Donnie Darko

Donnie DarkoCharacter List

Donnie Darko Very intelligent Hallucinates (Frank, portal, ‘spears’ in people’s chest) Is taking medication in the ‘alternate’ timeline,

unclear whether he took them in the ‘real’ one Sees ‘Frank’ his best friend – “I have to obey him, he

saved my life. I have to obey him or I’ll be left all alone and then I won’t be able to figure out what this is all about, I won’t be able to know his master plan.”

Tells Dr Thurman that “Frank is going to kill” and that “Frank says time’s up” when he is under hypnosis

Paranoid schizophrenic? Affected by the prophecy Special powers?? Sees a therapist, Dr Thurman Radical thinker, says what’s on his mind Preoccupied with the idea of ‘dying alone’ Dating Gretchen Ross (in alternate timeline) Killed by a jet engine (real timeline) “I hope that when the world comes to an end I can

breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to.”

Frank

Tells Donnie the prophecy Donnie is the only one who can

see him In reality he is a real person, friend

of Donnie’s sister Elizabeth Hit Gretchen with his car Shot by Donnie “Why are you wearing that stupid

man suit?” Directs Donnie in what he needs to

do: shows him the portal, where to get a gun, flood the school, burn down Jim C’s house

Discusses time travel with Donnie

Gretchen

New to Middlesex Living under an alias as mum was

stabbed 4 times by her step dad Her death marks the ‘end of the world’

countdown as told in the prophecy from Frank to Donnie

Dating Donnie in the alternative timeline Picked on by other kids at school (Ricky

and Seth) Dies in the alternative timeline, hit by a

car Donnie saves her in ‘reality’ by changing

the timeline “What if you could go back in time and

take all those hours of pain and darkness and replace them with something better?”

Rose Darko

Donnie’s mum Gets called a ‘bitch’ by

Donnie Develops a better

relationship with him in the alternative timeline but not in the real one as Donnie dies before this can happen

Accepting of the fact that her son may have a mental illness - “How does it feel to have a whacko for a son?” “It feels wonderful.”

Roberta Sparrow (Grandma Death)

Wrote The Philosophy of Time Travel

Used to be a nun Tells Donnie “Every

living creature on this earth dies alone”

Regularly checks her mailbox, perhaps looking for the letter Donnie sent her in the ‘real timeline’?

Believes people have predestined pathways

Karen Pomeroy

Donnie’s English teacher Knows that he’s smart Gets Gretchen to sit next to him – “Sit next

to the boy you think is the cutest” Teaches Graham Green’s The Destructors

that Donnie acts out when he floods the school – “Destruction is a form of creation”

Is fired “Tell them that everything is going to be

just fine” – when Donnie asks her what to say when other kids ask about her; Donnie says something very similar to Frank’s friend after he shoots him

Tells Donnie that ‘Cellar Door’ is the most beautiful combination of words in the English language – he then goes to Roberta Sparrow’s cellar door where, along with Gretchen, he is caught by Ricky and Seth

Jim Cunningham

The opposite to Donnie – ruled by his fear to the point where he has turned ‘fear’ into his job

Donnie sets his house on fire Is called the ‘antichrist’ by

Donnie Police find a secret room in his

house that contains child porn His book Attitudinal Beliefs

and his films are taught in school

Is revered by Kitty Farmer (PE teacher)

Seth/Ricky (bullies)

Bullies others Ruled by chaos (nihilistic) Seth pulls a knife on Donnie at school

as he believes Donnie told the principal that he flooded the school

Take drugs at school Responsible for Gretchen’s death Had broken into Roberta Sparrow’s

cellar which is where Donnie and Gretchen find them

Cherita Chen

Is teased, says ‘chut up’ instead of ‘shut up’ and is told to ‘go back to China’

Donnie sticks up for her Is in love with Donnie Resilient – participates in the talent

contest because she wants to Donnie tells her “I promise that one

day everything will be better for you”

Kitty Farmer (PE teacher) Very religious Doesn’t listen to Donnie and thinks less of his family

because of Donnie’s behaviour Reveres Jim Cunningham and won’t listen to reason

when he is caught with child porn Conservative thinker Doesn’t like Ms Pomeroy’s educational methods and

pushes to get her fired Encourages teaching that doesn’t push the envelope She is the reason that Rose Darko has to go with

Donnie’s little sister and leave her family alone, because she has to support Jim Cunningham in his court appearance.

Professor Monnitoff (science t) In a relationship with Karen Pomeroy Donnie’s science teacher and gives him the

book on time travel – “Don’t tell anyone I gave you this”

Is limited in what he can discuss with Donnie or he will lose his job

“If we were able to see our destinies manifest themselves visually then we would be given a choice, to betray our chosen destinies, and the mere fact this choice exists would make all preformed destiny come to an end” “Not if you travel within God’s channel”

Dr Thurman (psychiatrist)

Supportive and caring of Donnie Is the first person Donnie tells about

Frank Reveals that Donnie is a paranoid

schizophrenic to his parents Is affected when she wakes up from

the ‘alternative’ timeline in the real one

Attempts to help Donnie work out what it is Frank wants and who he is going to kill