I think that it's about him discovering what would have happened whether or not he had been killed by the jet engine. If his psychological problems had been cured (him always taking his pills) He would have been in his bed when the engine hit, and he would have died, but in peace, life would be harder for his family, but he would have suffered less. But at the same time he would have been dead. The montage at the end is to show all the people that would have been affected to some avail by his death. But, if he didn't take his medication, he wouldn't have been killed, and the majority of the movie is what happened. And his life affects others, and he suffers but is alive. And the repeating phrase "every living thing dies alone" is proven, because he is alone when the jet engine kills him, gretchen is alone when she is hit by the car, frank is alone when he is shot. Of course they're all not "alone" Per-say, but they face death by themselves, in their own moment, all of them. I think.
(Try to be really imaginative, and sorry for grammar errors) All those answers are correct above but you also have to take into consideration the fact that he sees this scary bunny, which I believe is his conscience because most people who see imaginary people see their own self image, who tells Donnie he has to do Franks deeds( burn down the house, flud the school.) This is because frank has already seen the future by telling him when the world was going to end, and to tell everyone Mr.Cunnigham was into little children Not only that but when he reveled himself at the movie theatre he already had the whole in his head where donnie shot him. I believe that the word really did end, but he had the choice if he wanted to wait till then or die when the plain engine hit his room, because the sky really did open up, and all of his family members where alone in their own way when the world ended.some of my friends think that when frank told donnie the world will end that frank ment donnies world. But if you listen closely he doesn't say WORLD WILL END, he says THE WORLD WILL END, meaning everyone.
Sorry if I confused you, I have a big imagination.....
Oh my god its about time travel its as plane as day hes stuck in this cycle that plays over and over and the bunny is not a delusion but like a memory trying to help him figure out how he needs to save himself so the cycle can end like ground hog day and that explains the old lady and the book and his girl friend and the jet engine how it falls first then the plane a week later its all signs to help him figure out what will happen if he fails it also explains why he has this way of looking at things like hes constantly outa place after they wshow him in his room dead he will then again wake up on the hill with his bike
I would have to say that the film Donnie Darko is about many things, which is why it is so confusing. It is purposefully made so, so that you can use your mind to consider all possible solutions. As Jackson Pollock once said, you don't look at the beautiful flowers and try to figure out why they are there or what they mean. Sometimes you have to enjoy the thing for the thing it is.
The movie appears to be about a young man who is experiencing psychological episodes and it could well be just that. However, of course, there is the idea of multiple universes which allow someone to move through time, to change the past.
This is something that Donnie does in one life at the end, then he wakes up again in a different universe and has moved his life on, past the incident with the engine dropping from the air.
