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Post by darkdude1984 on Nov 11, 2003 14:42:19 GMT -5
My theory: before the engine fell through the roof, there is a shot of the clock. The clock strikes 12 o'clock wich symbolized the transition from the real world to the tangent universe. From there on, the world that donnie is in is the tangent universe. Frank calls donnie out of bed to make him aware that apocalypse is comming (notice that donnie was in his sleep walking state). Then thats when the engine falls through the roof. Frank had called donnie, not only to tell him about apocalypse but to save him from death. Everyone in the movie like mrs.pomeray, gretchin, elizabeth, ect. were manipulated beings that were there to help donnie through his journey to save the world.They werent aware that this is what they were doing, it was in their destiny. They all knew that something was going on, but not completely. Including donnie, he slowly gets whats going on and thats why he goes to Noah and discusses time travel.
Frank tells donnie to flood the school. The flood was to meet gretchin. if it hadnt been for the flood, school wouldve never been canceled, and he would have never got the chance to meet gretchin and ask her to
"go with him". the fire was to reveal jim cunninghams secret (kiddie porn ring). Kitty farmer couldnt chaperone sparkle motion on the plane flight because she had to stand by cunninghams defense in court. so donnies mom had to go. The reason why mrs pomeray wrote CELLAR DOOR on the board was because that was suppose to let donnie know to go to the mrs sparrows cellar door later on that night. Donnie had to go to mrs sparrows cellar door because the two boys had to attack donnie and gretchin. they threw gretchin in the road, because of that she was ran over by frank. By frank running gretchin over, that aided in donnie to shoot frank. then donnie goes back up to the hill where the plane looses the engine. the engine was the artifact and in sparrows book she says taht the artifact needs to be sent back to the primary universe. It is sent back through the hole in the sky. after that he is brought back in time (the begining of the movie) because he has sent back the artifact to the primary universe. that is when the engine falls on him.
In sparrows book it states that after the revievers journey (donnie) they wake up and dont remember much about what happend. I think that the ending of the movie is for the viewers to decide why donnie died in the end.
I have a couple of theorys. One is i think taht donnie woke up from the tangent world and hardly remembered what had happened. I think that he forgot about the engine and he didnt know what was going to happen, that is why he never got out of the room. My other theory is this: he woke up laughing because he couldnt believe what had happened and he thought that the engine wasnt going to fall through and kill him because he had sent it back and done what he had to do..
I hope this has helped some of you. any questions, reply.
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Post by darkmystic on Nov 11, 2003 19:07:31 GMT -5
Excellent detailed analysis of the movie. I agree with almost 100% of what you posted. I agree that Donnie did not have to die at the end, and that one of the possible explanations for this is that he simply forgets, or thinks what has happened is a dream. On further thought, however I came up with a few questions. Questions that are usually answered in science fiction movies, but are noticeably left out of this one.
1. How is the portal created in the first place?
2. How on earth does Roberta Sparrow know so much about tangent universes? She writes a book about it that is accurate to a T.
3. Why 1988?
4. What is the meaning of some of that dialog?
a. Donnie says to Cherita, "Things are going to get better for you, I promise"
b. Gretchen saying, "What if you could go back in time and replace all those hours of darkness with something better." This is repeated twice remember.
c. The science teachers response to the IMG that maybe darkness is necessary for humans to develop
d. The punk kids statement. "What if you put in pictures of Satan, dead people, sh*t like that?"
So to answer these questions I came up with my much posted theory about Donnie traveling from the present, and that Roberta Sparrow also did this at some point etc. This answers these questions, and adds to the story without contradicting anything in the movie. If you have another explanation for these questions I'd be interested in hearing it. Please post.
PS. Another interesting construct that I have yet to see in any other movie or story is the idea of someone dying in the future and appearing as a ghost in the past. I've seen lots of movies where ghosts appear, after the person has died, but never before. As far as I know, only our buddy Frank has this gift.
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Post by darkdude1984 on Nov 11, 2003 20:13:21 GMT -5
darkmystic,
to answer some of your questions:
1. I personally have no idea or explanation on how the portal might have been created. you guess is as good as mine.
2. Roberta sparrow knows so much about time travel and the tangent universe because she expierenced exactly what donnie did. I think the director stated that in the commentary, im not sure.
3. why 1988? well the director mentioned 1988 alot in the commentary/ He said alot od things that happed in his teenage years happened in 1988 so i think that maybe that is why they decided upon 1988 as the year in the movie.
4. A. i think that he said what he said to cherita because he figured once he got bacvk to the real world, he wouldve been nicer to her. Thats just my opinion tho.
B. When gretchin said what she said to donnie about replacing darkness with happiness is i think she was kinda telling him to make better decisions once he got back. Because remember, the manipulated beings are there to aid donnie through what he was supposed to do.
C. Maybe what the science teacher meant was that you shouldnt change something that is meant to be or something might happen. Look at it this way, if you did do what the IMG was meant to do, there would obviously be some kind of evolutionary step in humanity. It would change the future of humanity so therefor it might lead into a whole change of events that we are not ready for. Babys are supposed to see darkness, thats part of the whole process of being an infant.
D. I think that the punk kid was just saying that to be an a$$hole.
Im not saying that your theorys are wrong at all. I really believe that this is the type of movie that audiences are supposed to kinda put the puzzle pieces together themselves and then decide what the movie is about or whatever. so if you have any other questions or opinions that you would like to bring to my attention then feel free to do so.
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Post by none on Nov 11, 2003 23:21:34 GMT -5
the whole movie happens in the tangent world. it's all a message to Donnie, to tell him that something's going to happen... so he knows that he might die, it's like saying "hey, you need to watch out, you're going to have a near death experience, be prepared." but instead of dodging it, he welcomes it... he's tired of the real world and what it's doing to him. he mentions something along the lines of being tired of the medication he's forced to take, at one point, which could also suggest he's tired of living. he also asks his mom what it's like to have a crazy son, she says it's wonderful... or something like that, but in the end, she's standing there, smoking a cigarette like she's been relieved of some great duty. but that's just one idea.
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Post by darkmystic on Nov 12, 2003 0:14:42 GMT -5
Dark Dude,
Yep, each thing that happens could be explained like that. I like the idea of one event explaining everything however, this is why I find the theory of traveling from the present appealing. I like the idea that this initial jump may have created the tangent universe that they are trapped in. Maybe we'll find out more about what Richard Kelley had in mind when the director's cut is released in March.
guest poster: Don't forget, there was no medication. The doctor was giving Donnie placebos.
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Post by risky on Nov 12, 2003 18:24:16 GMT -5
Donnie wakes up in the real universe laughing because he knows he MUST die in order to save his true love, Gretchen, from death, even if it means she'll never know just what he did to save her.
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Post by Pax on Nov 12, 2003 20:38:55 GMT -5
In response to the comments/questions about 1) the "go back and replace the bad memories with peaceful things etc." I think that that is exactly what Donnie was able to do by meeting Gretchen, falling in love with her, reconnecting with his family, (not seen to a great extent in the current cut of the movie, but there in a way). Donnie was able to replace some of the bad stuff in his life with good things, I think that's why the second time you hear Gretchen saying this in voice-over, is where Donnie is looking at her, even though she's dead, and he's smiling.
Also, the Cherita Chin comment. I've heard that Richard Kelly conceived of Donnie Darko as a character who travels through time and dimensions, and that though he may be dead in one reality, he may not be dead in another. So his ability to see into time, etc., may have allowed him to see a better future for Cherita.
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Post by darkmystic on Nov 17, 2003 19:05:35 GMT -5
risky,
How do you support the theory that he must die in order to save Gretchen from death? What chain of events will cause her to die if he lives? He probably wont even meet her.
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Post by Chels on Jan 16, 2004 18:49:43 GMT -5
Donnie must've died in order to save Gretchen from dying because if they would have never met they would have never been at Sparrow's cellar door....where Gretchen died....Donnie realized that he truly loved Gretchen and he gave his life so she could live....
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Post by Frenzal on Jan 19, 2004 17:39:48 GMT -5
I don't think Donnie loved Gretchen. They're supposed to be 16 and they've known each other for 2 weeks, I think maybe Donnie is fixated on Gretchen because he's so lonely. "I think about girls a lot."
I suppose this is just my opinion, but from every comment that Donnie makes about girls in the whole movie it leads me to believe that he isn't the hopeless romantic he's made out to be.
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Post by spookypixie on Jan 19, 2004 22:05:19 GMT -5
Donnie was dying to save his true love....it even says it in alot of the reviews and things that Donnie sacrafices him self for her....
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Post by coughs on Jan 20, 2004 13:43:16 GMT -5
theres no theory...its wot u make of it thats the theory..thank you gd day...
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Post by DonnaDarko on Jan 20, 2004 18:10:47 GMT -5
Frenzal,
[glow=red,2,300]TEXT[/glow]You can not say that the two 16 year olds (Donnie and Gretchen) were not truly in love just on the account of their age and time spanned of knowing each other. That would be indicating that you YOURSELF know that Donnie was not in love, saying that you could feel what he was feeling. Did you? No, no one did. I am saying that when Donnie woke up he was laughing, and knowing that he would forget (from reading the Philosophy of Time Travel) about all that had happened in the “other life” and end up killing his love. He knew that he had to stay in bed, so he fell a sleep. He saved his love, no matter how long the thought stayed in his conches mind.
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AIMSN is Laceitdood
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Post by AIMSN is Laceitdood on Jan 22, 2004 1:15:52 GMT -5
Donnie didn't have to die, so why is he laughing?
he didn't have to die in order to save grethen's life, because the whole reason he met gretchen is because frank made donnie flood the school... and since frank didn't tell donnie to leave the house he wouldn't have told donnie to flood the school, there for donnie wouldn't meet grethen, and he doesn't have to die
WHY IS HE LAUGHING??
I-M me if you wanna have a conversation about DD
MSN: Rolling_hero@hotmail.com
AIM: Laceitdood
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Post by Frenzal on Jan 25, 2004 20:18:14 GMT -5
I still don't think he was in love. There is nothing in the movie to suggest love. I believe that because Gretchen was a guide for Donnie there was a bond created and he felt this as love, whereas in reality it was just a strong infatuation and he has no idea why he felt that way.
He just wanted to get into her pants.
As for the reviewers, some reviewers claimed that R.Kelly had 8million to spend on the project and others claimed that his choice of soundtrack was terrible, does this mean that it's true because the reviewer said so? In these cases definately not.
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