SWEET!

**** THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS PERTAINING TO THE MOVIE "NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE." READ NO FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE, BUT PLAN TO*****


Okay, I know I am probably the last person on the face of the earth that saw "Napoleon Dynamite" but I enjoyed every minute of it and now understand the frenzy -- it is well deserved. I have always loved stories of the nerds and other underdogs rising to the top and this movie does it such a creative way. Yeah Napoleon keeps getting the raw end of every deal that comes his way, but he keeps on moving. The bizarre scenes like when he stuffs tater tots in his parachute pants to enjoy later as a snack, lunch at the chicken farm and the FFA competition are just so bizarre but also relatable in some strange way. Two kids in my neighborhood did the bike pulling the roller blader stunt (although in our case it was a skateboard) and that landed the skateboarder in the hospital and the bike owner laughing all the way home. I think its amazing that a movie can be so funny and creative without any even a mention of sex and no profanity. It truly stands out like other quirky high school movies like "Election", "Heathers" and "Rushmore" without the star power of Reese Witherspoon, Winona Ryder, Matthew Broderick or Bill Murray which makes it such an impressive break out hit. The movie it most closely resembles is "Welcome to the Dollhouse" without so much cruelness and bad breaks to the main character.

I like how we are all sadly waiting for the underdogs to go further under -- for Napolean to get his ass kicked to a pulp at school, for Pedro to lose the election, for the grandmother to not come home from the hospital, for Kip's online love affair to turn out to be something tragic, but everything turns out well for the underdogs and like Pedro said in his campaign speech, all their wildest dreams did come true in the end. I think many kids of the '80's loved seeing the nerds like Anthony Michael Hall's characters and bad asses like Judd Nelson get the girl and or beat up the jock and this movie definitely strikes the same chord with a very creative twist.
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The closing scene with the tetherball match between Deb and Napoleon with the classic '80s gem "The Promise" by When In Rome was one of the best ending scenes I have seen in years and was right up there with the closing scenes of "Sixteen Candles" and "The Breakfast Club" -- a perfect marriage of cinematography with music and that satisfying feeling I remember when seeing those two older movies. Those stories never get old when they are told the right way. I guess they hit close to home for this former band nerd.

One part of the movie I really love is how you are never really sure what decade Napolean is living in. The cassette tapes, top load VCR and mile long phone cord as well the Night Ranger prom scene with Deb's puffy dress sleeves make you think 1983 in a major way. Uncle Rico takes it ever further back with his wardrobe and conversion van back to the 1970s, but then Kip brings us into the mid-'90s with his online love affair and Snoop Dog gear that LaFawnda hooks him up with. Although these technology elements contradict each other, nothing really seems out of place or questionable. I guess the people who hated this movie, and there seem to be many of them, didn't get the dry humor or appreciate the quirkiness of the protagonist. I went to junior high and high school with many kids like this who were into Dungeons and Dragons and drew weird pictures on their notebooks and, like Napoleon, were generally put out with the world around them but kept moving on. Knowing how smart some of those university professor's kids were, I bet many of them are PhDs or MDs now (and know some of them are) and are probably glad to know that there is a movie out there the celebrates the underdog misfit as well as "Napoleon Dynamite" does. I plan to own this one.

The movie was set in the real location of Preston, Idaho and rumor has it from a friend from Oregon that this place really is stuck in some kind of time warp.

Here is some interesting trivia from the International Movie Database pertaining to the area:


In the petition for the Idaho state legislature to approve the filming of Napoleon Dynamite in Preston and Franklin Counties, the record states that:

• Napoleon and Kip, because they didn't drive, promoted good air quality and alternatives to fuel-dependent modes of transportation,
  
• that Grandma's trip to the St. Anthony Sand Dunes promoted the state's famous vacation spot,
  that Kip, Rico, and Deb promoted entrepreneurialism and self-sufficiency,
  
• that Napoleon's artistic talents and Happy Hands Club membership promotes K-12 visual and theater arts programs,
  
• that the school elections promoted youth civic engagement,
  
• that Pedro baking a cake for Summer illustrated a connection between culinary skills and a lifelong relationship,
  
• that Kip's relationship with LaFawnduh represents e-commerce and Idaho's technology driven industry,
  
• that the prevalence of steak recognizes Idaho as an important beef industry contributor,
  
• that Napoleon's tether-ball "dexterity" promotes physical education, and
  
• that Tina the Llama, Deb's 1% milk preference, the FFA, and the "chickens with large talons" promoted Idaho's dairy production. The petition ends with "WHEREAS, any members of the House of Representatives or the Senate of the Legislature of the State of Idaho who choose to vote "Nay" on this concurrent resolution are "FREAKIN' IDIOTS!" and run the risk of having the "Worst Day of Their Lives!" It was approved by the 58th Idaho State Legislature in their First Regular Session in 2005.