What was the ending of Donnie Darko ?

Answer 1

The Dream Sequence begins with Donnie's Psych waking abruptly with terror in her eyes. As the person most connected with Donnie's mind, I feel this is important. And that she woke the moment the engine crushed him

As the camera pans over some of the key players in Donnie's life, some asleep, some awake, in deep thought, and even Frank shedding a tear.

Seeing Frank's actual artifact, which led to the design of his costume, which is how he "came" to Donnie, is key. It leads us to the conclusion that Frank is in fact an Old Soul and either has been handed down this artifact, or kept it through many lives.

For Frank to survive, having been shot in the Tangent Universe, Donnie had to die. Which also saved Gretchin (girlfriend) his Mother and Little Sam.

Cherita Chen (sp?) who had a crush on Donnie, who was the only person to take up for her, seemed content. While Swayze as the manipulative Perv was sobbing uncontrollably, the wicked witch of a teacher was seemingly in shock. My guess Swayze's secret was revealed in the Normal Universe as well as the tangent.

"What makes you think I am Not a Super Hero?"

"The dreams in which I'm dying are the best i ever had" coupled with Donnie's laughter right before he died tells me he found what he was so energetically looking for. And knew what must be done to make everything as right as it could be. In a not perfect world. The world frank, Donnie's Sister's Boyfriend has dragged him into.

5 years since I first saw this film. I still have so much to understand about it. My Humanity tells me it is a heartbreaker. But at the same time one of the oddest and most beautiful films known.

But discussing the end is not appropriate if you have not seen the Movie. At least a dozen times anyway. The End of the film is actually where the Movie should have started