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Hey, I totally appreciate your observation about the racial messages. However, keep in mind that the reporter (who was black) was the ONLY one who saw past Tom Cruise's lies, and it is the interview that acts as the pivotal point in the movie. After the interview concludes, i.e., after all the lies of the past are called into question, do we see huge changes in all of the key characters' lives. As such, one might right it off as "the truth is black and white" and we needed the "black" woman to contrast her "white" interviewee to get the message across. It could be racism, or it could be sheer symbolism. I vote symbolism.
As for the obligatory fag, I'd have to agree to some extent. Yes, most movies these days are inclusive of a "gay" character, and we have to be careful how we go about evaluating not only this gesture but also the character itself. Donnie's character was just so horribly impotent - as opposed to his straight opposite, Tom Cruise, who finds success as a stupid "prick". There were clear messages about sexuality, morality, fidelity, etc., so I think the gay character in this broader scheme of characters says something particular. What exactly, I don't know, but it might be wise to examine that closer rather than say, "Well, there's another movie with a homo in it."
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