An Analysis of the Character of Jim Cunningham in the Film, Donnie Darko

Following in the footsteps of movies like Edward Scissorhands, and Pleasantville, Richard Kelly creates a suburbia in his film Donnie Darko that seems out of this world, but in actuality, he shows a suburban town that is so close to real life that it strikes the viewer and forces him or her to reevaluate their own outlook on suburban life. Irony is the tool that Richard Kelly uses to show that the cast of characters, in this almost play-like suburban life, are really the evil that they try so hard to defeat. Many of the characters in the movie are weak minded and are easily influenced into conforming, because of fear, to the teachings of Jim Cunningham, perhaps the most ironic, and disturbing character of them all. Richard Kelly shows that the methods of Cunningham are at the very heart of what is wrong with the people of his suburbia, and that the victims of fear are actually himself and the characters that follow him.

Jim Cunningham's role in the town most closely resembles a god. He is worshiped by the townspeople, and his following is huge. When Donnie Darko's mother is having a conversation with a girlfriend, Mrs. Darko's friend says that his tapes have completely changed her life and that she can't believe that he is single. In addition to this woman, his most devout follower is the gym teacher, Kitty Farmer. She is the kind of cult-like follower that I am sure that Jim Cunningham strives to attain. After showing one of Cunningham's videos, she begins an exercise that is designed to teach the "fear and love lifeline." This lifeline is designed to train one to choose either fear or love for all situations that may arise in life. This lifeline is ironic in itself because of what happens when one is put in a situation where he or she are forced to choose. Kitty Farmer says that fear and love are the deepest of human emotions. This may be true, but the fact that a thousand other different emotions, although not as deep, still plat a role in the decision making process. I would venture to say that ignorance would be a product of fear according to Jim Cunningham.

By choosing between only two emotions we are ignorant to the whole range of human emotions. The lifeline itself uses fear, the thing that it is designed to prevent, to force you to ignore "the entire spectrum of human emotion." When Donnie questions the lifeline, Mrs. Farmer threatens him with a zero for the day. Another thing that Jim Cunningham would be sure to call a product of fear is threats. Mrs. Farmer is so engulfed, so ignorant to anything else other than fear and love, she makes threats and uses fear to force conformity upon the children of this school. The lifeline presents a paradox within itself, by which, a choice, ultimatum, or threat forces you to limit yourself to either fear or love. To conform to these two emotions is to then become fearful in your decision making, which is the very thing that the lifeline is supposed to prevent. In the earlier parts of the movie, this is the most prevalent example of the amount of fear that exists in this suburbia. Kitty Farmer is a victim, a product of the fear she is so heart set against. Yet, she is only a puppet of the teachings of the man that supposedly lives his life with an abundance of love, and a shortage of fear. Jim Cunningham's teachings are the most ironic when compared to the secret life that he leads behind the scenes.

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Not only do Jim Cunningham's movies play a role in creating a sense of fear, and a need for conformity, but he himself is on a quest to turn people from fear to love. When giving a motivational speech at the high school, Cunningham says that "people are looking for the answers in all the wrong places." This is ironic because the townsfolk really are looking for the answers in the wrong place, by listening to what he has to say. Jim Cunningham uses the ignorance of the townspeople to gain power over the empty minds that they have. By, as Donnie Darko says, "lumping everything together into two categories," you neglect the whole spectrum of human emotion. This ultimatum instills a fear, in itself, to choose the path of love rather than fear. Cunningham knows that people, in general, are weak minded. This is the advantage that he holds over the people of this suburbia. The reason why he has such a following is because since no one else has any answer at all, his answers, although contradictory, are the best they have.

Jim Cunningham says that: "Entirely too many young men and women today are completely paralyzed by their fears. They surrender their bodies to the temptation and destruction of drugs, alcohol, and premarital sex." The irony in this scene when Donnie Darko confronts him, is that he is not only into, but is a distributor of child pornography. In fact, it is discovered that he has a "kiddie porn dungeon" in his house. If kiddie porn is not a product of fear, then I do not know what is. The basic elements of a fearful decision are all there. Earlier, Kitty Farmer said that cheating on test and stealing money out of a lost wallet were both products of fear. In addition to that, Jim Cunningham says that violence and eating as a addiction were all products of fear. Who is to say that cheating a child out of self sexual maturity, stealing a child's sexual innocence, violently attacking such children, and being addicted to the act of doing so would not be a product of fear? We can clearly see that Jim Cunningham is sick, and is addicted to his pedophilia when Richard Kelly shows him crying uncontrollably in one of the very last scenes of the movie.

Now that it is apparent what kind of a person that Jim Cunningham is, surely the townspeople would rally behind the authorities to help lock this man up. Just the opposite happens in this fear run suburbia. Kitty Farmer shows her true colors and reveals that the fear or non-conformity is deeper than we ever imagined, by defending Cunningham after the charges arise. A conversation between Kitty and Mrs. Darko says it all:

"Obviously some type of conspiracy to destroy an innocent man. And I have taken it upon myself to spearhead the Jim Cunningham defense campaign. Rose I have to appear at his arraignment tomorrow morning..... Rose I don't know if you realize what an opportunity this is for our daughters....Sometimes I doubt your commitment to sparkle motion."

Kitty Farmer is completely under the influence if Jim Cunningham. Her fears are among the most deep seeded of anyone in the movie. Earlier in that same scene she tells Mrs. Darko not to use words like kiddie porn dungeon. This shows that she is in such deep denial that she cannot even stand to hear the truth. Where is her commitment to the dance team? Not only is she their coach, but she also "transcends the parent teacher bridge," and is a role model for them by being their teacher. And as this transcender, she should not reach out to a sick human being but help the team that she has gotten onto Star Search. Alas, the control that Cunningham has over her is far too great, and she goes to the defense of a pedophile. How is it that anyone could have such blind faith for someone that is so evil? Kitty Farmer is looking for the path of riteousness as she calls it. I think that Jim Cunningham's philosophy seems, to the citizen of the suburbia, an easy, simple way to live your life. Because the lives of these people are basically meaningless, the first thing to come their way will be the answer to all of their questions. Of course Jim Cunningham's philosophy can easily "solve" all problems that may arise in life. The problem arises because it is too simple and easy for him to do this. His tool that he uses to gain control over these people is their own ignorance. Kitty Farmer is ignorant, and so are the people of this town. Everyone feels all warm and fuzzy inside because they said that their problem was a product of fear. The simplicity of his method is what attracts so many people to it. The fact that almost no work is required to gain riteousness plays to everyone's want for salvation, but also plays to their want for east access to it. Ironically, Donnie Darko calls Jim Cunningham the anti-christ. The anti-christ, according to The Bible, will be a charismatic world leader who will rise into power after many have lost all hope. On a smaller scale Jim Cunningham does this in this town. This town is essentially the entire world to these people. Because he gives them the answers they want and because he is charismatic, and has a wide appeal, he is able to control all of the people of this town.

The suburbia that Richard Kelly created is completely under the control of fear. The people of this town are, as Jim Cunningham says, "completely paralyzed by their own fears." The genius of Donnie Darko lies in that statement. Cunningham could not be more right when he says that and when he says that "people are looking for the answers in all the wrong places." The irony is that he is all the wrong places and he is the reason that people are under the control of fear. Essentially, human beings are afraid of what they do not know. Since the people of this suburbia know nothing. Cunningham's answers, although wrong, are the only things that they have to hold onto to give their lives meaning. Because the people of this town are searching for a way to maintain normalcy and conformity, Jim Cunningham plays to their ignorance in order to maintain his status as a God in the suburbia. Being empty, the townspeople worship him and it is fitting because in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.

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