Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
"Okay, so be careful this time Pedro! It's not like this film's gonna make any money. We can't afford to have you drop any more cakes - comprende?"
Starring: |
Jon Heder
|
Released In: |
2004 |
Rated: |
PG |
Reviewed By: |
Adam Mast |
Grade: |
A- |
The quirky, sweet-natured comedy Napoleon Dynamite might have been the kind of movie John Hughes would have made had he lived in Idaho instead of Illinois.
The movie title refers to the film's title character, a skinny, young high school student whose personality isn't going to win him any awards for congeniality. But then that's the point. This is a depiction of life in a small rural town, where not much happens. Napoleon spends most of his time clashing with his dorky brother Kip, attending classes, befriending new student Pedro, and dealing with his freaky Uncle Rico who is sent to watch over him while his
grandmother recovers from a quad-runner accident.
Jon Heder is an absolute riot in the lead. He serves up some hilarious dialogue with a gruff, deadpan delivery, and while the performance is certainly one note, it's a damn funny note. He's extremely engaging and this is never more apparent than it is in the "Revenge of the Nerds" style climax in which Napoleon . . . I really don't want to spoil it for you.
Tina Majorino also appears as a shy young woman who has her eye on Napoleon. It's been a while since I've seen this actress in a movie. You may remember her as the little girl in Waterworld or as Meg Ryan's daughter in When A Man Loves A Woman. She gives a sweet, quiet performance and her final moment with Napoleon has an off-beat kind of loonie charm that is a perfect way to end this wonderfully charming and loonie film.
It's obvious that director Jared Hess has a lot of fondness for Preston Idaho, but at the same time he seems to be making fun of it, the same sort of way Alexander Payne goofs on Nebraska in Election and About Schmidt. If you come from a small town, chances are, you'll identify with Napoleon Dynamite in a big way.
Napoleon Dynamite really surprised me. I really didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I figured, given the subject matter, the film would wear thin, but I was thoroughly entertained by it. I laughed throughout, and I attribute most of that to Hess' observant insight into rural life, and to Heder's consistently hilarious performance as a bored and bullied teenager who's trying to make the best hand out of the cards he's been dealt.
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