The Philosophy of Time Travel · Chapter 7
The Manipulated Living
Everyone around Donnie — his family, Gretchen, Kitty Farmer, Jim Cunningham, Ms Pomeroy, Dr Thurman, even Seth and Ricky — is one of the Manipulated Living. Their strange, exaggerated behaviour is explained as unconscious help in returning the Artifact.
The Manipulated Living are often the close friends and neighbors of the Living Receiver.
They are prone to irrational, bizarre, and often violent behavior. This is the unfortunate result of their task, which is to assist the Living Receiver in returning the Artifact to the Primary Universe.
The Manipulated Living will do anything to save themselves from Oblivion.
In the film
Every adult and classmate around Donnie fits the chapter. Kitty Farmer's crusade, Jim Cunningham's fear-and-love doctrine, Ms Pomeroy's dismissal, Dr Thurman's placebo, Seth and Ricky's bullying: none of these people know they are part of a mechanism, yet each of their actions moves Donnie one step closer to the night of October 29 and the moment the Artifact can be returned. Kitty's trip to Los Angeles puts Rose and Samantha on the plane; Cunningham's arrest keeps Kitty at home; Seth and Ricky drive Donnie and Gretchen into the road where Frank's car is coming.
Where this chapter happens on screen.