"Napoleon Dynamite" - my 2004 favorite
 

'Dynamite' insight into teenage life

C.W. Nevius
Tuesday, January 4, 2005

Time for a little pop culture quiz. You watch the news shows, read the papers, right? But are you really informed about what's hot, or are you just another clueless cultural poseur?

Here's the test: If you see a college or high school student in a "Vote for Pedro'' T-shirt, do you assume that he or she is:

A. Supporting Pedro in an upcoming school election.

B. A Red Sox fan who had hoped Pedro Martinez would win his fourth Cy Young Award.

C. Wearing one of those ironic, mocking shirts meant to confuse preppies and adults.

D. A devotee of "Napoleon Dynamite.''

If you answered A, B or C, we regret to inform you that you are a clueless cultural poseur -- just like the rest of us over the age of, say, 19. Although you may have noticed that there was a movie called "Napoleon Dynamite'' in theaters a few months ago, you may not have realized that it has taken suburban teens by storm and become a bona fide pop culture phenomenon.

Made for a microscopic (for a movie, that is) budget of $400,000, the independent film has become a cult classic, raking in more than $44 million --

much of it on repeat business.

You have to see it more than once to catch the throwaway lines as Napoleon -- a beanpole dork with a voice like a nasal dial tone -- deals with his 32-year-old chat-room-addicted brother, works to spark a relationship with a girl and generally attempts to survive high school. The movie may be set in remote Preston, Idaho, but the themes ring true in the suburbs.

Sean Rubio, a junior at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek, brought down the house with his "Napoleon Dynamite'' dance routine at a homecoming assembly this year.

"I've seen it three times, all in the theater,'' he says. "I would say half the people I am on a first-name basis with have seen it once, and a third have seen it more than once.''

And the theater release was only the start. The DVD came out just before Christmas. Fox Searchlight Pictures, which handles distribution, shipped 2.5 million copies, which insiders say is roughly twice what would be expected for a film that earned as much as "Napoleon" did.

It sold 1.35 million copies on the first day, making it the top-selling DVD for the week ending Dec. 26. Fox immediately ordered another million copies, and they are still moving. On Amazon.com this week, "Napoleon'' is the fourth-fastest seller, behind two "Lord of the Rings" titles and the sixth season of "Sex and the City'' -- two other pop culture icons.

In addition, Hot Topic, the mall store with more than 600 outlets around the country that describes itself as "catering to MTV generation suburban teenagers,'' has carried a full line of "Napoleon Dynamite'' items since November. But don't bother to stop by Concord's Sunvalley Shopping Center store for your "Vote for Pedro'' shirt. It's sold out.

You say you missed that little ripple in the social fabric? Or perhaps you happened to see the film, with its indescribably geeky title character (imagine "Sesame Street's'' Big Bird, but not as coordinated, or as yellow) and you left the theater shaking your head?

You are not alone.

When "Napoleon'' was released, its appeal eluded mainstream critics. Roger Ebert, the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, wrote of "a kind of studied stupidity that sometimes passes as humor.'' A writer for the Detroit Free Press suggested it "may be the most condescending comedy ever ...''

Yep, says Sean, the junior at Northgate High, that's about the reaction he and his friends expected from the grown-ups.

"They can't quite grasp why we like it so much,'' he says. "It's because we're all kind of going through that. You see the things he does, and you realize you do that, too. Adults refuse to believe that they still have those social faux pas in them.''

In some ways, the movie couldn't be an odder choice for a cultural icon. There is no profanity, no sex and almost no violence. (A cow does come to a bad end, but it is one of the few humorous cow-icides in movie history.) What's more, the characters are so deadpan in some scenes that they often only move their lips -- and sometimes not even that.

"At first,'' says Sean, "it seemed, honestly, like a pretty bad movie. I mean, there is no plot.''

But actor Jon Heder imbues his mouth-breathing portrayal of Napoleon with a goofy charm and optimism. Was there ever a time in your life when you felt more socially inept, physically awkward and desperately craving of acceptance than in high school?

Although first-timers tend to wince through the early scenes of the movie waiting for disaster, Napoleon and his friends make do. He gets a date to the dance, and his friend Pedro runs for class president (hence the T-shirts). Napoleon even has a single, triumphant moment, but we don't want to spoil it for you.

He goes straight back to being a dork, of course, but that's not the point. High school and college kids are watching this for the laughs and also for the click of recognition. "Napoleon Dynamite" is a lot more like their lives than we would have ever guessed.

What they are saying is, you know those moments when you put your hand on a teen's shoulder and tell him you know exactly how he feels? Napoleon Dynamite says you don't have a clue.

Nunchuk skills, bow-hunting skills, computer-hacking skills...girls only want guys with good skills!

A lot of my friends are obsessed with this movie so I watched it for the first time last weekend. I was severely disappointed. :( What am I missing?

You have to enjoy comedy that revolves around the character's quirkiness. The way they deliver their lines, the way Napoleon gets upset and says "gah," the "ever take it off any sweet jumps" stuff like that is funny to me, but ti might not be funny to you. It's just your taste in comedy.

I don't "get it" either. I didn't think it was that funny. But I guess it's just not my type of humor. Mr. SSS thought it was hilarious.

OMG this is the greatest movie ever. Its the kind of thing you cant explain to anyone else, they just have to see it for themselves.

This movie was so stupid. Some part were midly funny, but overall I didn't see what was so great about this movie.

This movie has to marinate. I am being serious. I went into it thinking it was going to be a riot, but was disappointed. Later, I started thinking about him in the bus with the action figure and started dying laughing.

It is hard to explain, but I liked it more a week after I saw it.

I will see it again soon I think.

I mean c'mon, when uncle Rico throws the steak at his face!? It really does not get any funnier or more random.

Definitely--marinate is the best word for it. I watched it last week, and kept waiting for it to get funny...there were some good lines here & there, but really had to force myself to watch the whole thing. My 9 y.o. son was puzzled about none of them showing any emotion at all....

So, I told my husband not to bother watching it...but now, things from the movie pop into my head and I embarrass myself laughing for no apparent reason...my son asked where the chapstick was last night, and all I could say was "But my lips hurt real bad!" I may have to go buy it.

Hee.

I saw the movie for the first time this last NYE. It was by far the most random movie I've ever seen. Funny, but random.

Although I do laugh every time I get a craving for Tater Tots.

OMG, I love this movie!! But I do think you have to see it more than once to catch everything. Mr. pc just thought it was weird the first time he saw it, however, he did laugh out loud a few times. I think once he watches more than just once, it'll will only get more funny to him.

This is one of those movies, that while I was watching it, I laughed so hard I think a little bit of pee came out. The dance sequence, hands down, is the best part of the movie. I must have the "right" sense of humor for this film because I laughed almost nonstop the first time I ever saw it. I know other people who saw this movie think it's totally stupid and not funny.


Napolean (answers phone): Hello?
Trisha: Is Napolean there?
Napolean: Yes.
Trisha: Can I please talk to him?
Napolean: YOU ALREADY ARE!

Napoleon Dynamite: Sorry I'm late. I just got done taming a wild honeymoon stallion for you guys.

Deb: What are you drawing?
Napoleon Dynamite: A liger.
Deb: What's a liger?
Napoleon Dynamite: It's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion and a tiger mixed... bred for its skills in magic.

ShaedyKD
 

Because of you, I'm going to go buy the DVD right now.
Thanks

the first thing i thought when i watched this was, wow i must be one of the slow kids :( because i don't get how this is funny.

i gave it a second chance, and thought maybe like a good wine, it gets better after time. second time around, i laughed my arse off because Napolean like a train wreck... you know something stupid is coming, you don't want to watch him make an idiot of himself, but you just can't help it.

"Napolean, give me some of your tots!"

"I see you're drinking 1%. Is that 'cause you think you're fat? 'Cause you're not. You could be drinking whole if you wanted to. "

and the whole glamour shots scene... classic

This movie was a riot. I really did not want to see it but lost the coin toss. Now I'm glad I did. I got my fiancee a "I Love Tater Tots" shirt & his brother a "Vote 4 Pedro" shirt.