's
book "The Philosophy of Time Travel." Much of this
latter material appeared on-line when the film was
initially released in its truncated form. And while
this material helps to expand the story and also make
it somehow more cohesive, it also serves to remove
a bit of the mystery of the story. While understanding
the time travel aspect of the story may be helpful
for true blue fans of the original film, it somehow
seems too complete for the first-time viewer. This
second version answers a few too many questions and
causes the film to be much more narrow in its scope.
The ambiguity and the whirlwind storytelling of the
original now seems more linear and devicive. Perhaps
it is lucky that fate intervened when Kelly was putting
together the original film and made him pare it down
to its bare essentials because in this truncated form,
the film opens up, allowing the viewer much more input
into what they believe the film is about.
I've recently re-watched the DVD
and here are some thoughts on different aspects of
the film and story. (Here's where the spoilers come
in):
I still can't wrap my head around
why Frank wakes Donnie up the first time the airplane
engine drops on his room. If I understand Frank correctly,
he has come back in time to show Donnie what happens
so that Donnie will go back in time and change where
he is when the airplane engine drops. But if Frank
doesn't wake Donnie up here, wouldn't he die in bed?
My only possible thought is that Frank is also somehow
an agent of God and is sent to show Donnie why he
dies and what meaning his life has to people before
he dies.
Kelly spoke at the screening of
the "Director's Cut" version that I attended. He told
us that one of the most autobiographical elements
of the film is the "Love and Fear" "Lifeline" which
was actually used by a gym teacher who taught a class
at his high school. Kelly said he had an argument
with the teacher, as Donnie does, about the simplicity
of the lesson but admitted that instead of telling
her to shove something "up her ass," he placed the
"X" over the "Fear" section and sat down disgruntled.
This lifeline plays into the ridiculousness of duality
the film expresses in several elements as diverse
as good vs. evil, psychosis vs. reality, fear vs.
love and Dukakis vs. Bush.
At it's most basic level, "Donnie
Darko" is about hypocrisy. For example, Donnie's mom
is drunk and his father is sort of a goofball yet
they are supposed to be "parental." It's nice to note
that Donnie soon sees them as "real," perhaps even
due to his influence, as he has a tender-hearted moment
with his mother and, in this extended version, a realistic
conversation with his father. By film's end, Donnie
has realized how important they are to him and, in
turn, how important he is to them.
The other major signs of hypocrisy
here are Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze) and the school
system. Noah Wylie's science teacher is afraid to
talk to Donnie about God because he could lose his
job. Barrymore's English teacher, the best instructor
in the school as Donnie notes, loses her job for teaching
important lessons to her class. And Swayze's self-help
guru actually becomes known as a pedophile and a liar,
a man who hurts children instead of helping them.
This hypocrisy also correlates to the simplicity of
duality of man that Donnie rages so adamantly against.
Of all the "adult" characters in
the film, Barrymore's teacher is only one who is truly
honest. In the original version, she states quite
frankly that "we are losing children to apathy" and
to "prescribed nonsense," a reference to medication
children who aren't really ill but are instead simply
teenagers. This medicating children who are rebelliousness
and "destructive" (which Barrymore sees as a form
of construction in man's ability to tear down and
tearing things apart to find what is inside) is an
important factor in the film. This trend began in
the late 80's when the film is set. Also note that
when Barrymore leaves the school after being fired,
she leaves she carries out the American flag - a symbol
of freedom (free thinking) and individualism.
Kelly manipulates time in the film
with slo-mo and fast-mo being very important which
accents the theme of the manipulations of time in
the story.
To me, the film isn't great because
of its time-travel story, it is great because it represents
so many of the things that are relevant to teenage
existence: psychiatry, medication, school, bullies,
weaklings, goofballs, sisters, parents, teachers,
goodness, evil, libido and sexuality, depression,
angst, aging, censorship, book banning, politics,
the meaning of life, the fear of death, the feeling
of being doomed, loneliness and the fear of being
alone, questioning whether there is or isn't a God,
the struggle to understand mortality and many other
things.
The character of Kitty Farmer is
amazing and Beth Grant does an amazing job with her.
Although she is a bit over the top, the comic elements
Grant brings to the character gives the film just
enough humor to keep it from denigrating into complete
despairity. Kitty is a strong supporter of Jim Cunningham
and he turns out to supposedly be the leader of a
child porn ring. Cunningham is also seen talking to
the young girls of Sparkle Motion, which Kitty leads,
and one assumes that if Cunningham were not "stopped,"
he would get his hands on Donnie's little sister with
Kitty's (presumably unknowing) enabling.
Who is Frank really? Why does he
have Donnie Darko do the things he does. When Donnie
asks why he does this, Frank responds, "they are in
great danger." Kelly says he thought of Donnie as
an "anti hero" and we can see somewhat that through
destruction Donnie exposes corruption, hypocrisy and
a dangerous pedophile. Donnie's anti-hero status allows
him to turn his typical teenage anger and destructiveness
into heroic qualities.
But if Donnie goes back in time,
all the badness he uncovers with the school, Kitty,
and Cunningham would be undone - it presumably wouldn't
be exposed in the future/past without Donnie. To remedy
this, Kelly has Donnie who was an anti-hero force
for goodness become in death an agent of conscious
- a shiver (during the "Mad World" song montage at
the film's end that he still manages to save his sister
(who continually throughout the film is being made
to act as a sex object).
The concept of time is again re-emphasizes
when Frank explains that he is called that because,
"it is the name of my father and his father before
me." Frank is time and therefore Frank is God.
Who or what is Cherita Chen? Ever-present
for Donnie to defend, she develops a crush on him.
But she also appears as an angel (in the Autumn Angel
dance segment) making us wonder why she is around
all the time.
In the last scene we wonder if Jena
Malone's Gretchen is someone else - like Donnie's
mom as a young girl who has time travelled into her
future. But, that of course makes no sense. Gretchen
is "doomed" herself and Donnie's death redeems this.
When she is saved she is saved because of Donnie's
mom (who brought Donnie into the world, into time)
and they wave to one and other because even though
it is unknown to them, they have a great connection.
Some of the scenes to appear in
the newer cut that were not in the original include:
The aforementioned artistic transitions
that include a close-up of a blue eye among other
artsy images.
The aforementioned conversation
Donnie has with his father about "bullshit." (Also
on the DVD extras).
An extended scene in the Holiday
Inn where the family talks about the jet engine crashing
into their roof. Also, Donnie's dad talks about Frankie
Feilder, a peer who died and was considered "doomed"
and how Donnie could be considered in a similar way.
(Although these scenes are also included on the original
version's DVD "outtakes" section, not all that is
on the DVD is here).
A somewhat extended moment when
Donnie steals his little sisters paper about "The
Last Unicorn." (Also on the original DVD in an even
more extended form which helps explain why one of
the boys tells Cherita that he hopes she gets "molested.")
Donnie and Gretchen discuss dreams
at an arcade as Donnie plays a video game. (Also on
the DVD extras).
Donnie reads a poem about Frank
in Barrymore's class. (Also on the DVD extras).
A scene where Donnie's parent discuss
his behavior at a restaurant. This scene was inserted
before they visited his psychiatrist. (Also on the
DVD extras).
An extended version of the scene
where Donnie talks to his psychiatrist about "dying
alone." Although this is also on the DVD extras, in
this version it ends before Donnie asks if he's an
"atheist" (which the doctor answers later in this
film version) and before she says that perhaps Frank
is a sign from God.
Donnie and his sister carve pumpkins.
(Also on the DVD extras).
Several scenes involving Barrymore's
English class reading "Watership Down," which also
uses rabbits as metaphors. There is much more discussion
about Donnie's lustful libido in one scene. (All of
theses are also on the DVD extras).
Dr. Thurman tells Donnie he has
not been taking medication but rather placebos made
of water. During the Q&A I attended, Kelly was adamant
that Donnie is entirely sober in the film except for
the "Smurfs" scene - where he is obviously a bit drunk.
In my opinion, this scene negates the impact of the
film's message about the problems of over- medicating
young people in society today and Kelly is wrong to
include it. While I believe that it is normal for
Donnie to have the angst, anger, troubling thoughts
and seeming schizophrenic moments that he has simply
because he is a teenager, I also think that the over-
medication of children to calm them and make them
"normal" is an important theme of the film and Kelly
should have some of Donnie's psychosis and ability
to recognize his psychosis be a part of his medical
treatment. Then again, I assumed drugs that doctor's
prescribe are hardly different than drugs that are
sold on the street in many instances. Have you ever
noticed that certain behaviors that the public services
announcements claim are signs of "drug abuse" are
also behaviors that are typical symptoms of simply
being teenagers?
There is also a scene where Dr.
Thurman explains "Atheism" and "Agnosticism" to Donnie
so that he may understand it is okay to accept that
he may never know if God exists.
Several times text from Roberta
Sparrow's "The Philosophy of Time Travel" appears
over scenes in the films. These are usually the beginning
of chapters of in the book and are used as transitory
moments. The scene where Donnie and Gretchen are laying
on a blanket on a hillside, waking from sleeping,
for example, begins with the text, "Chapter 10: The
Manipulated Dead." (This scene is also on the DVD
extras but without the text).
Donnie talks to Barrymore much more
when she is packing during the "Cellar Door" scene.
(Although these scenes are also included on the original
version's DVD "outtakes" section, not all that is
on the DVD is here).
Music is changed in the film. Instead
of using "The Killing Moon" at the start of the film,
Kelly begins this version with INXS' "Never Tear Us
Apart."
"The Killing Moon" appears after
Donnie and Gretchen (presumably) sleep together at
the Halloween party.
"Under the Milky Way" by The Church,
which had been used after the bedroom scene is now
relegated to a scene where Donnie flips the car radio
stations while riding with his dad. The father flips
back to a news-talk station discussing the upcoming
election between Dukakis and Bush.
Note:
In the original film and this version
there are references to Graham Greene, Stephen Hawking,
the Smurfs, TV's "Married with Children," "Back to
Future," "The Evil Dead," and "The Last Temptation
of Christ."
At the Q&A, Kelly said he wanted
to write a time travel movie because he was so enamored
of them as a teenager and mentioned "Back to the Future"
and "Terminator."
The film has a great score by Michael
Andrews. Other pop songs in both versions of the film
are "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division, "Head
over Heels," by Tears for Fears and a new version
of their "Mad World" Andrews and Gary Jules.
Also with Jake's sister Maggie Gyllenhaal,
Holmes Osborne, James Duvall and Katherine Ross.
Produced by Barrymore and her Flower
Films Production company.
The original film appeared at Sundance
and did not get picked up for distribution. At the
Q&A I attended, Kelly admitted that it was just seconds
away from premiering on TV's cable outlet "Starz"
before Newmaket decided to give it a theatrical release.
It was not financially successful on its initial release.
Viewed at a sneak preview at the
Dobie theater in August 2004. Matt Dentler of SXSW
introduced the film and director Richard Kelly, who
spoke shortly before the film. He also did a Q&A after
the film that was moderated by Ain't-It-Cool-News'
Harry Knowles.
