Donnie Darko (2001)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production:
Running Times: 113 mins 11 sec
Length: 10,186 ft
Format: colour     35mm     Panavision (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: Dolby Digital

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Newmarket in association with Pandora presents a Flower Films Production
Executive Producers: Drew Barrymore, Hunt Lowry, Casey La Scala, William Tyrer, Chris J. Ball, Aaron Ryder
Producers: Sean McKittrick, Nancy Juvonen, Adam Fields
Line Producer: Thomas Hayslip
Unit Production Manager: Betsy Mackey
Production Coordinator: Kim Percival

SCRIPT
Script: Richard Kelly

DIRECTION
Director: Richard Kelly
1st Assistant Director: Richard L. Fox
2nd Assistant Director: Heather Grierson
3rd Assistant Director: Casey Mako

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Steven Poster
2nd Unit Director of Photography: Steve Gainer
Camera Operators: Dave Chameides, Steve Gainer, Richard Crudo, Dick Montagne, Michael Scott, Bing Sokolsky
Steadicam Operator: Dave Chameides
Assistant Camera: Lorna Leslie
Camera Intern: Dee Austin Robertson
Colour Timer: Jim Passon
Cranes and Dollies: Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment Inc
Colour: DeLuxe

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editors: Sam Bauer, Eric Strand
Post-Production Supervisor: Cynthia Nicolella

MUSIC
Music: Michael Andrews
Songs: Will Sergeant, Ian McCulloch, Les Pattinson, Pete De Freitas (The Killing Moon); Sam Bauer, Ged Bauer (Lucid Memory; Lucid Assembly; Curt Smith, Roland Orzabal (Head over Heels); Giulio Caccino and Paul Pritchard (Ave Maria); Steve Baker and Carmen Daye (For Whom the Bell Tolls); Quito Colayco and Tony Hertz (Show Me); Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor (Notorious); Marc Ferrari (Proud To Be Loud); Joy Division (Love Will Tear Us Apart); Steven Kilbey, Karin Jansson (Under the Milky Way); Roland Orzabal (Mad World)
Songs Performed By: Echo and The Bunnymen (The Killing Moon); Sam Bauer, Ged Bauer (Lucid Memory; Lucid Assembly); Tears For Fears (Head over Heels); Duran Duran (Notorious); The Dead Green Mummies (Proud To Be Loud); Joy Division (Love Will Tear Us Apart); The Church (Under the Milky Way); Gary Jules, Michael Andrews (Mad World)
Score Vocalists: Sam Shelton, Tori Haberman
Music Supervisors: Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe
Score Recordist / Mixer: Todd Burke
Music Editors: Shannon Erbe, Micdi Productions Inc, Jennifer Barak

SOUND
Sound Designer: Michael Payne
Sound Recordists: Aaron Rihel, Eric Justen
Production Sound Mixer: Coleman Metts
Boom Operator: Bob Fisher
Lead Re-Recording Mixers: Chris David, Chuck Michael
Music and Effects Re-Recording Mixer: Andy Peach
Supervising Sound Editor: Victoria Rose Sampson
ADR Recordist: Chad Blinman
ADR Mixer: Matt Beville
ADR Loup Group: Steve and Edie
Dialogue / ADR Editors: Victoria Rose Sampson, Nancy Tracy
Effects / Background Editor: Jeff K. Brunello
Foley Artists: Edward Steidel and Company
Foley Mixer: Shawn Kennelly
Foley Editor: Dan Scolnik

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Department Make Up Head: Lynn Barber
Make Up: Kathleen Freeman-Smith
Make Up For Drew Barrymore: Kimberly Greene
Department Head Hair: Lori McCoy Bell
Hair: Cammy Langer
2nd Hair: Merribelle Anderson
Hair For Drew Barrymore: Barbara Olvera
Costume Designer: April Ferry
Costume Supervisor: Joe Markham

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Effects Make Up: Thomas Suprenant

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Coordinator: Robbie Knott
Special Effects: Lorraine Fadden, Scott Garcia, Dale Yates

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Supervisor: Marcus Keys
Visual Effects: Gregory S. Scribner, Amalgamated Pixels
Titles / Opticals: Pacific Title

DIGITAL EFFECTS
Digital Effects: Amalgamated Pixels
Director of Production: Derry Frost
Digital Artist: Ken Locsmandi
Digital Compositor: R. Christopher Biggs
Film Scanning And Recording: Christopher Dusendschon (uncredited)

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Alexander Hammond
Set Designer: Julia Levine
Set Decorator: Jennie Harris
On-Set Dresser: Christopher Schultz
Art Department Coordinator: Richard L. Bloom
Graphic Artist: Jay Kelly
Storyboard Artist: Andrew Garcia-Price
Main Title Designer: Kelly Carlton

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Rebecca E. Asher
Production Assistant: Crystal Montiel
Assistant to Director and Producers: Mike Hoy
Assistants to Hunt Lowry: Eyal Axelrod, John Kelleher
Assistant to Casey LaScala: John Fox
Assistants to Nancy Juvonen: Cate Engel, Kyle Klein
Craft Service: Crystal Montiel, Rhonda Wheelan
Choreography: Marguerite Pomerhn-Derricks

LOCATIONS
Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA; Burbank, California, USA; Long Beach, California, USA
Location Manager: John Agoglia
Assistant Location Manager: Chris Baugh

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Mickey Giacomazzi
Stunts: Hugh A. O'Brien

CASTING
Casting: Joseph Middleton, Michelle Morris-Gertz

CAST
Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko)
Holmes Osborne (Eddie Darko)
Maggie Gyllenhaal (Elizabeth Darko)
Daveigh Chase (Samantha Darko)
Mary McDonnell (Rose Darko)
James Duval (Frank)
Arthur Taxier (Dr Fisher)
Patrick Swayze (Jim Cunningham)
Mark Hoffman (Police Officer)
David St. James (Bob Garland)
Tom Tangen (man in red jogging suit)
Jazzie Mahannah (Joanie James)
Jolene Purdy (Cherita Chen)
Stuart Stone (Ronald Fisher)
Gary Lundy (Sean Smith)
Alex Greenwald (Seth Devlin)
Beth Grant (Kitty Farmer)
Jena Malone (Gretchen Ross)
Seth Rogen (Ricky Danforth)
David Moreland (Principal Cole)
Noah Wyle (Dr Kenneth Monnitoff)
Drew Barrymore (Karen Pomeroy)
Kristina Malota (Susie Bates)
Marina Malota (Emily Bates)
Carly Naples (Suzy Bailey)
Tiler Peck (Beth Farmer)
Patience Cleveland (Roberta Sparrow / Grandma Death)
Katharine Ross (Dr Lilian Thurman)
Lisa K. Wyatt (Linda Connie)
Rachel Winfree (Shanda Riesman)
Jack Salvatore Jr (Larry Riesman)
Lee Weaver (Leroy)
Phyllis Lyons (Anne Fisher)
Ashley Tisdale (dorky girl)
Alison Jones (dorky sister)
Jerry Trainor (lanky kid)
Joan Blair (mystery woman)
Sarah Hudson (friend)
Fran Kranz (passenger)
Scotty Leavenworth (David)

PLOT SUMMARY

Disturbed teen Donnie Darko is having a strange time - not only is his house demolished by the engine from a jet airliner which crashes through the roof one night, but he's being bullied at school, is in therapy, is supicious of a smarmy lifestyle guru, has become interested in the possibility of time travel and has fallen in love for the first time. And then there's Frank, a mutant, six foot tall rabbit who keeps appearing to him...

Fresh, intelligent, and crying out to be watched over and over again, Donnie Darko announces first time writer-director Kelly as a real talent to watch for in the future. He manages to make a movie about teen angst that actually makes you care about its protagonists (no mean feat), forging bizarre but believable and likeable characters that are acted brilliantly by the cast. Kelly's use of sound is reminiscent of David Lynch and his choice of 80s-period songs is exemplary, particularly a fantastic reworking by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews of Tears For Fears Mad World which accompanies a deeply moving montage near the climax. Donnie Darko is going to be one of those films around which an enduring cult will gather in the coming years. It's bewildering ending leaves scope for multiple interpretations - quite appropriate given the film's interest in parallel universes - that will keep its steadily growing army of fans debating for a long time to come. A truly remarkable film.

France
Theatrical Distributor: Metropolitan Filmexport

Netherlands
Theatrical Distributor: A-Film Distribution

Scandinavia
Theatrical Distributor: Dan Films

Spain
Theatrical Distributor: Manga Films S.L.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Metrodome Distribution Ltd

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Newmarket Film Group / Pandora Cinema
DVD Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003640)

France
Rating: U

UK
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: R

2001
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards, USA
Best Screenplay, Original (Richard Kelly) - winner

Sundance Film Festival, USA
Grand Jury Prize Dramatic (Richard Kelly) - nominated

2002
Gérardmer Film Festival, France
Premiere Award (Richard Kelly) - winner

Independent Spirit Awards, USA
Best First Feature (Richard Kelly) - nominated
Best First Screenplay (Richard Kelly) - nominated
Best Male Lead (Jake Gyllenhaal) - nominated

Online Film Critics Society Awards, USA
Best Breakthrough Filmmaker (Richard Kelly) - nominated

Total Film Magazine, UK
Films of 2002 - Number 1

2001
January
19: USA - shown at the Sundance Film Festival

July
21: Germany - shown at the Fantasy Filmfest, München

August
4: Germany - shown at the Fantasy Filmfest, Cologne
10: Germany - shown at the Fantasy Filmfest, Berlin

September
20: Sweden - shown at the Fantastic Film Festival, Lund
26: USA - theatrical release (in Los Angeles)

October
28: Italy - shown at the MIFED Film Market

November
23: Norway - shown at the Oslo Film Festival

2002
January
26: Netherlands - shown at the International Film Festival Rotterdam
30: France - theatrical release

March
19: USA - DVD release (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003640))

April
12: Netherlands - shown at the Fantastic Film Festival
17: Belgium - theatrical release

June
20: Netherlands - theatrical release

August
24: UK - shown at the Lupo Frightfest, London

Dark, Darkest, Darko

Dark, Darker, Darko

Be Afraid of the Dark

You can never go too far

SEE ALSO
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Harvey (1950)

INCLUDES FOTAGE FROM
The Evil Dead (1982)

MAGAZINES

American Cinematographer vol.82 no.4 (April 2001) pp.86-110 (USA)
illustrated article

Cinefantastique vol.33 no.5 (October / November 2001) p.60 (USA)
review

Entertainment Weekly no.624 (9 November 2001) p.84 (USA)
review (by Lisa Schwarzbaum)

Film Comment vol.37 no.5 (Septembet / October 2001) pp.16-17
illustrated interview

Film Review no.600 (December 2000) p.100 (UK)
note

Filmmaker vol.10 no.2 (Winter 2002) pp.56-65 (USA)
illustrated article

Hollywood Reporter vol.364 no.2 (25 July 2000) p.29 (USA)
credits, production note

Premiere vol.14 no.5 (January 2001) p.26 (USA)
illustrated production report

Screen International no.1296 (16 February 2001) p.39 (UK)
illustrated review

Sight and Sound vol.12 no.10 (October 2002) pp.34-35, 38-39
illustrated review (Darkness visible by Leslie Felperin); credits, synopsis

Starburst no.292 (December 2002) p.69 (UK)
illustrated credits, review

Total Film no.72 (January 2003) p.79 (UK)
short review

Variety 29 January 2001 p.50 (USA)
illustrated credits, synopsis, review

OTHER SOURCES

45th London Film Festival Catalogue 2001 pp.19, 41 (UK)
illustrated credits

teenagers; schools; air crashes; aircraft; time warps; arson; axes; drugs; cocaine; rabbits; god; golf; hypnosis; insanity; prophecies; psychotherapy; religion; revenge; schizophrenia; time travel; dreams; suburbia; end of the world

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009