Sure, it launched Richard Kelly and Jake Gyllenhaal’s careers, but DONNIE DARKO also cemented a cultural touchstone of upper-middle class teen alienation that’s only been burnished by time and rewatches. In a sense, Donnie is the average white suburbanite kid — but against the backdrop of a changing America and an aging boomer generation, basic empathy and self-awareness turn out to be a literal superpower.
Finn Odum has a long history with DONNIE DARKO, making them a perfect fit for this extra-special episode! Harry hasn’t seen it since high school; Jason is afraid to find out if he still likes it after being bewitched by it as a kid; and Aaron hates teen movies. And… scene!
Find Finn…
References:
#OtherProgramming #35mm
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Show art by Emily Csuy. Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Outro music: “Liquid Spear Waltz” by Michael Andrews from the DONNIE DARKO soundtrack.
Timestamps
0:00 - Episode 340: DONNIE DARKO (2001)
5:48 - The Patented Aaron Grossman Summary
7:45 - Finn’s essay and attachment to DONNIE DARKO
14:50 - “The best movie about being a teenager”
25:03 - Where the scientific explanations start to distract from the point of the movie
36:18 - A white boy who wanted to change the world
46:22 - The fear/love spectrum and boomer cope
58:21 - Teens will literally go to therapy and save the world
1:04:12 - The montage at the end
1:07:57 - How this movie moves, sounds, and feels
1:14:32 - The performances
1:20:50 - The Junk Drawer
1:26:35 - To All the Loves We’ve Tried Before: 2001
1:31:12 - Finn's Facts
