Napoleon Dynamite directed by Jared Hess, written by Jared Hess & Jerusha Hess, Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2004.
ASIN: B00005JNBQ
Plot Summary
Napoleon Dynamite hates his life. Although he tries his best to be popular at school the other kids constantly laugh at him and his home life isn’t much better as he lives with his gruff grandmother and his unemployed older brother. But Napoleon’s life hits a new low after unctuous Uncle Rico starts to care for him after his grandmother is injured in a quad bike accident. Convinced that Uncle Rico is out to make his life miserable, Napoleon is determined to spend as little time as possible with him. Fortunately, while Napoleon’s home life may be dismal his social situation at school improves as he befriends new kid Pedro and starts speaking with classmate Deb. But Napoleon fears that his new friendships may quickly turn sour due to Uncle Rico’s scheming, under-handed ways. Will Napoleon be able to foil his uncle while helping Pedro secure the school presidency? And will Napoleon finally be able to get a girl to notice him despite his lack of skills?
Critical Evaluation
While some viewers may not appreciate the awkward tone of Napoleon Dynamite, I believe that the movie is not only hilarious but provides a much needed perspective on high school. While Napoleon Dynamite tries hard to fit in at school, even going so far as to join the all-female Happy Hands Club, he clearly is an outcast. But the longer viewers watch the film the more they realize that the self-absorbed popular kids are just as nerdy as Napoleon and his friends. For example, Summer, the most popular girl in school, wears a prom dress that is just as dated as Deb’s, her poorer classmate. Summer also takes great pleasure in promising the impossible such as “a glitter Bonne Bell dispenser for all the girls’ bathrooms” if she is elected school president, never knowing how juvenile she sounds. In contrast, Deb, although unpopular, is a hard-working, creative teen determined to earn enough money to go to college. Unlike Summer, she is fully cognizant of her actions and is aware that while selling homemade keychains and glamour shots is embarrassing, if it enables her to continue her education she will do it. Deb also shows ingenuity as she designs her own dress for prom and arrives looking just as glamorous as the popular kids. Napoleon also is clearly superior to his classmates despite what they might think. While he tries to act tough, Napoleon cannot disguise his caring heart as he befriends Pedro, the new kid and one of the only Latino boys in the school. Together, Pedro and Napoleon forge a friendship that is much more meaningful than those of the popular students. I believe that Napoleon Dynamite is an important movie to have in a library collection because it reminds viewers that popularity does not always reflect a person’s true character. While the movie is set in high school I believe this lesson is just as applicable within the work place or a volunteer organization and so, Napoleon Dynamite will attract viewers of all ages.
Reader’s Annotation
Napoleon Dynamite’s desire to pass school and make a few friends in the process becomes increasingly difficult when his bizarre Uncle Rico decides to move in.
About the Director and Screenwriter(s)
Jared Hess, married to Jerusha Hess, has played many roles in his movie career including that of actor, director, producer, writer, and camera man. The earliest film he worked on was Clubhouse Detectives where he was a camera intern. He later progressed to an assistant camera man on films like The Climb and Handcart. After the success of Napoleon Dynamite he was writer and director of Nacho Libre and Gentlemen Broncos. He currently is hard at work on the television series, Napoleon Dynamite which has been announced but not yet aired (IMDB, n.d.a)
Jerusha Hess, co-writer of Napoleon Dynamite, attended Brigham Young University in Utah. She later went on to work with her husband on Napolen Dynamite, Nacho Libre, and Gentleman Broncos as a writer. She is currently working on both the Napole0n Dynamite television series and Austenland (IMDB, n.d.b). As an aside, Austenland is a movie based on the book of Shannon Hale, who also lives in Utah.
IMDB (n.d.a) Jared Hess. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0381478/
IMDB (n.d.b) Jerusha Hess. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1415801/
Genre
Comedy, Independent film, School story, Teen flick
High school, awkward, stereotypes, photography, Tupperware, online dating, Idaho, small town, handmade dresses
Curriculum Ties
N/A
Booktalk Ideas
N/A
Reading Level/Interest Level
Interest Level: 9th grade and up (14 yrs. +)
Challenge Issues
Because Uncle Rico creepily offers teenage girls ways to enhance their breast size, some people may seek to challenge this film. If challenged, the library should point to its positive message of the importance of being true to yourself and should explain the library’s collection development policy.
Favorite Quotes
There are too many to count but some include:
Uncle Rico: How much you wanna make a bet I can throw a football over them mountains?
*****
Napoleon speaking to Deb: I see you’re drinking one percent. Is that ‘cause you think you’re fat? ‘Cause you’re not. You could be drinking whole if you wanted to.
*****
Napoleon: Do the chickens have large talons?
Farmer: Do they have what?
Napoleon: Large talons?
Famer: I don’t understand a word you just said.
*****
Napoleon: I don’t even have any good skills.
Pedro: What do you mean?
Napoleon: You know, like nunchucks skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills…Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!
*****
Deb: What’s a liger?
Napoleon: It’s pretty much my favorite animal. It’s like a lion and a tiger mixed, bred for its skills in magic.
Why Was This Included?
Although I did not see this movie until 2010, I immediately fell in love with it and its quirky charm. I decided to include it in my blog not only because I enjoy it but because I knew it was popular with young adults when it was first released.
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