Donnie Darko began its cult status journey at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2001, which means it has been 20 years that the film has fascinated us with its indie sensibilities and became that one weird movie that everyone began talking about in film school. Directed by Richard Kelly, the film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as the titular character, and the actor took to Instagram to unveil some nostalgic memorabilia to celebrate the film's debut at the film festival 20 years ago.
Donnie Darko was not an initial hit upon release. When the film debuted at Sundance, reviews were stellar and the movie would go on to carry an 87% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a consensus that reads "Richard Kelly's debut feature Donnie Darko is a daring, original vision, packed with jarring ideas and intelligence and featuring a remarkable performance from Jake Gyllenhaal as the troubled title character." Despite the positive critical reception, by the time the film was released theatrically on October 26, 2001, the film's advertising featuring a crashing plane didn't sit well considering the September 11 attacks were a month before so the film was scarcely promoted, resulting in poor box office. It wasn't until the film arrived on home video that the movie achieved true cult status and it would go on to sell millions of copies. From there, the film became a midnight movie success, selling out screenings across North American and Europe.
In an Instagram post on January 19, 2021, the 20th anniversary of its Sundance launch, Jake Gyllenhaal, who was 19-years old when he took the title role, said about Donnie Darko that "It's a film that changed my life and career, and it's been unreal to watch this story find afterlives with new audiences and new generations." The caption was accompanied by Gyllenhall's original script for the film with notes he obviously took while filming and various polaroids from the production. The caption goes on to state "What Donnie said to Roberta Sparrow is still true: 'There is so much to look forward to." You can check out Gyllenhaal's Instagram post below:
Casual moviegoers that don't quite see the hype about Donnie Darko have often accused fans of praising the film because they really don't understand it. Admittedly, upon first viewing, Donnie Darko could be a confusing watch but soon its themes and true meanings come into focus. Also, if you're having any doubts, Richard Kelly's director's cut practically spells out what the film is trying to say in case you got lost along the way. Gyllenhaal is well aware that Donnie Darko can be a confusing experience and goes on to say in the Instagram post "Thank you to all the fans who've come up to me over the years with that confused look on their faces and asked me: 'what the f*** is Donnie Darko about??'" He then goes on to wish the film a happy 20th anniversary and exclaims that he looks forward to celebrating it all again in 20 more years.
Donnie Darko focuses on Donnie (Gyllenhaal), who is lured out of his home one night by a mysterious figure wearing a terrifying rabbit suit. Once out, Donnie ends up saving a fellow high school student before a plane engine crashes through his bedroom. That's just the basic plot summary and to reveal more would be a disservice to those who haven't seen it but I feel like it's one of the true masterpieces of the last 20 years and it really makes me wish we got more great material from Richard Kelly. He would go on to direct Southland Tales, which received one of the worse receptions ever at the Cannes Film Festival, and The Box, a 2009 psychological thriller based on the 1970 short story "Button, Button." The film, which starred Cameron Diaz and James Marsden, fared a bit better than Southland Tales but Kelly really hasn't had a significant film release since. Donnie Darko is his masterpiece and I guess some filmmakers are just lucky enough to have one. Donnie Darko also stars Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katherine Ross, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, Stu Stone, Daveigh Chase, and James Duval.
Are YOU a fan of Donnie Darko?