DONNIE DARKO

by
Richard Kelly
Thisistheshootingscriptthatwasusedbythecastandcrew
duringtheshootingofthefilm.
Converted to PDF and contributed by RonCecchini@comcast.net

FADEIN:

WedescenduponCarpathianRidge,acrescentshapedcliffthat
extrudesfromthedenseVirginiaevergreensaboveadeeprock
canyon.
Thecliffmarkstheendofadirtroadthatwindsdownfrom
above.
DonnieDarko(sixteen)isasleepattheedgeofthecliff.With
hisbikecollapsednexttohim,heisshivering,curleduponthe
foetalposition.
Heslowlyopenshiseyesandlooksaround,disorientedbythe
morninglight.Hethenstandsup,lookingdownintotheexpansive
rockcanyon.Afteramomentofhesitation,hetakeshisbikeback
upthehill.
EXT.MIDDLESEXMORNING(11A.M.)
Montageischoreographedto'NeverTearUsApart'byINXS.
DonniepedalsdownintothesuburbanvillageofMiddlesex,
Virginia...passingbyalargerock'Middlesex'rockpattern.
Donniepedalspasttwoneighbourhoodwomenwhoarespeedwalking
withhandweights.Theysmileathim.
APontiacTransAmspeedsby.
EXT.NEIGHBOURHOODSTREETDAY(SATURDAY1P.M.)
Donnieturnsthecornerandheadstowardsthegarage.
WepanovertotheDarkohouse...movingthroughthefrontyard
whereEddieDarko(fortyfour)pullsthecordandhisgaspowered
leafblowerroarstolife.
Elizabeth Darko (nineteen) comes out the front door. She
approachesherdadfrombehind.Eddieturnsandaimstheleaf
bloweratherface...blastingherwithair.
EXT.DARKODRIVEWAYNEXT
Donnieparkshisbikeandgoesinside.
EXT.DARKOBACKYARD/PATIONEXT
WepullbackfromSamanthaDarko(ten)assheisjumpingona
trampolineandpanovertoRoseDarko(fortytwo)asshesitsat
atablereadingapaperbackcopyofStephenKing's"IT".She
glancesovertothekitchen.

INT.KITCHENNEXT
Donniewalksintothekitchen.Hethengoestotherefrigerator.

2.

Printedinmagicmarkerontherefrigeratornotepadisthe
phrase:
WHEREISDONNIE?
INT.FAMILYROOMEVENING(5P.M.)
Theopeningthemeof"Who'stheBoss?"beginsasweseeTony
Danza'sbluevanandthetitlecard.WerevealSamantha,sitting
onthefloor,singingsoftlytothethemesong"BrandNewLife"
performedbyLarryWeiss.
WepanovertoDonnie,sittingintheLaZBoy.
INT.KITCHENEVENING(6P.M.)
TheDarkofamilyhasconvenedfordinner.Theyeatsilentlyfor
severalmoments.
ELIZABETHI'mvotingforDukakis.
EDDIEPerhapswhenyouhavechildrenofyourownthat
needbraces,andyoucan'taffordthembecausehalfofyour
husband'spaycheckgoestothefederalgovernment,you'llregret
thatdecision.
ELIZABETH(amusedbitterness)I'mnotgonnasqueezeone
outuntilI'mthirty.
DONNIEWillyoustillbeworkingatYarnBarn?'Cause
that'sagreatplacetoraisechildren.
ROSENo,ayearofpartyingisenough.She'llbe
goingtoHarvardthisfall.
ELIZABETHIhaven'tbeenacceptedyet,mother.
ROSE(smiles)IfyouthinkMichaelDukakiswillprovide
forthiscountrypriortothepointwhenyoudecidetosqueeze
oneout,thenIthinkyou'remisinformed.
SAMANTHAWhencanIsqueezeoneout?

3.

DONNIE(tohissister)Notuntillike...eighthgrade.
ROSE(toDonnie)Excuseme?
ELIZABETHDonnie?You'readick.
DONNIEWhoa,Elizabeth.Alittlehostile,there.
Maybeyoushouldbetheoneintherapy.ThenMomandDadcanpay
someonetwohundreddollarsanhourtolistentoallofyour
thoughts...sowewon'thaveto.
ELIZABETHMaybeyou'dliketotellMomandDadwhy
youstoppedtakingyourmedication.
Anawkwardsilence.
ROSE(surprised)You'vestoppedtakingyourmedication?
SAMANTHAWhencanIsqueezeoneout,Mom?
DONNIE(glaringatElizabeth)You'resuchafuckass.
ROSEWhendidyoustoptakingyourmedication?
ELIZABETH(laughing)Didyoujustcallmeafuckass?
ROSEThat'senough.
ELIZABETH(toDonnie)Youcansuckafuck.
DONNIEOh,pleasetellme,Elizabeth,howexactly
doesonesuckafuck?

4.

ROSE(disgusted)Wewillnothavethiskindoflanguage
atthedinnertable.
Theyareallsilentforamoment.
SAMANTHAWhat'safuckass?
Despitehisbraveeffortstoholdbacklaughter,EddieDarkolets
outaslightguffaw.
INT.ELIZABETH'SROOMEVENING(SATURDAYNIGHT,9P.M.)
Elizabethtalksonthephone,gettingreadyforherSaturday
night.Roseknocksandthenenters.
ELIZABETH(intothephone)No.Itookayearofftobe
withyou.
(beat)OfcourseIcare.Don'tgetangry.
(coveringthephone)What?
ROSEHowdidyouknow
ELIZABETH(cuttingheroff)Ididn'trealiseitwassuch
abigdeal.
ROSEItisabigdeal.
ELIZABETHIcaughthimflushingpillsdownthe
toilet.Heknowsyoucheckthecontainer.
INT.DONNIE'SROOMNEXT
Donnieliesonhisbed,reading"CollectedShortStories"by
GrahamGreene.Hisroomisanorganisedwreck.
Roseentersandbeginstopickthingsupofthefloor.
DONNIEGetoutofmyroom.
Rosebitterlyturnstoleave,butstopsatthedoor.
ROSEIwishIknewwhereyouwentatnight.
(MORE)

5.

ROSE(CONT'D)(beat)DidyoutoiletpapertheJohnson's
house?
DONNIE(stillreading)Istoppedrollinghousesinthe
sixthgrade,Mom.
(beat)Getoutofmyroom.
ROSEYouknow...itwouldbenicetolookatyousome
time...andseemyson.Idon'trecognisethispersontoday.
DONNIEThenwhydon'tyoustarttakingthegoddamn
pills?
Donnieleansoverandturnsoffhislamp.Roseturnsandleaves
hersonaloneinthedark,closingthedoorbehindher.
DONNIE(CONT'D)Bitch.
INT.UPSTAIRSHALLWAYNEXT
Rosestopsinhertracks,hearingthis.Shethenwalksintoher
bedroomandclosesthedoor.
INT.MASTERBEDROOMNEXT
RosegoesintobedwithEddie,whoisreadingahardbackcopyof
StephenKing's"TheTommyknockers".
ROSEOursonjustcalledmeabitch.
EDDIE(beat)You'renotabitch.
INT.UPSTAIRSBATHROOMNEXT
Donnieremoveshispillsfromthemedicinecabinet.Weseeinsert
thatreads:L.THURMANM.D.
Helooksatthebottleforamoment,andthentakesthreepills
andswallowsthem...staringathisreflectioninthemirror.
INT.MASTERBEDROOMNIGHT(12A.M.)
Eddiesitsupinbed,unabletosleep.

6.

INT.FAMILYROOMNEXT
TheTVpopson.EddiedropsintotheLaZBoy.
TheyarereplayingaBush/Dukakisdebate.Eddielaughs.
INT.FOYERNEXT
Wepullbackandpanovertoagrandfatherclock...asthehand
reachesmidnight.
Titlecard:
OCTOBER21988
INT.DONNIE'SROOMNIGHT(EARLYSUNDAYMORNING,1A.M.)
VOICE(whisper)Wake...up...Donnie.
Donniejerksuprightinhisbed,awakenedfromabaddream.He
looks over at his alarm clock: 12:50 a.m. His expression is
distant...confused.
INT.FOYERNEXT
Donniewalksdownstairs.
INT.FAMILYROOMNEXT
DonniestaresatEddie,asleepintheLaZBoy.
INT.KITCHENNEXT
Donniewalksintothekitchen,removesthemagicmarkerfromthe
refrigeratormessageboard.
INT.FOYERNEXT
Donniewalkstothefrontandexitsthehouse.
EXT.DARKOHOUSE,FRONTYARDNEXT
Donniewalksdownthefrontwalktothestreet.
EXT.NEIGHBOURHOODSTREETNEXT
Donniewalksdownthestreet.
EXT.SEVENTHHOLENIGHT(1:30A.M.)
Donniearrivesnexttothepinandstaresoffintothedistance.

7.

VOICEHelluvanightforawalk...huh,Donnie?
Donniestaresoffintothedistance.
VOICE(CONT'D)Tonightisveryspecial,Donnie.
DONNIEWhat?
VOICEI'vebeenwatchingyou.
(beat)DoyoubelieveinGod,Donnie?
Donniedoesn'tanswer.Heholdshisstomach,takingdeepbreaths.
VOICE(CONT'D)Godloveshischildren,Donnie.God
lovesyou.
There...standingontheseventhholeisasixfoottallfigure
dressedinagrotesquebunnysuit.
DonniestaresattheBunnynervouslyasawaveofnausea
overcomeshim.
BUNNYMynameisFrank.
(beat)Iwantyoutofollowme.
DONNIEWhy?
FRANKI'mheretosaveyou.
(beat)Theworldiscomingtoanend,Donnie.
Donniedoesn'tanswer.
FRANK(CONT'D)Lookupinthesky,Donnie.
Helooksupintotheblacknight.
FRANK(CONT'D)28days...6hours...42minutes...12
seconds.Thatiswhentheworldwillend.
DonnielooksbackatFrank.Hisexpressionisavacantexpanseof
confusion.

8.

INT.FOYERNIGHT
Elizabethcomesthroughthefrontdoor,leansbackagainstit,
closeshereyes.
INT.FAMILYROOMNIGHT
EddieDarkosleepsreclinedintheLaZBoy.Thefinalnotesof
theChannel12NationalAnthemfadeawaytostatic.
Fromabove...athunderouscrash.Plasterrainsfromthe
ceiling...Booksflyoffthebookshelfastheentirewallmount
collapsestothefloor.
Eddiejerksawake.
INT.FOYERNEXT
Elizabethfallsbackinhorrorasplasterrainsdownfromaround
thechandelier...debrisfallinginthediningroomdoorway.
EXT.SEVENTHHOLEMORNING(SUNDAYMORNING,10A.M.)
Donnieiscurledup,asleeponthegreen.Agolfballlandson
thegreenandrollswithininchesofhishead.
Agolfcartfilledwithfouroldermenarrives.Dr.Fisher
(fortyfive)getsoutfirst.
DR.FISHERDonnieDarko?
(beat)Son?What'sgoingonhere?
JimCunningham(forty),themanridingshotgun,getsoutofthe
cartandwalksover.
JIMCUNNINGHAMWhoisit,Don?
DR.FISHEREddieDarko'skid.
Donniegetsupandbrusheshimselfoff.Onhisarmhesees
somethingwritteninblackmagicmarker.
Numbers....28:06:42:12.
Donniestaresatthenumbersonhisarm,confused.
DR.FISHER(CONT'D)(toJim,kissinghis
ass)Sorryaboutthis,Jim,justa...akidfromthe
neighbourhood.
(MORE)

9.

DR.FISHER(CONT'D)(backtoDonnie)Solet'sstayoff
thegreensatnight,OK?
JimCunninghamstaresatDonniewithafriendlygrin.
DONNIESorry,Dr.Fisher.Itwon'thappenagain.
EXT.NEIGHBOURHOODSTREET/DARKOHOUSEMORNING(11A.M.)
Donniewalksdownthestreettowardshishouse.
Afireengine.Twopolicecars.Anewsvan...Allparkedinfront
ofhishouse.
Therearedozensofneighboursinthestreetsurroundinga
barricade.DonniemovesthroughthecrowdwhereaPoliceOfficer
isstanding.
DONNIEHey,Ilivehere!
POLICEOFFICERAreyou...DonnieDarko?
DONNIEYeah!
TheOfficerletshimthrough.
Neartheculdesacthereisalargecaterpillarcranelifting
somethingfrominsidethehouse.Therearefiremenroaming
around.TwoPoliceOfficersarespeakingwithEddieandRose.
Donnielooksoveratthehouse.
Acraneliftsagiganticjetengineoverfromthehousetowardsa
largeflatbedtruck.Firemenkickpiecesofwoodandshinglefrom
theroof.
Heturnsandseeshisentirefamilystandingthere.Eddieis
holdingSamantha.
SAMANTHAItfellonyourroom.
EXT.CULDESACLATERON
Twomeninsuitsapproachfromablacksedan.Apoliceofficer
directsthemtoRose.Oneofthemenremovesabadgefromhis
pocketandholdsitupforRosetosee.