DONNIE DARKO, Study notes of English Language

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DONNIE DARKO

Shooting Script

Richard Kelly

FADE IN:

We descend upon Carpathian Ridge, a crescent-shaped cliff that extrudes from the dense Virginia evergreens above a deep rock canyon.

The cliff marks the end of a dirt road that winds down from above.

Donnie Darko (sixteen) is asleep at the edge of the cliff. With his bike collapsed next to him, he is shivering, curled up on the foetal position.

He slowly opens his eyes and looks around, disoriented by the morning light. He then stands up, looking down into the expansive rock canyon. After a moment of hesitation, he takes his bike back up the hill.

EXT. MIDDLESEX - MORNING (11 A.M.)

Montage is choreographed to 'Never Tear Us Apart' by INXS.

Donnie pedals down into the suburban village of Middlesex , Virginia ...passing by a large rock 'Middlesex' rock-pattern.

Donnie pedals past two neighbourhood women who are speedwalking with handweights. They smile at him.

A Pontiac Trans-Am speeds by.

EXT. NEIGHBOURHOOD STREET - DAY (SATURDAY 1 P.M.)

Donnie turns the corner and heads towards the garage.

We pan over to the Darko house... moving through the front yard where Eddie Darko (forty-four) pulls the cord and his gas-powered leaf-blower roars to life.

Elizabeth Darko (nineteen) comes out the front door. She approaches her dad from behind. Eddie turns and aims the leaf-blower at her face... blasting her with air.

EXT. DARKO DRIVEWAY - NEXT

Donnie parks his bike and goes inside.

EXT. DARKO BACKYARD / PATIO - NEXT

We pull back from Samantha Darko (ten) as she is jumping on a trampoline and pan over to Rose Darko (forty-two) as she sits at a table reading a paperback copy of Stephen King's "IT". She glances over to the kitchen.

INT. KITCHEN - NEXT

Donnie walks into the kitchen. He then goes to the refrigerator.

DONNIE

(to his sister) Not until like... eighth grade.

ROSE (to Donnie) Excuse me?

ELIZABETH Donnie? You're a dick.

DONNIE Whoa, Elizabeth. A little hostile, there. Maybe you should be the one in therapy. Then Mom and Dad can pay someone two hundred dollars an hour to listen to all of your thoughts... so we won't have to.

ELIZABETH Maybe you'd like to tell Mom and Dad why you stopped taking your medication.

An awkward silence.

ROSE (surprised) You've stopped taking your medication?

SAMANTHA When can I squeeze one out, Mom?

DONNIE (glaring at Elizabeth) You're such a fuck-ass.

ROSE When did you stop taking your medication?

ELIZABETH (laughing) Did you just call me a fuck-ass?

ROSE That's enough.

ELIZABETH (to Donnie) You can suck a fuck.

DONNIE Oh, please tell me, Elizabeth, how exactly does one suck a fuck?

ROSE

(disgusted) We will not have this kind of language at the dinner table.

They are all silent for a moment.

SAMANTHA What's a fuck-ass?

Despite his brave efforts to hold back laughter, Eddie Darko lets out a slight guffaw.

INT. ELIZABETH'S ROOM - EVENING (SATURDAY NIGHT, 9 P.M.)

Elizabeth talks on the phone, getting ready for her Saturday night. Rose knocks and then enters.

ELIZABETH (into the phone) No. I took a year off to be with you. (beat) Of course I care. Don't get angry. (covering the phone) What?

ROSE How did you know -

ELIZABETH (cutting her off) I didn't realise it was such a big deal.

ROSE It is a big deal.

ELIZABETH I caught him flushing pills down the toilet. He knows you check the container.

INT. DONNIE'S ROOM - NEXT

Donnie lies on his bed, reading "Collected Short Stories" by Graham Greene. His room is an organised wreck.

Rose enters and begins to pick things up of the floor.

DONNIE Get out of my room.

Rose bitterly turns to leave, but stops at the door.

ROSE I wish I knew where you went at night. (MORE)

INT. FAMILY ROOM - NEXT

The TV pops on. Eddie drops into the La-Z Boy.

They are replaying a Bush/ Dukakis debate. Eddie laughs.

INT. FOYER - NEXT

We pull back and pan over to a grandfather clock... as the hand reaches midnight.

Title card:

OCTOBER 2 1988

INT. DONNIE'S ROOM - NIGHT (EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, 1 A.M.)

VOICE (whisper) Wake... up... Donnie.

Donnie jerks upright in his bed, awakened from a bad dream. He looks over at his alarm clock: 12:50 a.m. His expression is distant... confused.

INT. FOYER - NEXT

Donnie walks downstairs.

INT. FAMILY ROOM - NEXT

Donnie stares at Eddie, asleep in the La-Z Boy.

INT. KITCHEN - NEXT

Donnie walks into the kitchen, removes the magic marker from the refrigerator message board.

INT. FOYER - NEXT

Donnie walks to the front and exits the house.

EXT. DARKO HOUSE, FRONT YARD - NEXT

Donnie walks down the front walk to the street.

EXT. NEIGHBOURHOOD STREET - NEXT

Donnie walks down the street.

EXT. SEVENTH HOLE - NIGHT (1:30 A.M.)

Donnie arrives next to the pin and stares off into the distance.

VOICE

Helluva night for a walk... huh, Donnie?

Donnie stares off into the distance.

VOICE (CONT'D) Tonight is very special, Donnie.

DONNIE What?

VOICE I've been watching you. (beat) Do you believe in God, Donnie?

Donnie doesn't answer. He holds his stomach, taking deep breaths.

VOICE (CONT'D) God loves his children, Donnie. God loves you.

There... standing on the seventh hole is a six-foot-tall figure dressed in a grotesque bunny suit.

Donnie stares at the Bunny nervously as a wave of nausea overcomes him.

BUNNY My name is Frank. (beat) I want you to follow me.

DONNIE Why?

FRANK I'm here to save you. (beat) The world is coming to an end, Donnie.

Donnie doesn't answer.

FRANK (CONT'D) Look up in the sky, Donnie.

He looks up into the black night.

FRANK (CONT'D) 28 days... 6 hours... 42 minutes... 12 seconds. That is when the world will end.

Donnie looks back at Frank. His expression is a vacant expanse of confusion.

DR. FISHER (CONT'D)

(back to Donnie) So let's stay off the greens at night, OK?

Jim Cunningham stares at Donnie with a friendly grin.

DONNIE Sorry, Dr. Fisher. It won't happen again.

EXT. NEIGHBOURHOOD STREET / DARKO HOUSE - MORNING (11 A.M.)

Donnie walks down the street towards his house.

A fire engine. Two police cars. A news van... All parked in front of his house.

There are dozens of neighbours in the street surrounding a barricade. Donnie moves through the crowd where a Police Officer is standing.

DONNIE Hey, I live here!

POLICE OFFICER Are you... Donnie Darko?

DONNIE Yeah!

The Officer lets him through.

Near the cul-de-sac there is a large caterpillar crane lifting something from inside the house. There are firemen roaming around. Two Police Officers are speaking with Eddie and Rose.

Donnie looks over at the house.

A crane lifts a gigantic jet engine over from the house towards a large flatbed truck. Firemen kick pieces of wood and shingle from the roof.

He turns and sees his entire family standing there. Eddie is holding Samantha.

SAMANTHA It fell on your room.

EXT. CUL-DE-SAC - LATER ON

Two men in suits approach from a black sedan. A police officer directs them to Rose. One of the men removes a badge from his pocket and holds it up for Rose to see.

MAN

Mrs. Darko, my name is Bob Garland and this is David Coleman. We're with the FAA. If you don't mind, we'd like to speak with you and your husband privately.

Elizabeth looks over at Donnie with a grin.

ELIZABETH (whispering) They don't know where it came from.

Donnie looks over in awe as the mammoth engine is now strapped to the flatbed truck. A man in a silver firesuit sprays the engine down with water.

EXT. CUL-DE-SAC - MOMENTS LATER

Eddie is signing some documents in front of Garland at a table that has been set up. Another FAA guy is there.

FAA MAN (pointing to the document) And then here as well.

Eddie signs off, and Garland takes the documents.

GARLAND We've arranged for you to stay at a hotel, get some sleep. We'll take care of things here.

Eddie picks Samantha up into his arms. He stands with Rose and Elizabeth... turning towards Donnie... who seems lost in a trance.

EDDIE Come on, Donnie... we're going to a hotel.

INT. HOLIDAY INN, ROOM 614 - SUNDOWN (SUNDAY NIGHT, 5: P.M.)

Donnie lies in bed, watching television. Elizabeth is spread out on the other bed. Samantha sits on the edge of Elizabeth's bed, holding a stuffed unicorn named Ariel.

SAMANTHA If it fell from a plane, then what happened to the plane?

ELIZABETH They don't know, Samantha.

EDDIE

He died, remember? On the way to the prom. (beat) He was doomed.

Rose lies there silently.

EDDIE (CONT'D) Jesus Christ. They could have said the same thing about Donnie. Our Donnie. (beat) But he dodged it. He dodged his bullet, Rose.

Rose rolls over to embrace him.

EDDIE (CONT'D) That's my boy.

Moments later, the door to the adjoining room opens. It is Samantha.

SAMANTHA Mom, Donnie said he's gonna fart in my face.

Title card:

OCTOBER 3 1988

EXT. BUS STOP - MORNING (MONDAY MORNING, 7 A.M.)

Rose drops Donnie and Samantha off at the corner.

ROSE Ms. Farmer will pick you up from recital. Bye, now.

She pulls of in the Taurus.

Already waiting at the bus stop is Joanie James (eleven). Also Cherita Chen (fifteen).

SAMANTHA Hi, Cherita.

CHERITA Chut up.

Also there are Donnie's two best friends, Sean Smith (sixteen) and Ronald Fisher (fifteen)

RONALD

(raising his hands in victory) DARKO CHEATS DEATH! Man... you're famous! I called you, like, a jillion times last night!

DONNIE We went to a hotel.

RONALD My dad said he found you on the golf course. Are you sleepwalking again?

DONNIE I don't wanna talk about it.

SEAN Now that you're famous, you gotta have a smoke.

Sean hands Donnie a Marlboro Red and he takes it, looking over at Samantha and Joanie.

DONNIE What happens if you tell Mom and Dad about this, Samantha?

SAMANTHA You'll put Ariel in the garbage disposal.

JOANIE So... grody.

Sean, Ronald and Donnie light up. Ronald is the most amateur- looking.

SEAN Hey, Cherita... want a cigarette?

CHERITA Chut up.

RONALD (mimicking) Chut up!

SEAN Go back to China, bitch!

DONNIE Leave her alone, man.

Cherita looks over at Donnie... her quiet devastation poorly hidden.

MS. POMEROY

Joanie, if you had actually read the short story... which, at a whopping thirteen pages must have kept you up all night, you would know that the children find a great deal of money hidden in a mattress. But they burn it.

The class gives an " Awwww." Joanie blushes.

MS. POMEROY (CONT'D) Donnie Darko, perhaps, given your recent brush with mass destruction, you can give us your opinion?

DONNIE Well... they say it right when they are ripping the place to shreds. When they flood the house. That like... destruction is a form of creation. So the fact that they burn the money is... ironic. They just want to see what happens when they tear the world apart. (beat) They want to change things.

Gretchen Ross stands at the doorway to the classroom.

MS. POMEROY May we help you?

GRETCHEN I just registered, and I think they put me in the wrong English class.

Ms. Pomeroy studies her.

MS. POMEROY You look like you belong here.

GRETCHEN Umm, where do I sit?

Ms. Pomeroy thinks for a moment. There are several empty chairs.

MS. POMEROY Sit next to the boy you think is the cutest. Girls, get up.

The whole class begins to freak out. The girls all get out of their seats... eating this up. Ronald fixes his hair.

MS. POMEROY (CONT'D) Quiet! Let her choose.

Without hesitation, Gretchen scans the class for every guy. As she gracefully takes her seat next to Donnie, they make eye contact. Donnie grins ear to ear.

The class freaks out laughing.

INT. TAURUS - SUNSET (MONDAY NIGHT, 6 P.M.)

Eddie drives Donnie down Old Gun Road, a windy back-road that goes towards the country.

EDDIE So how was school today?

DONNIE It was great. We had peanut-butter sandwiches and apples and honey at snacktime. And then during show-and- tell, my stuffed walrus was a big hit.

EDDIE Good Lord. (beat) So the construction guys say it'll take about a week to fix the roof. Damn airline better not fuck us on the shingle match.

DONNIE Do they know yet?

EDDIE Know what?

DONNIE Where it came from?

EDDIE No... apparently they can't tell us what happened yet. Something about a matching serial number that got burned. (beat) But I had to sign a form saying I wouldn't talk to anyone about it.

DONNIE So we're not supposed to tell anybody what nobody knows?

EDDIE You tell Dr. Thurman whatever you want.

Suddenly, Eddie slams on the brakes and the station wagon comes to a sudden stop.

He is quiet for a moment.

DONNIE So, I met a new friend.

DR. THURMAN Would you like to talk about this friend?

DONNIE His name is Frank.

DR. THURMAN Frank.

DONNIE I think he saved my life.

DR. THURMAN How so?

DONNIE Don't you watch the news?

DR. THURMAN I don't own a television.

DONNIE A jet engine fell on my house... landed on my bed. While I was talking to Frank on the golf course.

Dr. Thurman looks at him for a long beat, analysing whether or not he is telling her the truth.

DONNIE (CONT'D) I'm not kidding.

Concerned, Dr. Thurman leans in closer.

DR. THURMAN Frank... instructed you... to get out of bed... just before this happened.

DONNIE He said to follow him.

DR. THURMAN Follow him where?

DONNIE Into the future. (beat) Then he said that the world was coming to an end.

He rubs his arm, where the numbers are still lightly drawn.

DR. THURMAN Do you believe that the world is coming to an end?

DONNIE (long beat) No. (beat) That's stupid.

INT. MIDDLESEX RIDGE SCHOOL - HALLWAY

In the empty school hallway... a gigantic tidal wave forms in the distance and comes crashing towards us between the lockers.

INT. FAMILY ROOM - NIGHT (EARLY TUESDAY MORNING, 2 A.M.)

Donnie lies on the couch... fast asleep. His eyes slowly open.

There, standing in the corner of the room in the shadows is Frank.

FRANK Wake up, Donnie.

INT. MIDDLESEX RIDGE SCHOOL - NIGHT

In the dark school hallway, Donnie rounds the corner with a flashlight, a can of spray paint, and an axe. Frank stands in the same hallway where the tidal wave crashed.

INT. SCHOOL BASEMENT - NEXT

Donnie shines the flashlight through the basement. He approaches some old piping.

Donnie puts the axe back over his shoulder and then lowers it fiercely. The smashing of metal against metal echoes through the huge room.

Title card:

OCTOBER 4 1988

EXT. BUS STOP - MORNING (7:45 A.M.)

The same group stands and waits for the bus. The guys smoke.

Cherita stands alone. Samantha is reading something to Joanie.