What is the significance of Dukakis in Donnie Darko?
There are some sections within the movie where Michael Dukakis comes into view.
- The television
- The argument between Eddie and Elizabeth
What is the purpose of Dukakis and politics within Donnie Darko?
Best Answer
The appearance of the election seems to be just a representation of the times and possibly a direct parallel to the feelings of Donnie himself. An election represents uncertainty and balance shifts whereas Donnie's life seems to mirror that setting of an uncertain youth. Battling with bipolar disorder having his balance shifted a lot of the time combined with his new 'realization' that the world is going to end.
A simpler explanation that goes back to it being just a showing of the time era is the Father's obsession with Dukakis being shown that he is just a republican father and sarcastic person, the second also noted by his obvious sense of humor while the kids are fighting at the dinner table.
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What is the meaning behind Donnie Darko?
Donnie Darko brings in elements of the Simulation Hypothesis to shape the universe the story takes place in. In this world, there is a God Machine and reality is a simulation. Newmarket Films. If we zoom out from there, what we see is that life is nothing more than a story.Who was the president in Donnie Darko?
The film opens with a dining table conversation about the upcoming 1988 presidential election, with Donnie's sister Elizabeth firmly arguing for candidate Michael Dukakis, against patriarch Eddie who favours George Bush senior.What is the rabbit in Donnie Darko?
James Duval plays Frank, an enormous imaginary rabbit who informs Donnie that the world is going to end in 28 days. Even in the earliest drafts of the script, Frank was always a rabbit. The design may have come to him in a dream, Kelly says, or maybe subconsciously from his longtime love of Watership Down.How old was Jake Gyllenhaal when filming Donnie Darko?
The Richard Kelly-directed film turned 20 years old on Wednesday, and the actor \u2014 who filmed the dark fantasy as one of his first major lead roles at age 19 \u2014 celebrated the anniversary of the film's world premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival by sharing photos of his original script as well as artifacts he saved ...I'm voting for Dukakis.
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Answer 2
I remember from viewing with audio-commentary, that Kelly said in the first appearance of such a scene, that he didn't want to take any side. So I think he included it to narrow down the timeframe. There are many other indicators that show, that the movie takes place in the 80s. It seems normal, that in a time of an upcoming presidential election the candidates will be discussed (and will be shown in TV sometimes).
Answer 3
In the Donnie Darko Book, Richard Kelly talks about the dinner scene where the family is discussing politics. The parents are clearly Republicans but when the argument escalates and Donnie and his sister starts cussing at each other, the dad has no real problem with it and even finds it funny, even with their 9 y.o. daughter at the table.
The reason for that, according to Kelly, is that they have raised a liberal household and thus allowing their kids to be liberal with their politics.
Dukakis in this context is just a figure of their own household politics.
Kelly was raised in a conservative household and since most of Hollywood is liberal he did not want to "take sides" or push an ideology through his film.
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