Napoleon Dynamite

[jaghetersimon]

Vote for Pedro!

I was amused to find that they sell "Vote for Pedro" t-shirts at Mets games.

[pezley]

I rented this the other day, and I don't know if it was just because it didn't have my full concentration, or what, but I was kind of unimpressed.

But from what I hear you either love it or hate it, not much of an in between.

[Deleted]

I agree, I rented it and expected great things and it just seemed so-so. I couldn't see what others did.

[brinksteria]

I loved it. But I saw it as a sneak preview pre-hype, before they'd even put the opening credits in. I didn't know the title of the movie I was about to see or anything about it. All I knew was that I was grumpy going in because I wanted to have brunch instead of see a movie. In the lobby, they were giving out T-shirts with Napoleon's drawing of a "liger" on the front. I thought the T-shirts were fugly, and I carried mine into the theatre like it was infected with cooties.

But then, the movie started. It took like 15 seconds for it to win me over. It was so odd. But the look & tone were so distinctive ... specific. And I thought it was hysterically funny. By the time, the Happy Hands Club performed in-class, my cheeks were aching.

One of the reasons I enjoyed Napoleon so much was because I was expecting it to be total crap. So I could see how the insane hype about it could kill the pleasure of it.

[Deleted]

I truly believe this is a work of genius. So many movies that purport to be about high school and teen life just aren't. There are the clearly-defined cliques with the clearly-defined battle lines, the geek with a heart of gold and all the killer lines...you know the rest. Everything is packaged for your convenience. The conclusion is foregone. Those movies are adults looking back at their high school daze and telling stories about how they wish they were back then. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But Napoleon Dynamite is the only movie about teens/HS that made me feel like it could have been made by kids in HS, the vibe was pretty much as I remembered it...things just seemed to happen without much in the way of connectivity, nothing really existed outside my small circle, my lack of knowledge about the ways of the world did not stop me from being judgmental as hell, I had no idea what a dork I was, etc. I rented this movie to watch with my 12-year-old son, thinking it would be a typical lightweight HS geek comedy we could chuckle at together, but it confounded my expectations at every turn. With the movie bar set where it is nowadays, that is a prize beyond rubies.

[kostgard]

The first time I saw this, I was unimpressed. But afterwards, I noticed that it kept rattling around in my head. So I saw it again, and now I love it and own the DVD.

I loved that Napoleon wasn't just some misunderstood kid - he was a dork, and an often grumpy dork at that. He didn't long to be popular and be accepted by that crowd - he seemed to honestly not like those people and he just wanted to do his own thing.

I loved how Deb took photography so seriously. Her pictures where cheesy as hell, but darn it, that was her art.

And I just loved Pedro - and his cousins with all the sweet hook-ups.

[tinyshoes]

kostgard said:

And I just loved Pedro - and his cousins with all the sweet hook-ups.

And when you're a geek, it's nice when a couple of cholos got your back.

[Deleted]

See it took me a couple of times seeing it to love it as well. Its a nice alternitive to the Disney Pop Gurls high school formula crap nowadays. Napoleon seemed like a dork i went to school with. His family sucked and i could relate to it.I notice that most of the people who love it in my area are above the age of 20, and the ones in high school just like the dance or the shirts.

[kostgard]

I notice that most of the people who love it in my area are above the age of 20, and the ones in high school just like the dance or the shirts.

I've noticed that too. My stepsister, who had just graduated high school, runs around saying "sweet" and owns a "Vote for Pedro" t-shirt. I guess it is those of us who can look back with a little more perspective love it for different reasons.

I watched this with my stepmom, and she turned to me and said "You know, that girl (Haylie Duff) is perfect for the role of Summer, because when you were in high school, you thought she was the most beautiful girl in school and that she really had it all, but looking back, she...wasn't. And didn't." I agree - Haylie is the kind of pretty you think is gorgeous when you are in high school and you are wowed by the girl's popularity, but when you pull out the yearbook a few years later, you think "Wow. She's really just...not."

[Deleted]

LOVE the movie. It contains what I believe is truly the Best Dance Scene Ever! I don't recommend trying it at home, though, unless you're an experienced professional. :-)

I have a t-shirt emblazoned with the Best Line Ever: "Your mom goes to college."