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When Stefan Ulstein, who teaches a film course at Bellevue (WA) Christian High School, and his wife Jeanne attended a Donnie Darko press conference at the Seattle International Film Festival, several of his sharpest students perked up to express their interest in the film. The Ulsteins, surprised to hear that these teens were so into a movie that bombed at the box office when it first released in 2001, sat down with three of them—Kili Bergau, Jimmy Kelly, and Dani Kubo—to discuss the film's merits. The film has become something of a cult favorite among teens and young adults, and is now being re-released to theaters in a longer "director's cut" edition.

Director Richard Kelly

"Donnie Darko tanked when it opened in theaters in 2001," said director Richard Kelly. "It came out and just bombed." Since the short-lived theatrical release, a cult following has arisen around the film. Fans, many of them teenagers, watch Donnie Darko on DVD, cable and late-night movie screenings. They chat endlessly online. Kelly says that "groundswell of support made it possible to re-release it now."

Kelly says the new director's cut, released to theaters this week, is 20 minutes longer than the original, and thus more understandable.

Donnie Darko is a time-space fantasy based on a teenager who he hears voices and talks to a gigantic rabbit. Whether all of this is happening in real time or in Donnie's mind isn't completely clear, which makes for a fascinating ride. Things start out normally enough, with a standard suburban family going about their business, but then a jet engine falls out of the sky, crushing the Darko house. Then things get really weird: The rabbit tells Donnie the world will end in 28 days. Donnie, undergoing psychiatric therapy but refusing to take his meds, later finds a cryptic text that seems to hold the secret keys to the countdown. Strange things continue to happen throughout—and it's just that quirkiness and unpredictability that seems to attract a young audience.

Kili, one of our students, said she's seen Donnie Darko ten times: "I don't usually watch a film that many times. I'm more of a book reader, and I do read books over and over if I like them." Dani had seen it five times, and Jimmy once. They also consider themselves book readers first and filmgoers second.

Jimmy said he likes the movie "because the characters are real. That's why I like The Great Gatsby so much, because I can believe in the characters." Kili agreed: "Donnie is a very normal kid in some ways. He likes the Smurfs, but then he's a superhero because he can impact many lives. He is able to save the love of his life."

Dani added, "I like the individual scenes. You can take any one of them by itself and get a lot of meaning from it." "Exactly," said Jimmy. "It has ideas about time travel and freedom. As soon as I saw it, I said that I'd see it again and take some friends."

All three students liked the music—and the rebellious aspect of Donnie's personality. In the film, a health teacher has adapted the ramblings of the New Age motivational speaker, and says that all of life's choices are rooted in fear. "Donnie just says that's a bunch of garbage," said Dani. "All teenagers would like to be able to do that. In school, we sometimes have to do things that don't make any sense to us, but we have to pretend that they do. Donnie just says it."

Donnie also floods the school, giving everyone a day off. "I would not like it at all if somebody did that to our school," said Kili, "but there didn't seem to be much worth saving at his school." Added Jimmy, "And he gets to spend the day off with the girl, which is any guy's idea of a good day!"

Donnie's parents are good people, but aren't up to the task of raising a boy who talks to giant bunnies. They are not drawn as buffoons, though. Parents of teenagers will relate to their unsuccessful attempts to find out what is eating at Donnie. A lot of teenagers will relate to Mr. and Mrs. Darko's inability to see what is obvious to everyone but themselves. "It's a pretty normal family, "said Kili. "Donnie does things just to get a response from his dad." She laughs, "I'm tempted to vote for Kerry just to bug my dad."

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