"Nearly everything", because Donnie Darko is a darkly comic, surreal journey in which themes of space, time and morality are interwoven with a classic coming-of-age story of a teenage boy's struggle to understand the world around him. The film leaves the viewer with more questions that it answers, but then that's part of its charm. Performances are superb: Jake Gyllenhaal underplays the "mixed-up kid" role superbly and Donnie's episodes of angst positively erupt out of the screen. There are also some starry cameos from Mary McDonnell as Donnie's long-suffering mother, Patrick Swayze as Jim Cunningham, the personal development guru with a terrible secret, and Noah Wyle and Drew Barrymore as Donnie's progressive teachers. Undoubtedly too obtuse for some tastes, Donnie Darko's balance of outstanding performances with intelligent dialogue and a highly inventive story will reward those looking for something more highbrow than the average teenage romp.--Kristen Bowditch

On the DVD: Donnie Darko is presented in pristine widescreen and surround sound, which is only fitting for such a bizarre and beautiful film. The special features include the standard deleted scenes with commentary, trailers and the like, but the disc also has a wealth of interesting and well-thought-out features: there's a UK graffiti artist gallery with pictures based on the film, a look inside the book The Philosophy of Time Travel and two different commentaries that will help both the understanding and appreciation of the film. The best feature is a bizarre directorial commentary on the "Cunning Vision" film, which is set up not only to ridicule this style of self-help video, but also the trend for director's commentaries on feature films. --Nikki Disney

Special Features
Audio Commentary by Richard Kelly and Jake Gyllanhaal
Audio Commentary by selected Cast & Crew incl: Richard Kelly, Drew Barrymore, Katherine Ross and Jena Malone
20 Deleted & Extended Scenes with optional commentary by Richard Kelly
Interviews with 20 principal cast and crew members
B roll footage
The Philosophy of Time Travel
Website Gallery
Artwork Gallery
"They Made Me Do It" Art Exhibition
"They Made Me Do It" - making of the UK art gallery (featuring "Mad World" by Gary Jules.)
Cunning Visions gallery and infomercials
Theatrical trailer
TV Spots
Extensive Cast & Crew Filmographies
And hidden bonus Easter Eggs


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