Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
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A socially awkward teenager navigates the complexities of high school life, friendship, and a local election in rural Idaho.
The story
Socially awkward 16-year-old Napoleon Dynamite lives in Preston, Idaho, with his grandmother, Carlinda, and his technology-addicted older brother, Kip. While his grandmother is recovering from an accident, the family's dynamic is shifted by the arrival of their flirtatious, middle-aged uncle Rico. Napoleon navigates the challenges of high school life, including his interactions with a local girl named Deb and a bold transfer student named Pedro. As the school prepares for an election for class president, Napoleon and Pedro find themselves involved in various local activities and competitions, while Napoleon attempts to navigate his own social hurdles and personal aspirations in a quirky, rural setting.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In Preston, Idaho, 16-year-old Napoleon Dynamite lives with his grandmother and brother Kip. When their grandmother is injured, Uncle Rico moves in, starting a door-to-door sales scheme with Kip. Napoleon works on a chicken farm and befriends Deb and Pedro. Pedro enters a race for class president against the popular Summer Wheatly. To gain status, Napoleon and Pedro enter a farming competition. Amidst the campaign, Napoleon tries to win over a girl named Trisha, while Pedro deals with the stress of the election. The plot culminates in a school assembly where Napoleon performs a dance to Jamiroquai's 'Canned Heat' to support Pedro. Pedro wins the election, the family reconciles, and the film ends with a time jump showing Kip and his girlfriend getting married while Napoleon arrives on a stallion.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 95
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jared Hess
- Writers
- Jared Hess · writer; Jerusha Hess · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jon Heder · Napoleon Dynamite; Jon Gries · Uncle Rico; Aaron Ruell · Kip; Efren Ramirez · Pedro; Tina Majorino · Deb; Diedrich Bader · Rex
- Genres
- comedy; coming-of-age
- Themes
- awkwardness; outsider status; friendship
- Tone and mood
- deadpan; quirky
- Premise and plot tags
- high school; rural; underdog
- Source material / true-story basis
- Peluca
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success and developed a cult following, being praised for its quirky, deadpan humor and unique characterization.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 72% · scale: percentage · review count: 175
- Awards and nominations
- Best Feature Film · U.S. Comedy Arts Festival · 2004 · win; Best Musical Performance · MTV Movie Awards · 2005 · win; Best Movie · MTV Movie Awards · 2005 · win; Best Original Score · Golden Satellite Award · 2005 · win; Best Comedy · Golden Trailer Awards · 2005 · win; Best Feature · Film Discovery Jury Award · 2004 · win
- Production trivia
- The film was based on a 2002 short film titled Peluca.; The name 'Napoleon Dynamite' was used by musician Elvis Costello in the 1980s.; The film was shot in 23 days on a budget of $400,000.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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