Richard Kelly: 'Donnie Darko Director's Cut'

Margaret Pomeranz speaks to director Richard Kelly about the soon-to-be-released director's cut of his film 'Donnie Darko', originally released in 2001.

RICHARD: You know, the film is a period piece that takes place in 1988, yet it's ultimately a science-fiction film and I think there are a lot of themes running throughout the film that speak to young people. There's a lot to debate a lot of a lot to digest, really, in the story and I think it became something that people wanted to embrace as a cult film and they wanted to tell their friends about it really so they could have someone else to talk about. The plot and the characters and the meaning of the film was something that people could debate.

MARGARET: Drew Barrymore leapt in to support this film. Did her involvement make it easier for you to get people like Swayze and Mary McDonnell?

RICHARD: Yes, I mean, I don't think any of them would've been as comfortable signing on had Drew's name not already been on that list of actors. Like I said, it's kind of like RSVP-ing to a party. You want to know who else is going before you decide that you're gonna go, and that's kind of what Hollywood is, a big party that people aren't sure if they wanna go unless they know who else is going first.

In the case of a first-time director no-one knows who's throwing the party but there's a great swimming pool and the script is like the swimming pool and everyone's circling around it deciding who's gonna be the first to jump in. When Drew Barrymore lines up and takes a swan dive off the high dive, everyone else becomes really comfortable.

MARGARET: He walks through the film in that sort of stooped, cowered way,like he's carrying the burdens of the world on his shoulders.Is that you? Was that him?

RICHARD: Well, Jake didn't tell me this until we were done shooting, but he told me he was kind of mimicking me a little bit on the set, which freaks me out a little bit. I think I was probably moping around the set, thinking,"My life is a disaster and this film is gonna be a disaster" and as a director, you feel like you have the responsibilities of the entire crew on your shoulders maybe.

MARGARET: I see this film as so compassionate. I mean, do you see it that way?

RICHARD: Well, I hope so. I mean, I think, more than anything, if you're a teenager and you think that you're weird or you're messed up in the head. Or people tell you that you aren't normal or that you don't fit into the mould of what pop culture tells you you're supposed to be. Then maybe if they see something in this character in this film that makes them feel a little bit better about themselves. Or on some level it makes them feel empowered and they can kind of tap into this superhero story and see a bit of themselves, then that makes me very happy.