My take on the film and ending..

[brewsky]

I have only seen it once, but it made an lasting impression nonetheless.. I've been reading different theories here and some are closer to mine then others. I feel that some people over analyze the time travel aspect of the movie and miss the point thats important.

To me it's simple, really. The theme is Love and Fear - Donnie chooses Love over Fear; He chooses to die alone.. (He told his psychiatrist he feared that, if i remember correctly?) - which in turn saves the person(s) he loves..

The reason he's laughing at the end is because he realizes that the stupid teacher with her blackboard actually was right.

Well, thats my take on the film anyways.. Maybe it isn't how the director really saw it, but we all interpet these kind of films different and i like my take -.-

[frankief33dler]

This is an interesting take and I hadn't considered it before. I liked to think that the bitch was wrong and he was laughing because he knew he was right; I think his laugh and his smile at the beginning also really set him up to be loved by the audience. He's weird in a wonderful way, he's "insane" to everyone else but in the movie he's the only one who makes sense. In my mind, the ending is perfect (just like the whole movie) and I wouldn't change a thing; but I'll be sure to think of your take on this next time I see it.