“Napoleon Dynamite” is a film released in 2004, starring Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite. He is a goofy high school student in Preston, Idaho who has trouble navigating his social and family lives and discovers how to throughout the movie with help from his friends. While the release of “Napoleon Dynamite” reached its 20th anniversary a few weeks ago, the message and emotion this film conveys remain as relevant to our time as ever.
The cultural impact this film has left is so significant that even 20 years later, merchandise is still sold, characters are replicated through Halloween costumes and niche references are being made not only in social groups but in advertisements. Just this year, Ore-Ida, a potato company, capitalized on the success of the movie by featuring the two brothers from the movie. The song “Canned Heat” by Jamiroquai, which remains relevant due to its use in the movie, was just recently used in the background of a Victoria’s Secret commercial. These examples show the movie is still relevant and popular enough to make a profit.
The beginning of the movie is the perfect representation of Dynamite’s awkward tendencies among his peers and shows his clear trouble fitting in. It starts with Dynamite taking the bus to school in the morning, which is mainly occupied by younger students. On the bus, Dynamite tosses an action figure tied to a string out the window during an awkward exchange of words with one of the younger students on the bus. The energy surrounding this entire scene is something only “Napoleon Dynamite” could convey.
Showing the audience how awkward Dynamite is from the opening is good because it gives Dynamite room to grow and develop as a character. After the bus ride to the school, Dynamite goes through the school day where he meets Pedro, played by Efren Ramirez. Pedro is a new student who doesn’t speak a lot of English or display much emotion. Dynamite and Pedro eventually begin a campaign together for high school student body president. This campaign is the focal point throughout most of the movie in terms of Dynamite’s social life.
Once he gets home, the audience is introduced to Dynamite’s family and home life. His grandmother Carlinda and his older, equally awkward brother Kip. We quickly see the dynamic of the Dynamite family is certainly unconventional, with Dynamite’s grandma asking him to go out to feed their family llama. In this same interaction, we see a glimpse of Kip’s personality, as he says he has been chatting on the internet with “Babes” all day, presumably a lie based on Kip’s strange appearance and behavior.
After Dynamite’s grandmother is injured and hospitalized, we are introduced to Uncle Rico. Rico has stepped in to look after the house while the boy’s grandmother is away despite both of the brothers being old enough to watch after themselves. Rico will eventually cause more stress in Napoleon’s life both in his friendships and in his family. He does so by getting involved with the mother of a potential love interest of Dynamite’s, causing an “arranged” prom date between Dynamite and his crush, which ultimately ends up being incredibly awkward and forced.
These storylines all tie together to make a perfectly unique, awkward, beautiful film that has never been done before. The amount of awkwardness surrounding every single scene of Napoleon Dynamite can only be fully understood through watching the movie. It is indescribable and unique to itself in every way.
While Rotten Tomatoes gives “Napoleon Dynamite” a 72%, I believe that is not nearly high enough. A movie like this one is completely unique and anyone can connect to it, making it deserving of a much higher score. On the Loper scale, I give Napoleon Dynamite a five out of five Loper stars.
