Richard-Kelly.net - Donnie Darko

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: In general, the story of a teenager who escapes jet engine crashing from the sky, only to be plagued by an imaginary rabbit named Frank who advises him that the world is about to end. What’s it really about? That’s for the viewer to decide!

What’s there to say that hasn’t already been written? (Well probably a lot, but don’t expect to read it all here.) This is Richard’s first feature film, and what a debut it was. Made for a paltry $4.5 million (paltry in terms of film budgets considering the scope of the project and the cast), it looked like a movie that cost many times that. This project took years to get off the ground after Richard penned the script back in 1997. Considered “too difficult to market” and perhaps just a good “writing sample,” studios were reluctant to throw any money at it to begin with. However, after Drew Barrymore signed on as a producer and actor, the ball started rolling. Pandora Films agreed to finance the movie and shooting took place in the summer of 2000. The eclectic cast included Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone , Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katharine Ross, Holmes Osborne, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, and Beth Grant. All agreed to work for the Hollywood equivalent of peanuts, as did the devoted crew which included standout cinematographer Steven Poster (later named president of the American Society of Cinematographers), production designer Alec Hammond, and former Academy Award winning costume designer April Ferry. Audiences saw a movie where everyone was motivated by the desire to create something special, not the chance to cash in a paycheck.

Almost immediately after filming and editing wrapped, Donnie Darko was off to the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. It was hailed as one of the first “special effects” films ever entered into competition there, and it was also saddled with a lot of pre-festival buzz that had distributors expecting one thing and then seeing another. With a well-known cast, many executives hoped for a formula film that they could easily plug into the prescribed marketing program. Alas, that’s not what Sundance is all about, and execs at companies like Miramax were hesitant to pull the trigger on a movie they couldn’t easily understand. Some went so far as to trash the movie – a popular tactic when you are too nervous to take a risk and you are afraid another studio might. Richard and Sean went home somewhat empty handed, but they weren’t ready to give up. A few months later, a deal finally closed with Newmarket that promised at least some level of theatrical release (not the dreaded “straight to video”). Although all the music from the Sundance cut could not be used (it proved too expensive), many of the critical songs were retained. It wasn’t just the pop soundtrack that drove the action on the screen, though. Michael Andrews’ moody score and his collaboration with Gary Jules on the remake of Tears for Fears’ Mad World gave a unique touch the film. Mad World even went on to become a surprise hit over in Europe (it reached #1 in the UK over Christmas 2003) in large part because of the popularity of Donnie Darko.

The movie’s theatrical release domestically (in the USA) was mediocre in 2001. Many have attributed this to the marketing strategy that distributor Newmarket used, putting the movie out on too many screens without the advance word of mouth buzz that most independent films require. Subsequent releases in the UK and elsewhere had this built in buzz, and they did much better. From a DVD standpoint, the original’s release on disc has been the biggest vehicle for the movie’s spread worldwide. Chock full of numerous deleted scenes, commentary tracks, and other extras, it expands on the plot and meaning that those select few who witnessed its theatrical run discovered. Also added to the equation was the popular and puzzling website www.donniedarko.com. A sort of “add-on” to the movie, fans can delve even further into the story and find out what happens to some of the supporting characters.

In 2004, a new version of Donnie Darko was unleashed: the Director's Cut. Richard was able to restore roughly 20 minutes of original footage, rearrange the music to more closely match his original plan, and completely overhaul the sound design and visual effects. The Director's Cut was released in a controlled manner throughout theaters in many cities after a premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival in

May. To date, the Director's Cut has generated a larger theatrical gross than the original version did. For a large majority of people, it represented the first time that they could see the movie on the big screen. A DVD version of the Director's Cut was released in October, 2004 in the U.K., with a U.S. release scheduled for January, 2005. New commentary tracks were recorded and additional "behind the scenes" footage was included, allowing fans to get a better feel for the process used in creating this independent masterpiece.

:: The movie was filmed in 28 days – ironic if you’ve seen Donnie Darko and remember the time given by Frank before the “world will end.”

:: Several of the crew make small cameo appearances in the movie, including Sean McKittrick, Nancy Juvonen, camera intern Dee Robertson (Richard’s cousin), and even Richard's roommate.

Sean McKittrick

Dee Robertson

Nancy Juvonen

Rich's Roommate

:: In the Sundance cut, the “jet engine montage” scene at the end of the film was accompanied by U2’s MLK. The rights to the song proved to be too tough to get, however, and Gary Jules’ Mad World rendition was moved from the closing credits to replace it. Everyone involved agreed that the song worked better there anyway.

:: In the same type of scenario, the original actor attached to star as Donnie Darko was Jason Schwartzman. His schedule didn’t mesh, however, and Jake Gyllenhaal replaced him. As anyone who has seen the film will tell you, Jake ended up being perfect for the role and is a big reason why the film is so great. No offense to Jason, as he’s a fine actor, but Jake was Donnie Darko. Add in the fact that Maggie Gyllenhaal landed the role as his sister, and you have a case of things just working out for the best.

:: The original actress cast to play Grandma Death had to be replaced after she showed up sporting a brand new face lift which made her look much younger. Oops!

:: Beth Grant (a.k.a. “Kitty Farmer”) was overheard at Sundance saying, “Richard Kelly is the best director I’ve ever worked with.” No offense to all the other directors she’s worked under, but that’s a pretty fine complement to pay a 25-year-old guy making his first feature film.

:: Roger Ebert attended the first screening of the film at Sundance. His review that week was lukewarm, but he later wrote that perhaps he had underestimated the film after giving it some more thought. Maybe someone could have told Roger that you need to watch it at least twice!

:: There are several rabbit references or props scattered throughout the movie, encouraging viewers to pay close attention on subsequent viewings. Click on the picture for some of them. Are there more?

:: The day they filmed the scene in which the jet engine is pulled from Donnie's house, a real piece of a plane fell onto a beach in California.

:: The kitchen set in the Darko house was actually built by the crew in an enclosed porch near the back of the house. The owners of the house liked the idea so much, they opted to keep the ktchen after filming.

:: Cinematographer Steven Poster called in “20 years of favors” from his career in the film industry in order to help get Darko made (and made well). This included lenses for the cameras, on-set equipment for viewing just completed shots, and other “stuff” that would have been way too expensive for the budget.

:: If you watch closely, you'll see two Stephen King books featured in the movie. Richard is a big King fan, so it is no surprise to see him pay homage to the bestselling author.

:: The musical score (done by Michael Andrews) and the Mad World cover are available on CD. Get yours at CD Baby or Amazon.

:: A big art exhibit and promotional effort took place in England before and after the release of Donnie Darko. Graffiti artists were given 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds to create a painting inspired by the film. On top of that, actual Donnie Darko graffiti started showing up around London as the result of enthusiastic support. The site www.theymademedoit.com features the artwork and some photos of the event.

:: Richard did not like the modified DVD cover which was chosen for release (with the added "floating heads" surrounding the original rabbit collage). The summary written on the back of the box ("In the tradition of STIR OF ECHOES and FINAL DESTINATION...") was equally insipid.

:: “The Donnie Darko Book” was released in 2003. It contains a lengthy interview with Richard, the script for the movie, and some images of the graffiti exhibit and www.donniedarko.com website.

:: A stage production of Donnie Darko was put on by the American Repertory Theatre in Boston in late 2003 and again in March of 2004 (directed by Marcus Stern). It's probably a coincidence, but the final performance of the play was on Richard's birthday (March 28). Read the press release.