People who love to pigeonhole movies will face a daunting task after watching "Donnie Darko," a 2001 film -- set in 1988 suburbia -- written and directed by 26-year-old Richard Kelly. It's part teen drama, part comedy, but with hefty doses of psychological thriller, mystery and horror added to the mix.
Initially, it looks like a teenage movie about an over-smart boy that doesn't quite fit in, a la "Rushmore" or "Welcome to the Dollhouse." But the appropriately named Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is seeing a therapist and everyone agrees he's pretty weird.
But no one, other than his therapist (Katharine Ross), realizes that young Donnie has apocalyptic visions that involve a giant bunny friend. At this point, perhaps, your mind may wander back to Jimmy Stewart and his big furry-earred amigo. But Darko's rodent visitor is no friendly hare, but rather a terrifying, monstrous image that warns him of an impending doom.
{INSERT_RELATED}Darko's rabbit pal also instructs him to commit violent acts. But the terror inflicted upon some slimy characters sometimes makes you feel more like cheering than tsk tsk-ing.
Though I never thought I'd write these words...Patrick Swayze is great in the role of motivational speaker Jim Cunningham, whose uplifting message is championed in the neighborhood and the school by a particularly annoying busy-body teacher, Kittie Farmer (Beth Grant).
Meanwhile, Donnie also becomes fascinated and obsessed with the possibilities of time travel and worm holes and the rest, and begins to freak out science teacher Dr. Monnitoff (Noah Wyle) with his incessant questions on the subjects.
The requisite love interest comes in the form of Gretchen Ross (Jena Malone), a girl new to the school who moved to town with her mother to escape her stepfather, who stabbed Gretchen's mother.
Ross finds Donnie a little creepy and odd, too, but finds herself attracted to him after he circumstantially becomes her protector when she is harassed by a pair of school bullies.
Donnie and Gretchen seem to have found their perfect mates until a twist (and twisted) ending changes everything.
Everyone in the film turns in brilliant performances, especially Donnie's family. Donnie's sardonic sister Elizabeth is played by his real-life sibling Maggie Gyllenhaal, and perhaps this provides some good fodder for the interplay between them.
Visually, "Donnie Darko" is remarkably shot with even scenes shot on the sunniest days emitting a dark glow that underpins the entire film and heightens the sense of dread.
"Donnie Darko" is screened at UWM's Union Cinema, on the second floor of the student union, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd., Fri.-Sun., Feb. 22-24 at 7:15 and 9:30 p.m. There are 5 p.m. shows on Saturday and Sunday. Click here for more information.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
