Do you remember the opening line of 2001 cult classic Donnie Darko? That’s right, it’s “I’m voting for Dukakis.”

Donnie Darko is set on the eve of the presidential election of 1988, where Texas Republican George H. W. Bush faced off against Massachusetts Democrat Michael Dukakis, eventually winning in a landslide. 

The movie opens on the morning of October 1st, 1988. The first mention of the election is during the dinner scene that night, when Elizabeth Darko drops the opening line. 

That night, Donnie’s father is watching a rerun of the presidential debate. This must be the debate that happened on Sunday, September 25, 1988, because the other presidential debate wouldn’t happen until October 13th. Father Darko is not impressed. “Dukakis,” he mutters, “son of a bitch.”

Around midnight, so now October 2nd, Donnie gets up and wanders downstairs. His father has fallen asleep in the living room. The national anthem is playing through extreme static as Donnie goes outside. 

When Donnie closes the tangent universe and accepts his death, in the main universe the TV is still set on static, but it is not playing the national anthem. 

(If you want the movie to make sense, we strongly recommend the Director’s Cut.)

The next mention of the election comes when Father is driving Donnie to his therapist. Under the Milky Way by The Church is playing on the radio. Donnie’s father turns it to a news station that’s talking about the election. “What people don’t understand about this upcoming election,” says a man on the air, “is that Michael Dukakis does not have the financial infrastructure in place to defe—” Donnie changes it back. 

However, whatever ChatGPT may tell you, there is no Dukakis bumper sticker in this movie. Don’t believe its lies. 

The last explicit mention of Dukakis is when his name appears on the kitchen whiteboard, during a scene where Donnie and the boys are watching a football game. This happens just before Donnie acquires the gun.

There’s a guy in a Ronald Reagan mask at the Halloween party. He bounces on the trampoline. And H. W. Bush appears briefly in Donnie’s eyes as he leaves the party. 

Also, Actress Drew Barrymore, who plays English teacher Karen Pomeroy (and also financed the film), personally met President Ronald Reagan in October, 1984. Here’s a photo of the two of them together:

Around midnight on October 2nd, Frank tells Donnie that the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. This may be a reference to the sidereal month, which is 27 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes, and 11.6 seconds, each value off by exactly one.

This puts the time for the end of the world at around 7 AM on October 30th. 

This does not coincide with two interesting events. First of all, it does not coincide with Halloween, which is on October 31st. The fact that the Darko kids hold a Halloween party confuses many people, but this was probably held on Saturday the 29th. The 31st wouldn’t have worked because it was a Monday, and everyone would have had school. 

Second, it does not coincide with the presidential election. Election day in 1988 was on November 8th. Donnie’s universe ends 9 days before this. 

Still, it’s hard not to conclude that the events of the film spiritually coincide with both events.