Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Jared Hess

Writers:

Jared Hess (written by) and
Jerusha Hess (written by)

Release Date:

27 August 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

He's out to prove he's got nothing to prove.

Plot:

A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home.

Plot Keywords:

High School | Jock | Class President | Idaho | Rejection

Awards:

10 wins & 18 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 15	9:00 PM	COMEDY
Mon. Nov. 16	5:00 PM	COMEDY

Cast

Jon Heder	...	Napoleon Dynamite
Jon Gries	...	Uncle Rico
Aaron Ruell	...	Kip
Efren Ramirez	...	Pedro
Diedrich Bader	...	Rex
Tina Majorino	...	Deb
Sandy Martin	...	Grandma
Haylie Duff	...	Summer Wheatly
Trevor Snarr	...	Don
Shondrella Avery	...	Lafawnduh
Bracken Johnson	...	Randy
Carmen Brady	...	Starla
Ellen Dubin	...	Ilene
J.C. Cunningham	...	Jock #1
James Stevens	...	Jock #2 (as James Smooth)

Also Known As:

Bus otoko (Japan) (DVD title) [ja]
Dynamiitti Napoleon (Finland) [fi]
Napoleon Dynamite (Canada: French title) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements and language.

Runtime:

82 min | USA:86 min (Sundance Film Festival) | Canada:86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate no. 40773) | Ireland:PG | Iceland:L | Germany:o.Al. | Netherlands:6 | Portugal:M/6 | Canada:G (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Québec) | South Africa:PG | New Zealand:PG | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-7 | Singapore:PG | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Franklin, Idaho, USA

Company:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Trivia:

Jon Heder helped to make the boondoggle keychains between scenes.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When Napoleon is outside talking to Pedro's mother on the telephone, the boom microphone is reflected in the one of the door's windows.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Kid on Bus: What are you gonna do today, Napoleon?
Napoleon Dynamite: Whatever I feel like I wanna do. Gosh!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Paranoid Park (2007)

Soundtrack:

The Rose

Not Just Anoher Teen Nerd Story, This Is Both Original & Very Funny

If you like dry or dark humor, you should get a big kick out of this movie. I know I did. If you are between 12-20 you might even like it more because this deals with high school kids primarily. However, there are some adults in here who play key roles, too.

The teens and the adults have a couple of things in common: they are nerds and weird people and they are all hilarious. They also are unlike a cast of characters you have seen in any other movie. In other words, this movie is an "original."

I didn't know any of these actors and I think that helped. It made it even more original, looking at new faces. That begins with the title character, played by Jon Heder. A white kid in Idaho with a afro haircut, over-sized glasses, moon boots and an unpredictable and low-key personality unlike anyone I've ever seen in other films. Even though he's pictured as a huge nerd, he surprises you all the time. Just when you think you have this kid figured out, he does something unexpected. Whatever, he's fun to watch and hear throughout the movie.

Suffice to say "Napoleon" and about everyone in this film is totally whacked and all of them - male, female, young, old, good and bad people are extremely entertaining. A lot of the humor is visual, meaning the looks and reactions on these character's faces and the weird deadpan lines they deliver. Are there stereotypes in here? Yes, like the bimbo, prettiest girl in school running for class president , and her stupid, macho boyfriend, but most of the people were pretty unique.

If you like absurd humor, this is your cup of tea, and you don't have to be a teen to enjoy this. Hey, I'm old enough to be Napoleon's grandfather and I laughed my butt off from the beginning to the end of this unconventional film.