Drew Barrymore: 5 Awesome Performance And 5 That Sucked

3. Karen Pomeroy - Donnie Darko (2001)

Drew Barrymore's formation of the production company Flower Films, partnering with film producer Nancy Juvonen, might not have led to a string of high profile movies worth shouting about, but it did lead to the production of a real gem from the early 2000s any producer would be proud of. Donnie Darko is arguably the quintessential cult film of the era; a dark, melancholic tale of adolescent woes and existential crisis wrapped around a mystery in which time travel and quantum entanglement twist the plot in unexpected directions, while simultaneously launching Jake Gyllenhaal's career. Barrymore takes a role on the sidelines as Karen Pomeroy, but what she lacks in screen time she makes up for in one of the most toned down and quietly affecting performances of her career; the passionate educator who influences Donnie's attitude far more than she realises.