Some filmmakers believe that, once you release a movie out into the world, you lose control over it as it goes on to have its own impact on audiences. Other filmmakers, however, fall more in line with the Ridley Scott approach to filmmaking, as you struggle to make your intended vision find its way out into the world. (We wouldn’t be surprised to find out yet another version of Blade Runner was on the way.)
Donnie Darko filmmaker Richard Kelly definitely seems to fall more in line with Scott, based on recent remarks he made on Reddit. After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 2001, it impressed critics, though its theatrical release later that year failed to make much of an impact on general audiences. Luckily, the movie secured a passionate following after its home video release.
Enthusiasm for the genre-bending experience allowed Kelly to make a Director’s Cut of the movie, which expanded on certain elements of the time-travel and alternate timeline elements. Despite the creative control afforded him with the Director’s Cut, looking back, Kelly’s preferences lean towards the theatrical cut.
When asked during a Reddit AMA which cut he prefers, Kelly expressed, “I am not satisfied with either version, honestly. The [Director’s Cut] was meant to lay the groundwork for the much bigger universe explored in my sequel. If there is a third version of the film it would lean closer to the [Theatrical Cut] now that I have written the sequel novel…”
Even though a third version of the film might never happen, the filmmaker also confirmed one key change would be to the opening sequence, as he explained, “If there is a third version of [Donnie Darko]… I plan to use Echo and the Bunnymen twice. At the opening… and then again at the party sequence (the way it is used in the DC.) The film was choreographed with INXS as the opening song… so I at least wanted people to have a version of the film with it there.”
Luckily, Kelly already has a novel sequel to Donnie Darko on the way with Donnie Darko: The Philosophy of Time Travel, which will likely find a way to shed more insight into the narrative without the constraints of a movie production. During his AMA, he also dropped a couple of interesting pieces of information regarding lingering questions.
For those who need a refresher, the movie follows Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal), a high school student who inadvertently avoids his fatal demise when a plane engine lands on his bed. Instead, he was sleepwalking and was completely safe, though this decision unknowingly kicked off a “Tangent Universe.”
Donnie proceeds to investigate the nature of time travel and alternate universes, all while navigating high school.
At one point, Donnie has an intense conversation with his science teacher Professor Kenneth Monnitoff (Noah Wyle), though the professor cuts off the conversation when Donnie seemingly crosses a line. Of this conversation, Kelly clarified, “The characters surrounding Donnie in the Tangent Universe dream are following a particular script… so in a way, Kenneth knows he is only allowed to say certain things…”
Another interesting detail is that Donnie’s English teacher Karen Pomeroy (Drew Barrymore) at one point claims, “Cellar door is said to be the most beautiful phrase in the English language.” As far as what inspired this piece of dialogue, Kelly revealed, “The cellar door anecdote was originally expressed to me by my 10th grade English teacher at Midlothian High School, Linda Carillo. Linda was one of several English teachers who were inspirations for Karen Pomeroy.”
Whatever the future holds for the franchise, we’re only more excited for The Philosophy of Time Travel and the reveals it may contain.
Which cut of the movie do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!