Donnie Darko really is that good

I finally watched this film after hearing about it forever (well, it seemed like forever, it really came out in 2001), especially from "Gyllenhaalics" who always mention it. It was stranger and more interesting than I expected, and much more substantial -- I'd had the impression that it was a standard (if well-made) tale of disaffected youth, but instead it's a complex meditation on fate and spirituality and responsibility. Jake spends a bit too much time staring crazily into space a la Jack Nicholson in The Shining, but that's a minor complaint. I can totally understand why it's a "cult" favorite, since it virtually demands repeated viewings to sort out all the elements and portents. Besides Jake, there are tons of interesting performers in the cast, including Drew Barrymore, who executive produced, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wylie (of ER fame), Mary McDonnell (best known for Dances with Wolves), and Katherine Ross (who was a fixture in the 1970s, appearing in classics like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Graduate, and the original Stepford Wives). Great fun.