Did he have to die?

[Frank]

I don't think he had to die. I think he was afraid that he would be alone. But then he found that Every living creature dies alone[glow=red,2,300]Every living creature dies alone[/glow]

[Marianne]

He didnt have to die.. he did not return the artifact back in time to the other world (4th dimension) and was supposed to use his powers to send it back but did not. Or maybe the artifact was sent back to our world where it belonged. But Donnie did travel and maybe he saw that he would get death at home with his family or be inprisoned for shooting someone and die alone.

[thebaz]

The whole film is about Donnie returning the artifact aka the plane engine to the primary dimension. The chain of events that Frank creates (The flooding and the burning) changes the original causality of the temporary dimension.

Yes he did have to die... as him not doing so in the first place created the temporary dimension which would of caused the world to end.

[Ndawg]

Yes, he did have to die. When he is summoned by frank when the jet engine falls into his room in the begining, he was supposed to die, but Frank summoned him and saved his life. But, by Frank calling him and Donnie not dying, Donnie messes up God's path for Donnie and he feels in debted to Frank so he thinks he has to do eveything that Frank tells him to (Flood the school, etc.) and in the end, he has to set God's path straight by dying.

[zebob]

this is the only part wich i do not understand, why did the Tangent dimension start?
There is no doubt about donnie returned the artifact, if he wouldnt have done that the wourld would really have come to an end, but i didnt.
what i dun understand is why he took suicide by placing himself in the room..he wouldnt really had to do that..at least i do not think so..

[me]

Here is what i think. The tangent universe can either be created or NOT be created with the appearance of an artifact. In this case, the artifact was the jet engine. Since donny was NOT killed by the jet engine, the tangent universe was created. If the tangent universe was allowed to collapse in on itself, as it was beginning to do when donnie was watching from the hilltop, then the collapse would have been so huge as to disrupt the barrier between the tangent and the real, and destroy both universes. AKA the REAL world would have been destroyed. Now, i think...that the only way for this tangent universe to NOT be created was for the artifact to kill the "chosen one," or the one who is to receive the powers of time travel in the tangent universe. In this case, it was donnie that was the chosen one. By allowing the jet engine to kill him, he prevented the creation of the tangent universe, and saved the lives of everyone on earth, as well as the universe as a whole. Donnie wasn't upset at the fact that he was going to die, because the events he had to go through proved to donnie the existence of God, and of an afterlife. This is also why gretchin remembers Donnies mom, and Donnies mom remembers her at the end. They were part of God's plan to influence donny to travel back in time to save the world, as an "insurance" mechanism, so an imprint was left with them when their tangent selves collapsed into their real selves.

but there is still one thing that doesn't make sense to me.....Everyone dies alone. Is this true? I don't see how it fits in. Sure, donnie died alone.....but some people die in the comfort of others. What does it mean...

And why the hell are all these messages from the past 7 days?!?! Were these MBs just created??

[Frank]

[glow=red,2,300]go back to pre school and learn to talk. Did you understand the meaning of barney? Jesus your dumb. I'll explain it to you numb nuts. The tangent unviverse was created by donnie. He was given 4th dimensional powers. he creates the wormhole as a shortcut in time. so the thing that happens at the end of the film really happens at the begining. so do you kind of get it If you don't you need to slap your parents.[/glow]

[me]

Thats your interpretation, but thanks for the poor assumptions there buddy. Now refrain from the nastyness, before i get REALLY pissed off.

[xxxfollow]

just 2 questions that may or may not enhance my understanding of the film:
What was it donnie said at the end to the guy (baddie) that had the knive at donnie's neck?
I just couldn't make it out!
and
What were the two baddies doing in 'Grandma's death house? Trying to rob the gems??
I kind of understand the whole time travel thing. This is the way I see it:
Donnie was 'called away' from his death by Frank, so Donnie could meet his soulmate and Frank could apologise for running her over. Donnie went back in time to give Gretchen her life back and also because he was no longer afraid of dying alone.
I have purposefully not read the official site or sparrow's book on time travel as I believe the film should be self contained and explainable by itself.

[xxxfollow]

Also,
Someone elsewhere on this site that fat guy in orange track suit appears three times. I only recall seeing him twice: At the kiss scene and at the party. Where else is he?

Also,
Why is cool English teacher (Drew B) so pissed at sparkle motion winning the talent show? Is this significant? probably not? But maybe related to tangenital universe stuff?

Also, my own take on things:
In the film there are segments fast forwarded. Well I think this is as it is the tangenital universe and not just for editing purposes!

Also, while I'm rolling,
Fat unhappy kid is shown listening outside door when Donnie is talking to English teacher. I guess she has some kind of idea about tangenital universe or residual memory of real world.
+ at the end it appearts that Donnie's Mum and Gretchen recognise each other. Yet, I don't recall them ever meeting in the film? Rather its just a feeling of being linked in some subconscious way.

All (sensible) comments appreciated!

[EricDraven]

Hey there me and xxxfollow. Me, I'm glad someone else is on here that knows what it all means besides me,I've been answering questions like crazy.

ok XXXFOLLOW, heres my two cents, I've been able to help others,maybe I can help you clear things up:

Duex Ex machina is what Donnie said to that one crack-head. Its a drama term taken from ancient Greece or Rome, it means God-machine, which means,in Roman and Greek plays, Gods were introduced to create a twist or a solution to the problem. Many dont know what that means,which creates a mass confusion as we see before us. In my theory, Donnie said that because he knew he was being led by god to do what he was getting ready to do.
As for the guy in the red suit appearing three times,I have nothing to say about that except for maybe there was a scene where he was jogging,I'm guessing,I dont know
Ok Drew's character was pissed about sparkle motion because the dancing coach was the one who got her fired for just trying to teach a good lesson to her kids. Like I've seen at my school, theres always a teacher at school who seems a little Psychotic and choked up on silly morals,that she can do whatever she wants,because either she has a student there or is related to other school staff,or,like my school,its all controlled by four familys, I swear I live right in the middle of a red-neck hick conspiracy where even the police take orders from these rich bastards.Anyway thats what it all was,remember the judge of the talent show,something tells me that they were going to win no matter who did what, and plus what Jim Cunningham said, "Now the moment we've all been waiting for..." like everyone else was only an opening. She had him say that. You could just tell by the way Drew looked at the talent show that she had a grudge against the whole Sparkle motion movement,though she did kind of moved to the Notorious song.It was all set-up and she knew it....
oh, and I like your idea about why the chinese girl was so mysterious,I thought the same thing too...Oh and about Gretchen and Rose Darko, maybe there was a subconsious link between the only really important ladies in Donnie's life.Like somehow they knew. Have you ever looked at someone and you feel some kind of connection toward them or they remind you of someone,well,thats probably what was going on

[crisweaver]

i thought perhaps the reason she was pissed off about them winning was becuase they were not artistic however the fat chinese girl who perfrom autum bird or sumthing like that was expressing emotions and i figured english teachers likes that sort of thing.

[EricDraven]

well yeah theres that too...but mostly everyone gets the whole grudge vibe than what a common english teacher would think about who should have won. But yeah I like that idea though

[Chris T]

In the movie, donnie doesnt die, at least for a while.. and look what happens. Dangerous universe is created. I think BECAUSE he didnt die the tangent was created, and that the effect of an unstable tangent universe would destroy the world in order to save the world, he had to sacrifice himself. if he hadnt died, he would have anyway when the blackhole ruined the universe.

[Is this the rite place 2 ask]

In the film the english teacher mentions "cellardoor" and the persone that made that statment gave a reason for it being the most beautiful word i dont suppose any1 knows it?? i cant find it anywhere on the net