Donnie Darko star Jake Gyllenhaal is looking back at the mindbending cult classic two decades after its premiere at Sundance in 2001. Written and directed by Richard Kelly, Donnie Darko is widely considered to be one of the greatest indie films ever made. Even after two decades, fans of the film are still trying to figure out exactly what happened in the story, and Gyllenhaal seems to be very proud of the legacy the movie had created.
Taking to Instagram on the day Donnie Darko officially turned 20, Gyllenhaal posted a photo of his original script along with some other “artifacts” from the film. In the caption, the actor writes, “Pulled out my script and some artifacts from Donnie Darko… It was released 20 years ago today. It’s a film that changed my life and my career and it’s been unreal to watch this story find afterlives with new audiences and new generations, and yet, what Donnie said to Roberta Sparrow is still true: ‘there is so much to look forward to.'”
Referring to the continued confusion over the film’s plot, Gyllenhaal adds, “Thank you to all the fans who’ve come up to me over the years with that confused look on their faces and asked me: ‘what the f**k is Donnie Darko about??’ Happy 20th Donnie! Let’s keep confusing people. Here’s to 20 more.”
Along with Gyllenhaal, Donnie Darko stars Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, James Duval, Katharine Ross, Mary McDonnell, and a young Seth Rogen. It follows a troubled teenager haunted by a man in a bunny suit along with visions of his own death. A sequel would follow in 2009, but it had no involvement from Gyllenhaal or Kelly and was not as well-received as the original.
Happy 20th anniversary, Donnie Darko!
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