Guide to Donnie Darko

Breen OReilly ISB 2004

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Roberta Sparrows book The Philosophy of
Time Travel offers the best explanation of
the puzzles in the plot.

foreword
I would like to thank the sisters of the Saint
John Chapter in Alexandria, Virginia for their
Support.By the grace of God, they are:
Sister Eleance Lewis
Sister Francesca Godard
Sister Helen Davis
Sister Catherine (Arnold)
Sister Mary Lee Pond
Sister Virginia (Weaver)
I pray that this is merely a work of fiction.
If it is not, then I pray for you, the reader of
this book
.
....If I am still alive when the events
foretold in these pages occur, then I hope
that you
will find me before it is too late.
Roberta Ann Sparrow
October, 1944

Chapter One

The Tangent Universe

....The Primary Universe is fraught with great peril.
War, plague, famine and natural disaster are common.
Death comes to us all.
....The Fourth Dimension of Time is a stable construct, though it is not
impenetrable.
....Incidents when the fabric of the fourth dimension becomes corrupted are
incredibly rare.
....If a Tangent Universe occurs, it will be highly unstable, sustaining itself for no
longer than several weeks.

Guide to Donnie Darko

Breen OReilly ISB 2004

....Eventually it will collapse upon itself, forming a black hole within the Primary
Universe capable of destroying all existence.

Chapter Two: Water and Metal

Water and Metal are the key elements of Time Travel.
Water is the barrier element for the construction of Time Portals used as gateways between
Universes at the Tangent Vortex.
Metal is the transitional element for the construction of Artifact Vessels.

Chapter Four: The Artifact And The Living

When a Tangent Universe occurs, those living nearest to the Vortex will find themselves at the
epicenter of a dangerous new world.
Artifacts provide first sign that a Tangent Universe has occured.
If an Artifact occurs, the Living will retrieve it with great interest and curiosity. Artifacts are
formed from metal, such as an Arrowhead from an ancient Mayan civilisation, or a Metal Sword
from Medieval Europe.
Artifacts returned to the Primary Universe are often linked to religious Iconography, as their
appearance on Earth seems to defy logical explanation.
Divine intervention is deemed the only logical conclusion for the appearance for the Artifact.

Chapter Six: The Living Receiver

The Living Receiver is chosen to guide the Artifact into position for its journey back to the
Primary Universe.
No one knows how or why a Receiver will be chosen.
The Living Receiver is often blessed with a Fourth Dimensional Powers. These include increased
strength, telekinesis, mind control, and the ability to conjure fire and water.
The Living Receiver is often tormented by terrifying dreams, visions and auditory hallucinations
during his time within the Tangent Universe.
Those surrounding the Living Receiver, known as the Manipulated, will fear him and try to
destroy him.

Chapter Seven: The Manipulated Living

The Manipulated Living are often the close friends and neighbours of the Living Receiver.

Guide to Donnie Darko

Breen OReilly ISB 2004

They are prone to irrational, bizarre, and often violent behaviour. This is the unfortunate result of
their task, which is to assist the Living Receiver in returning the Artifact to the Primary Universe.
The Manipulated Living will do anything to save themselves from Oblivion.

The Manipulated Dead

The Manipulated Dead are more powerful than the Living Receiver. If a person dies within the
Tangent Dimension, they are able to contact the Living Receiver through the Fourth Dimensional
Construct.
The Fourth Dimensional Construct is made of Water.
The Manipulated Dead will manipulate the Living Receiver using the Fourth Dimensional
Construct (see Appendix A and B).
The Manipulated Dead will often set an Ensurance Trap for the Living Receiver to ensure that the
Artifact is returned safely to the Primary Universe.
If the Ensurance Trap is succesful, the Living Receiver is left with no choice but to use his Fourth
Dimensional Power to send the Artifact back in time into the Primary Universe before the Black
Hole collapses upon itself.

Chapter Twelve: Dreams

When the Manipulated awaken from their Journey into the Tangent Universe, they are often
haunted by the experience in their dreams.
Many of them will not remember.
Those who do remember the Journey are often overcome with profound remorse for the
regretful actions buried within their Dreams, the only physical evidence buried within the Artifact
itself; all that remains from the lost world.
Ancient myth tells us of the Mayan Warrior killed by an Arrowhead that had fallen from a cliff,
where there was no Army, no enemy to be found.
We are told of the Medievel Knight mysteriously impaled by the sword he had not yet built.
We are told that these things occur for a reason.

Guide to Donnie Darko

Breen OReilly ISB 2004

SOME ANSWERS
The Premise: The Universe has become corrupt and is ending. Donnie (and others)
are manipulated by Frank the "rabbit" (and whoever manipulates Frank) to save the
Universe.
Q. Why is the Universe ending?
It is inferred from the Philosophy of Time Travel that the universe is ending because
time has become corrupted by the appearance of the jet engine in the Tangent
Universe.
The key here is that the engine was in the future, and then through a corruption it
appeared 28 days in the past. It was in the future, then in the past, with no
logical/physical reason for its appearance.
Q. What does Donnie do to save the Universe, in detail?
Donnie's objective, through manipulation by Frank is to give a valid reason for the
engine's appearance i.e. either opening or creating a wormhole back to the past. It is
also assumed that he does this with telekinesis and his power to create water (the
fourth dimensional construct) as it is stated these are some of the powers of the
Living Receiver.
Donnie didn't need to travel in time as he changed the past by affecting the
destination of the jet engine, and ending the time corruption. The only object that
traveled in time was the jet engine.
Q. Why is Donnie laughing at the end and/or why doesn't he get out of bed?
Richard Kelly states this in the DVD commentary
1. That he felt the whole experience had been a dream, and was therefore laughing
with happiness that he had woken up from this, hence doesn't get out of bed.
2. That the journey through the Tangent Universe had solved Donnie's problem of
dying alone through achieving enlightenment, and subsequently he knew he was
going to "something better" (from his letter to Roberta Sparrow). He was therefore
laughing through sheer joy and anticipation, and didn't want to get out of bed.
Q. Who is Frank and/or the rabbit?
Frank is actually Donnie's sister's boyfriend. The Frank we see through most of the
film should technically be referred to as Manipulated Dead Frank (see The Philosophy
of Time Travel). Manipulated Dead Frank is appearing from another dimension, and
essentially the future of the Tangent Universe, to help Donnie achieve the goal of
changing the fate and saving the universe. The Frank we see at the very end of the
film, in the scenes were Gretchen is run over and the "Dreams" sequence, is the
"real" alive Frank, that is the Frank who exists in our universe prior to being shot by
Donnie (in the Tangent Universe at least).

Guide to Donnie Darko

Breen OReilly ISB 2004

There are also some links to the living Frank throughout the film, for example:
1. He drops off Elizabeth after a date (just before the jet engine hits the house)
2. He drives past Donnie in his red Trans Am when Donnie is cycling home near the
beginning of the film

Q. Why when the characters are in bed at the end of the movie, in the "Mad World
montage", do they seem to recollect what happened in the Tangent Universe?
As background: at the end of the movie after we go back to the point where the jet
engine hits the house we see Dr. Thurman wake up abruptly and look troubled,
Karen Pomeroy is asleep in bed with Kenneth Monnitoff who is awake and looks
concerned, Jim Cunningham is sitting upright in bed sobbing, Kitty Farmer is deep in
thought, Cherita is smiling, and Frank is sitting on the floor touching his eye.
Q. Who is the jogger in the red tracksuit?
The web site reveals that this is a member of the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) following Donnie.

Guide to Donnie Darko

Breen OReilly ISB 2004

Q. In reference to Cellar Door being the most beautiful phrase, which "famous
linguist" is Karen Pomeroy talking about?
JRR Tolkien
Q. What part does Cherita Chen play in the film?
. Richard Kelly has simply stated in interviews that Cherita is the innocent (she does
nothing wrong and has good motivation), and is victimized for this (for both racial
and size bias).
Q. Why does Donnie say to Cherita "I promise that one day everythings going to be
better for you."
Again this is open to interpretation. Perhaps Donnie (with his future insight) has
some ability to know what happens to Cherita in the future. Personally I feel that he
has more of an insight into the way the world works, and he knows that Cherita will
grow up into a well adjusted person based on her obviously well adjusted character.

Q. What tracks were not on the original soundtrack?

"The Killing Moon"
Written by Will Sergeant, Ian McCulloch, Les Pattinson and Pete De Freitas
Performed by Echo & The Bunnymen
Courtesy of Sire Records/Warner Music U.K. Ltd.
By arrangement with Warner Special Products
(Plays during the sequence when Donnie cycles home at the beginning of the original
movie. Note this is changed in the Director's Cut to Never Tear Us Apart, by INXS. In
the Director's Cut The Killing Moon replaces Under the Milkyway during the party
sequence)
"Lucid Memory"
Written and Performed by Sam Bauer and Ged Bauer
(It isn't clear when this plays, although it could be during the Autumn Angel
sequence with Cherita)

Guide to Donnie Darko

Breen OReilly ISB 2004

The Sequence of Events

2 OCTOBER 1988
1. Manipulated Dead (MD) Frank coerces Donnie to sleepwalk to the golf course
(preventing him being killed).
2. The jet engine strikes the house.
5 OCTOBER 1988
3. Donnie is coerced by MD Frank to sleepwalk to the school and break the water
main. Because of this the school is flooded and Donnie walks home with Gretchen,
resulting in her "going" with him.
6 OCTOBER 1988
4. Donnie and his friends see Grandma Death walking to the mail box, and Ronald
suggests that someone should "write that bitch". Perhaps manipulating Donnie to
write to her, so that she is reading the letter when Frank's car swerves to miss her.
10 OCTOBER 1988
5. Donnie discusses the time travel theories with Dr. Monnitoff, and is given the
Philosophy of Time Travel.
18 OCTOBER 1988
6. Gretchen tells Donnie "And what if you could go back in time and take all those
hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?" perhaps
manipulating him to complete his task later on.
22 OCTOBER 1988
7. Donnie discusses more time travel with Dr. Monnitoff.
23 OCTOBER 1988
8. Donnie finds Jim Cunningham's wallet outside his house. With the address he
knows which house to burn down later. By burning down the house Kitty has to
appear at his arraignment, meaning that Rose (Donnie's Mum) has to go to the
Talent Contest, meaning the party takes place and Donnie is with Gretchen
"cementing" their relationship.
9. Donnie sets fire to Jim Cunningham's house that evening.
25 OCTOBER 1988
10. Kitty Farmer asks Rose to chaperone Sparkle Motion as she is appearing at Jim
Cunningham's arraignment. The party can happen.

Guide to Donnie Darko

Breen OReilly ISB 2004

26 OCTOBER 1988
11. Karen Pomeroy tells Donnie about the phrase "Cellar Door", thus dropping the
clue that Donnie picks up on later when entering Roberta Sparrow's house via the
cellar.
29 OCTOBER 1988
12. Elizabeth gets her letter for getting in to Harvard. They decide to throw the party.
13. Gretchen's mother has vanished, she comes to the party to find Donnie and stay
in a "safe place".
30 OCTOBER 1988
14. They enter Roberta Sparrow's house by the cellar door.
15. Gretchen is run over by Frank, who swerves to avoid Roberta Sparrow reading
Donnie's letter.
16. Donnie shoots Frank, allowing him to come back and help him as the
Manipulated Dead.
17. Donnie perhaps removes the artifact (jet engine) from the plane, and changes its
destination to the Primary Universe.