The Philosophy of Time Travel · Chapter 12
Dreams
The final chapter explains the last two minutes of the film: the montage of characters waking on October 2 with a memory of something they cannot name. Cunningham weeping, Kitty, Dr Thurman, Frank touching his eye, Gretchen waving at Rose — the Tangent Universe survives only as a dream.
When the Manipulated awaken from their Journey into the Tangent Universe, they are often haunted by the experience in their dreams.
Many of them will not remember.
Those who do remember the Journey are often overcome with profound remorse for the regretful actions buried within their Dreams, the only physical evidence buried within the Artifact itself; all that remains from the lost world.
In the film
Chapter twelve describes the film's last two minutes. After the Artifact is returned the Tangent Universe is erased and the Primary Universe resumes on October 2, 1988 - but Sparrow says the erasure is not complete: those who were Manipulated carry a residue of the 28 days in their dreams.
The closing montage shows it. Jim Cunningham sits on the edge of his bed and weeps. Kitty Farmer lies awake. Dr Thurman stares at the ceiling. Ms Pomeroy and Professor Monnitoff sit up in bed. Elizabeth and Rose look toward Donnie's room. Frank - alive, with a fresh Halloween costume beside him - touches his right eye.
"Many of them will not remember." Gretchen, who cycles past the Darko house the next morning, has never met Donnie in this universe. She asks a neighbour what happened and raises her hand to Rose Darko. Rose returns the wave. It is the film's last image.
Donnie, lying in bed seconds before the engine falls, laughs. Why he does is the question the ending page takes up.
Where this chapter happens on screen.