MOVIES Weird 'Donnie Darko' has become a cult favorite

It has an indescribable plot but has struck a chord with teens.
By DANIEL HOLLISTER
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
"Donnie Darko" might appear to have been another box-office flop.
Despite its star-studded cast, the film earned slightly more than half a million dollars when it was released, much less than the film cost to make, according to Yahoo! Movies.
But now, "Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut" has been released. You can thank the fans.
The movie, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Drew Barrymore, has earned itself a cult following and is popular in midnight showings. Apparently there is demand for more.
"Releasing it in 2001 was tough, after 9/11 and everything," said Bob Berney, president of Newmarket Films. "Because of the popularity of the DVD and all the midnight shows," the new version is coming out.
Sales
"The Director's Cut" is being released city by city, most recently in New York and Hollywood. Meanwhile, the original "Donnie Darko" has brought in more than $10 million in DVD sales, according to the Numbers, a Web site that tracks box-office data.
The film has growing popularity in midnight showings, like a recent sold-out show in Santa Cruz, where some audience members were seen dressed as characters from the film.
"The line was incredibly long. It went all the way down the street," said Alex Finch, a high school junior who attended the Santa Cruz showing.
"What was interesting is that about half the audience hadn't seen it before, but were there because they were told how great it was."
But what is it, exactly, that makes this film so popular? "Sheer weirdness," Finch said.
This is always where the conversation seems to go.
Many adults can't seem to understand this movie, but it's struck a chord with teens.
The story
Donnie, the character played by Gyllenhaal, is a high school student in 1980 who suffers from emotional problems and is haunted by a vision of Frank (James Duvall), a giant rabbit who tells him to commit crimes. What seems normal is just the opposite.
Time travel, a pedophiliac motivational speaker and falling jet engines are thrown into the loop, creating an enigmatic and rather indescribable story line.
"That's what makes it so good," Finch said. "He deals with problems we have today, but there's still so many subplots and little details. It's so dark, but still funny, and your average film just can't be this weird."
& quot;The Director's Cut" is finding some box-office success. The world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival brought in more than $32,000. According to Berney, the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood sold out many shows and brought in $23,000 in one weekend.
"It's been really successful, especially for a summer film," Berney said.
So as teen fans across the country continue to stand in line to buy tickets -- many wearing their Frank masks or "Donnie Darko" T-shirts -- this film could become the surprise hit of the summer.
XDaniel Hollister, 18, is from Soquel, Calif. He is a writer for the San Jose Mercury News' teen page.