It's complicated.
Yeah?
There's like a force in your brain that just sends you someplace.
Do you go someplace familiar?
No, but each time I keep waking up farther from my house.
Scary.
Donnie Darko.
I know.
- Good morning, you mongrels! - Good morning.
Is that all you can muster? Good morning!
- Good morning! - Now, that's a tiny, tiny bit better.
But I still sense some students who are actually afraid to say "good morning".
Good morning!
Yeah, that's what I like to hear! Too many young men and women today
are completely paralysed by their fears.
They surrender their bodies to the temptation and destruction
of drugs, alcohol and premarital sex.
Now, I'm going to tell you a little story today.
It's a heartbreakingly sad story about a young man
whose life was completely destroyed by these instruments of fear,
a young man searching for love in all the wrong places.
His name was Frank.
- We're moving through time. - What?
Hi. My stepsister, like, I sometimes worry that she eats too much.
- Shut up, Kim! - I'm just trying to help.
0h, sweetheart, please! There's no reason to be embarrassed here.
Many times we eat because we are afraid to face our ego reflection.
We find ourseLVes looking at the mirror, rather than into and through the mirror.
When we do that, we can finally see how beautiful we are.
- Thanks! - Sure. Come up here. Don't be afraid.
Er, how can I find out what I wanna be when I grow up?
0h! That's a hard one. Well, look deep inside of yourself, deep within your heart,
and find what makes you feel love - pure, unconditional love - and go to that.
In your studies, in your athletics, in your relationships, go towards love.
- Thank you. - Come on up.
Next.
- How do I learn how to fight? - "How do I learn how to fight?"
Son, violence is a product of fear. Learn to truly love yourself -
TRULY love yourself - and the world will be yours.
- 0K. - Get yourself up here!
All right!
- Good morning. - Good morning!
Um... How much are they paying you to be here?
Er... Excuse me?
- What's your name, son? - Gerald.
Well, Gerald, I think you're afraid.
Do you want us to buy your book? Because that was the worst advice ever.
See how sad this is? Want your sister to lose weight?
Tell her to stop eating Twinkies and play field hockey.
No one knows what they want to be. It takes time to find that out. Right, Jim?
And you...
Yeah, you.
Sick of some jerk shoving your head down the toilet? Well, lift some weights
or take a karate lesson, and next time kick him in the balls.
Son... See this? This is an anger prisoner, a textbook example.
- Prisoner. - Do you see the fear, people?
This boy is scared to death. Son, it breaks my heart to say this,
but I believe you're a very troubled and confused young man.
- You are searching in all the wrong places. - You're right, actually.
I am pretty troubled and pretty confused.
And I'm afraid, really, really afraid. Really afraid, but I...I...
I think you're the fucking Antichrist.
(CHEERING)
It's amazing. He thinks he's telling the truth. Everything he says is a fucking lie.
Everything he says!
Everyone thinks he's so rad. He's such a fucking chud...
Are you 0K?
Sit down. Calm down.
You ever hear of Grandma Death?
Who?
"The Philosophy 0f Time Travel". What is this?
She wrote it.
I'm... I'm seeing stuff...
Like really messed-up stuff.
That book describes stuff I've been seeing, and it can't just be a coincidence.
She must be in. She never leaves this house.
Maybe she's asleep.
Donnie, look.
Send her a letter.
Each vessel travels along a vector through space-time,
along its centre of gravity.
Like a spear.
- Pardon? - Like a spear coming out of your chest.
Um... Sure. Yeah.
In order for the vessel to travel through time, it's got to find a portal, a wormhole or...
Could these portals...? Could these portals just appear anywhere, any time?
I think that's highly unlikely.
- No, you're talking about an act of God. - If God controls time, time is pre-decided.
- I'm not following you. - Every living thing follows a set path.
And if you could see your path, then you could see the future?
- That's a form of time travel. - Well, you're contradicting yourself.
If we were able to see our destinies manifest themseLVes visually,
then we would be given a choice to betray our destinies.
The mere fact that this choice exists would make all preformed destiny come to an end.
Not if you travel within God's channel.
I'm not going to be able to continue this conversation.
- Why? - I could lose my job.
0K.
It gives me no pleasure to deny you one of the great writers of the 20th century.
Alas, I have not yet been elected queen of the universe, so I must obey the rules.
So, anyone seen in this school reading this book will be suspended.
Not to worry. Someone pre-ordered a dozen copies at the Sarasota Mall bookstore.
In Mr Greene's absence, we will now be reading another classic - "Watership Down".
Here, Donnie.
Pass these back.
Maybe you and Frank can read this one together.
Now you know where he lives.
And they grow out of our...chest, solar plexus?
Just like she described, the way they moved and they smelled.
It's like they're workers.
Assigned to each one of us. They just... They're like liquid.
I followed it into my parents' bedroom.
What did you find?
Nothing.
So we call them IMGs.
- Infant Memory Generators. - You buy these glasses for your infant,
and they wear them at night when they sleep.
But inside the glasses are these slide photographs.
Each photograph is of something peaceful or beautiful, whatever the parents want.
What effect would it have on an infant?
Well, nobody remembers their infancy. Anybody who says they do is lying.
So, this will help develop memory earlier in life.
Yeah.
Did you consider that infants need darkness as part of their natural development?
No.
Yeah.
What if the parents put in pictures of Satan or dead people?
Is that what you'd show your kids?
Er, well, I mean, didn't your dad, like, stab your mom?
(M0CK SCREECHING)
Get out.
Gretchen!
Gretchen! Gretchen. I'm sorry about those guys.
- Two for "Evil Dead", please. - That'll be $2.
Why do you wear that stupid bunny suit?
Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?
Take it off.
What happened to your eye?
Why do they call you Frank?
It is the name of my father.
And his father before me.
Frank...
when's this going to stop?
You should already know that.
Watch the movie screen.
There's something I want to show you.
Have you ever seen a portal?
(CL0CK CHIMES)
Burn it to the ground.
0K. Now, girls, I want you to concentrate.
Failure is not an option.
And, Bethany, if you feel the need to vomit up there, just swallow it.
- 0K, Mom. - Hey, you guys, good luck out there.
Now, that was really something.
Thank you, Cherita Chen, with "Autumn Angel".
Now the moment we've all been waiting for.
It is my pleasure to introduce to you Emily Bates, Suzy Bailey,
Samantha Darko, Beth Farmer and Joanie James.
They are Sparkle Motion.
(MUSIC: "N0T0RI0US" BY DURAN DURAN)
How long was I asleep for?
Whole movie.
Well, look what the cat dragged in!
How you doing, Donnie?
Your little sister was broken-hearted that you missed her big show last night.
- Dad? - Hm?
I'm crazy.
You're not crazy.
I used to be crazy.
But you're not crazy.
- Look, you're my only son... - I know...
No, hold it. I know I'm not the best communicator, but...
..whatever happens to you, be honest, tell the truth,
even if they do look at you funny - they will.
But what you gotta understand, son,
is that almost all of those people are full of shit.
They're all part of this great big conspiracy of bullshit.
And they're scared of people like you.
Because those bullshitters know that you're smarter than all of them.
You know what you say to people like that? Hm?
"Fuck you."
The blaze was extinguished sometime after 8.00 last night.
Firefighters discovered what has been referred to as a kiddie porn dungeon.
Cunningham, who has become a recent celebrity for his books, was arrested...
- 0h, my God! - ..while at Sarasota Heights Country Club.
Arson has not been ruled out as the cause of the fire.
- Now a group of Cunning Vision employees... - Dad played golf with that guy.
..vehemently denied the alleged link to a child pornography publishing circuit.
In a vicious statement, Connie attacked fire department officials,
claiming a mass conspiracy.
I'm sorry, Karen. This is a progressive school,
but we don't feel your methods are appropriate.
What exactly about my methods are inappropriate?
I am sorry that you have failed.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another appointment.
You can finish out the week.
Fuck!
Good afternoon. It's a great pleasure to announce
that the Middlesex Ridge School dance team
has been invited to perform on "Star Search '88" in Los Angeles.
- I know now a terrible thing is coming. - What do you mean?
The field, the field. It's covered with blood.
Blood? Don't be silly.
All right. It's getting dark. We should get back to the burrow.
Back to the burrow? It'll come there. It's all around us!
- Stop it, Fiver. - We've got to leave here.
When the other rabbits hear of Fiver's vision, do they believe him?
Why should we care?
Because the rabbits are us, Donnie.
Why should I mourn for a rabbit?
Is the death of one species less tragic than another?
0f course. A rabbit's not like us.
It has no history books, no photographs, no knowledge of sorrow or regret.
I'm sorry. Don't get me wrong, I like rabbits. They're cute and horny.
If you're cute and horny, you're happy. You don't know why you're alive.
You just want to have sex as many times as possible before you die.
I just don't see the point in crying over a dead rabbit...
who never even feared death to begin with.
You're wrong. These rabbits are the product of the author's imagination.
He cares for them, so we care for them, otherwise we've just missed the point.
Aren't we forgetting about the miracle of storytelling?
The deus ex machina? The god machine?
That's what saved the rabbits.
No, it was ridiculous. I'll call you back.
- Rose. - Kitty.
I'm sure you've heard the horrible allegations against Jim Cunningham.
I know. Something about a kiddie porn dungeon...
0h, please, please! Don't use those words!
It's obviously a conspiracy to destroy an innocent man.
I'm spearheading the Jim Cunningham defence campaign.
Rose, I have to appear at his arraignment tomorrow morning.
The girls have to leave for Los Angeles.
As their coach, I was the obvious choice to chaperone them.
- But now you can't go. - Yes.
Now, believe me, of all the other mothers, I would never dream of asking you.
But none of the others are available.
I don't know, Kitty. It's a bad weekend. Eddie's in New York.
Rose, I don't know if you realise what an opportunity this is for our daughters!
This has been a dream of Samantha's and all of ours for a long time.
I made her lead dancer!
Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!
Elizabeth will be in charge.
She'll drive you to therapy.
And if you need anything, you promise me that you will call Dr Thurman?
How does it feel to have a wacko for a son?
It feels wonderful.
Here... Sorry! Here you are!
- You guys are gonna win. I know it. - So do I.
Here's the keys. There's food in the fridge and do not...
Mom, go. You're gonna miss your plane.
Mom, I need...
There's nothing broken in my brain.
- I know. - Bye, Donnie.
0K, go. Go!
Hello, Donnie.
It's Friday. Shouldn't you be off with your friends, scaring old people?
- What's going on? - I don't know. That's a good question.
I'm no longer your English teacher. They fired me.
That's bullshit! You're the only good teacher here.
Thank you.
What's "cellar door"?
This famous linguist once said that of all the phrases in the English language,
of all the endless combinations of words in all of history,
"cellar door" is the most beautiful.
"Cellar door."
I promise that one day everything's gonna be better for you.
Shut up!
I want to talk about your past. No.
I want to talk about you and your parents.
They didn't buy me what I wanted for Christmas.
What did you want for Christmas that year?
Hungry Hungry Hippos.
How did you feel, being denied these Hungry Hungry Hippos?
- Regret. - What else makes you feel regret?
- That I did it again. - You did it again?
I flooded my school and I burned down that pervert's house.
I only have a few days left before they catch me.
- Did Frank tell you to do these things? - I have to obey him. He saved my life.
I have to obey him or I'll be left all alone.
And then... And then I won't be able to figure out what this is all about.
I won't know his master plan.
Do you mean God's master plan?
Do you now believe in God?
I have the power to build a time machine.
How is that possible?
How is time travel possible, Donnie?
Time's up, Frank said.
- When is this going to happen? - Soon.
What is going to happen?
- Frank is gonna kill. - Who is he going to kill?
- I can see him!
The sky's gonna open up.
If the sky suddenly opened up, there would be no law, no rule.
There would only be you and your memories,
the choices you've made and the people you've touched.
If this world were to end, there would only be you and him...
..and no one else.
You can stop taking your medication.
They're placebos. Just pills made out of water.
Thank you.
Donnie...
An atheist is someone who denies altogether the existence of God.
You're an agnostic.
An agnostic is someone...
who believes that there is no proof of the existence of God,
but does not deny a possibility that God exists.
Goodbye, Dr Thurman.
Hey.
I got in.
I'm going to Harvard.
Hey, we should totally throw a party. Mom and Dad are gone.
- It's Halloween. We could get away with it. - 0K. But it has to be small.
We got eggs, water balloons and a dozen rolls of toilet paper.
I stole four beers from my dad.
- We got a keg. - Keg beer is for pussies.
Rose, this is Lilian Thurman.
It is important that you call me as soon as you get this message. Thank you.
You 0K?
Yeah. My mom's gone.
You want to come in?
(HI-FI: "L0VE WILL TEAR US APART" BY J0Y DIVISI0N)
I don't know. She didn't leave a note and the house was all messed up.
But you're 0K.
Did you call the cops?
Yeah, they said I should leave the house and that I should go to a safe place.
I'm just so scared. I keep thinking something awful is happening and...
It's my fucking stepdad, I know it.
I guess some people are just born with tragedy in their blood.
- Hey, have you seen Frank? - No, they went on a beer run.
If you're there, please pick up. Oh, well. Good news.
The girls got three and a half stars and are in the quarter-finals.
Samantha was amazing. Anyway...
We're taking the red-eye back tonight and...
- Mom, we've got to leave. - Yeah. 0K.
We should arrive 8:30 in the morning.
Um... I hope everything's... I hope everything's all right.
I love you. Bye.
(HI-FI: "THE KILLING M00N" BY ECH0 AND THE BUNNYMEN)
- Come with me. - Where are we going?
- Donnie? - Look, we gotta go.
- We've got to see Grandma Death. - Why? About the book?
- No, it's Frank. - Donnie...
Time is running out! We gotta go.
Donnie, nobody's here. Let's just forget about it.
"Cellar door."
What?
Donnie! Donnie!
Donnie!
- Why the fuck are you here? - 0h, my God!
- You're dead! - What do we do?
- Shit! - Leave them alone!
Don't fucking move! Don't fucking move!
- There's a car!
- Get the hell out of here! - Come on!
Seth, a car's coming. Let's go!
I have a bigger knife now.
Fuck!
Did you call the fucking cops?
- Deus ex machina. - What did you just say?
- What the fuck did you say? - 0ur saviour.
Donnie!
Frank...
Is she dead?
What were you guys doing in the middle of the road?!
Go home!
Go and tell your parents everything will be 0K.
Go!
The storm is coming. You must hurry.
I'm going home.
Dear Roberta Sparrow, I've reached the end of your book
and there's so many things I need to ask you.
Sometimes I'm afraid of what you might tell me.
Sometimes I'm afraid that you'll tell me this is not a work of fiction.
I can only hope that the answers will come to me in my sleep.
I hope that when the world ends,
I can breathe a sigh of relief because there will be so much to look forward to.
(MUSIC: "MAD W0RLD" BY GARY JULES)
Hey. What's going on?
Horrible accident. My neighbour...got killed.
- What happened? - Got smushed by a jet engine.
What was his name?
Donnie. Donnie Darko.
I feel bad for his family.
Yeah.
Did you know him?
No.
# Oh, say, can you see
# By the dawn's early light
# What so proudly we hailed
# At the twilight's last gleaming?
# Whose broad stripes and bright stars
# Through the perilous fight
# O'er the ramparts we watched
# Were so gallantly streaming?
# And the rockets' red glare
# The bombs bursting in air
# Gave proof through the night
# That our flag was still there
# O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
# O'er the land of the free
# And the home of the brave? #