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ok, I'm gonna jump in here. This whole discussion about Donnie as an obligatory homosexual makes lots of sense to me, but I think someone hit on his main purpose in the film when they mentioned his impotence. Donnie's situation in life is exactly that: he is a former whiz kid who had tasted fame and fortune but now goes so low as to steal money from his employer, who despite pretty much exploiting Donnie, did keep him employed and suffered with his poor salesmanship. He yearns for the bartender, and from his ramblings about love in the bar, you can tell that he views the lack thereof of as a major concern in his life. He is very confused about who he is, both sexually and socially, and he seems to fit nicely with the rest of the characters in the film, all of whom seem to have their own brand of dysfunction. As far as a greater point beyond that, I fail to see one. As far as the whole woman-in-the-apartment deal is concerned: she was definitely a prostitute, as the cops later talked about her box of condoms next to her bed. It's my opinion that the guy in the closet could have been her husband OR a john. If the former, she (or her son) killed him for some domestic reason. If the latter, he was killed for money. Either way, he was still sorta alive as the cop came in, and was feebly banging on the door for help, but was too wounded to survive till help came. The little kid wasn't the grandson though, but rather some kid from the building who's "worm" references were completely non-decipherable. The only explainations are that the "son's" nickname is the worm, or that it's some sort of sly sexual metaphor for the woman's ho-ing ways. And did the kid actually steal the cop's gun? I remember him losing it in the underbrush, but I don't remember the kid picking it up. I guess I wasn't paying attention. And the black reporter WAS positive, but i don't really think you can say everyone else was buying into Cruise's bullshit. It was kind of like if you wanted to believe it, with others treating it with mild amusement/repulsion. She just was the first to really stick it in his face, and he predictably freaked out. So that's what I think.
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