Donnie Darko Script – Scripts on Screen

“Coming of Age” Film Scripts

Life can be hard for a teenager – regardless of what time era they were born in. The pressure to do drugs, party, meet the “right one” and make decisions for the first time are things that all American people must go through at one time or another in their lives. However, some people go through it slightly differently.

The following scripts are composed of some of the weirdest and somewhat absurd movies that have been made in the last couple decades about teenagers “coming of age.” While most kids worry about getting caught with cigarettes, these kids have much bigger problems.

Take for instance the teenage boy who dreams of having a girlfriend but can’t because of his slight obstacle of having a disease that forces him to live in a giant bubble. Or the group of teenage girls who are sick of being sexually harassed by their teacher and decide to take it out on him using their fists.

The purpose of films like these are two-fold. On one hand, they provide entertaining stories that interest teenagers. They have teenage humor, problems and solutions all tied together in to one eventful story. The second purpose that the films have, however, is to provide something to compare teenage angst to- a way to show kids that their lives are not as bad as they think!

While kids may stryggke with parents, teachers and other peers, at least they don’t have to deal with being pregnant by their best friend (well, at least most teenagers don’t) as in Juno (2007) or having to drive a time machine car back in time to escape Libyan terrorists (i.e. Back to the Future (1985)). Needless to say, these film scripts will never go out of fashion, as long as there are angsty young teens looking for an escape.

If you know an angsty teenage film that you would like to see the script to here, please comment so we can include it in our list!

Donnie Darko

Year:2001

Director:Richard Kelly

Written by:Richard Kelly (Screenplay)

Script Synopsis:After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.

Donnie Darko Script Resources:

Donnie Darko Script PDF at Script Slug
Donnie Darko Script PDF at The Daily Script
Donnie Darko Script at Screenplays For You
Donnie Darko Script at The Daily Script
Donnie Darko Script PDF - [6/8/2000] at Script Fly ($)
Donnie Darko Script PDF - 6/8/2000. *pg. at Script City ($)
Donnie Darko Transcript at scripts.com

Note: Multiple links are listed since (a) different versions exist and (b) many scripts posted become unavailable over time. Please notify me if you encounter a stale link.

Film Scripts Based on Mental Disorders

Borderline Personality Disorder, OCD, Bipolar Disorder and depression are among the many psychological disorders that have gained notoriety in films over the past few decades. The concept of a warped mind that sees the world in a much different way from the mainstream is something that intrigues people from all walks of life. Individualism is shown in its true dark form and for a few moments, an audience is able to comprehend what it’s like to see through a “crazy” person’s mind.

Many of the best psychological disorder films were written by people who actually had the disorder. This adds realism and definition to the characters and makes it likeable by many audiences. However, some disorders (such as schizophrenia) can be so debilitating that it’s difficult to find a person who can write a story representing their experience.

So in these cases, writers are given a challenge to try to experience something they know nothing about using only clinical definitions and second-hand accounts from doctors or family members. But when an interesting perspective is found, it opens a path that allows many people to experience a different state of mind as well.

Below is a list of some of the best film scripts based on a person with a mental disorder. From these scripts, a writer will be able to see how disorders are characterized by people with experience and those without. By taking note of the methods used in writing these scripts, a person will be better prepared to show the perspective of someone or something that they had never experienced in their lives; yet do so in a way that is believable.

For those who have suffered with a disorder, these scripts show how to use scenes and dialogue to help people understand what it feels like to live with that disorder.

(2003) Identity Script
(2002) May Script [Transcript]
(2001) Donnie Darko Script
(2001) A Beautiful Mind Script [Transcript]
(1999) Fight Club Script
(1999) Girl, Interrupted Script [Transcript]
(1997) As Good As It Gets Script
(1993) What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Script [Transcript]
(1988) Rain Man Script [Transcript]

Top Confusing Movie Scripts

Watching a movie is like taking a trip into the mind of another person. Fiction stories are concocted by people based on their life experiences and imagination. When the stories are put onto film, audience members are allowed insight into the imagination and personal thoughts of the writer.

Some writers find it easy to share their ideas with other people. Their messages come out strong and clear so that no other interpretation can be assumed. However, there are a few directors who have such complex mind processes that they have difficulty sharing it with others in a linear, easy to understand manner.

Darren Aronofsky, David Lynch and Ingmar Bergman are examples of writers/directors that have this personal challenge. They do not always think in a formulaic, Hollywood manner and this can lead to complex story lines, odd dialogue and questionable plot lines.

However, just because a movie is confusing does not make it bad. Most of the films listed below are considered masterpieces- far beyond their time and steaming with profound thought. However, the full message cannot be understood in one viewing. An audience member may have to research the film and watch it over and over again before it starts making sense.

In order to help with the process of understanding, we have linked to the scripts to some of these great, but confusing, films. Reading the script may help give insight that simply watching the film would not. We hope that with time, you may be able to discover deeper meaning from these films and many other confusing masterpieces.