Product Description

In the tradition of Urban Legends and Final Destination, Donnie Darko is an edgy, psychological thriller about a suburban teen coming face-to-face wit his dark destiny. Jake Gyllenhaal leads a star-filled cast (including Drew Barrymore, Noah Wyle, Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze and Mary McDonnell) as a delusional high-school student visited by a demonic rabbit with eerie visions of the past - and deadly predictions for the future. This "excitingly original" (Entertainment Weekly) nail-biter will keep you on the edge of your seat until the mind-bending climax.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14969 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-02-04
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 113 minutes

Amazon.com
This unclassifiable but stunningly original film obliterates the walls between teen comedy, science fiction, family drama, horror, and cultural satire--and remains wildly entertaining throughout. Jake Gyllenhaal (October Sky) stars as Donnie, a borderline-schizophrenic adolescent for whom there is no difference between the signs and wonders of reality (a plane crash that devastates his house) and hallucination (a man-sized, reptilian rabbit who talks to him). Obsessed with the science of time travel and acutely aware of the world around him, Donnie is isolated by his powers of analysis and the apocalyptic visions that no one else seems to share. The debut feature of writer-director Richard Kelly, Donnie Darko is a shattering, hypnotic work that sets its own terms and gambles--rightfully so, as it turns out--that a viewer will stay aboard for the full ride. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

A must-have DVD
I missed this film in its theatrical release (apparently it received limited distribution), but since it requires at least two viewings, it's well-suited for DVD. It's difficult to describe the story or even characterize it by genre, which shows how original the film is. Simply put, it's about time travel, but it's about a lot more than that, too.

The acting is consistently outstanding, with a list of well-known names in the cast, along with less familiar ones. Jake Gyllenhaal gives an amazing performance that is so convincing, you forget that he is acting; he IS Donnie Darko. While the story is mainly told through his eyes, the other characters are surprisingly sympathetic as well. This is not an easy feat for a script to accomplish, especially when the viewer must focus so much attention on every event. It would have been easy to create a one-dimensional hero and a bunch of villains, but writer/director Richard Kelly doesn't take the easy way out.

Instead, we get a highly intelligent and challenging film that engages us as much as it baffles us, that injects enough humor to keep us from stress-overload, and most importantly, makes us want to watch it again and again, even after we know what's going on. In this sense, "Donnie Darko" succeeds where other films have fallen short: for example, I enjoyed the complexities of "Memento", but I was not able to identify or even care very much about any of the characters. The same was true of "The Usual Suspects". Both are excellent films, but I viewed both from a distance, more analytically than emotionally.

I did not view "Donnie Darko" from a distance. I was drawn into the world that it creates, and enjoyed it enough to return more than once. A brilliant first film from Richard Kelly, who has set a very high standard for himself.

The DVD does full justice to this fine movie. The video and audio are excellent, and the extra features are quite thorough. I particularly enjoyed the commentary by Richard Kelly and Jake Gyllenhaal, which I listened to the second time I watched the film. They do a great job of helping the viewer to connect the dots. They also include just enough of the usual "behind the scenes" banter to keep the commentary from becoming too academic.

This DVD would definitely be included in any "desert island" list that I would ever compile. Strongly recommended!

Remarkably original
Any form of media that makes you think has succeeded in what it set out to do.Donnie Darko is a film that succeeds on every conceivable level. The script is original and entirely unpredictable. There isn't a single bit of action or dialogue, not one frame that can be anticipated. The characters, too, are refreshingly well-conceived and highly unique. And it's a treat to see actors we know well (Drew Barrymore, who also produced, and Noah Wyle) stretch well beyond our usual expectations. There is great humor in this film as well as great sorrow. And, ultimately, it's impossible to say if the entire scenario takes place within the dreams of a brilliant but possibly schizophrenic young man or if, as he so desperately wishes, he has, through physics, managed to reverse time.

Jake Gyllenhaal gives a stunning performance as Donnie. Even his body language--incurving shoulders, questioning eyes, uncertain smiles--reveal a vast, searching intelligence. Mary McDonnell gives yet another in a roster of thoughtful portrayals--this time as the despairing mother of brilliant and troubled Donnie, simultaneously loving and hating him for being emotionally beyond her reach. And Jena Mallone is just wonderful, one of the truest, most authentic young actors around today.

This is filmmaking at its best--an adventure for the mind--not to be missed.
Most highly recommended.

An Excellent Surprise
As far as titles go Donnie Darko" is about as unassuming as they get. Go figure then that the movie is one of the more original, thought provoking contributions to cinema in recent memory.

What makes this film so engrossing is the effective balance that is achieved between the more technical aspects of the film and the story itself. This balance cannot be overlooked as there have been innumerable movies over the years with interesting ideas but poor execution, as well as the inverse. The Thirteenth Floor and Cameron Crowe's Ope... Vanilla Sky come to mind.

Technically, this movie is wonderful. The lighting, the camera work, the pacing, etc all fit the movie perfectly. Also, the use of music is done quite well as it adds to the mood of the picture and does not distract. The script is also a triumph, which is noteworthy given that the film does tend to ebb and flow, 'changing' from 80's teen flick, to horror, to dark comedy, and back again. The casting is spot on as well. Patrick Swayze finally has a career-defining role and Jake Gyllenhaal is perfect in the title role.

And then there's the story. At first glance, the plot could come off as a jumble of ideas tossed together, I suppose. But, the way the pieces fit together (and they really do) and the shear originality of it all make it work. Amazingly, "Donnie Darko" is one of the few modern movies that cannot be directly compared to something else, which is noteworthy in this era of big budget remakes and explosionfests that are supposed to pass as legitimate cinema. Sure, certain aspects of the movie may seem familiar, but whole of the movie is original.

If you like movies that require thought, attention, at least a second viewing, and an open mind, "Donnie Darko" would get my highest recommendation. And even if you prefer movies that require less work, ignore this and go rent Con Air (again).