Napoleon Dynamite
I finally saw Napoleon Dynamite the other night. Well on it’s way to becoming one of the most successful indie films ever, it’s a movie about this frizzy-haired dude named Napoleon and his sadly dysfunctional family.
At first glimpse, this movie looks like an insensitive comedy about people whom society would brand Losers. People who have no lives, no friends, no personality, and don’t care enough about themselves to change and make their future matter.
But after you watch it for a while, you realize that, well, it is a comedy about Losers. And the awful people who dismiss them by pretending they’re invisible. It’s okay that it’s a comedy, because you can laugh at Napoleon while still rooting for him.
We follow Napoleon’s life over several days. We meet Pedro, his new (and only) friend, Deb, the equally-outcast girl who tries to get close to him, and his uncle who lives for the memories of his failed college football career. The snotty cheerleaders who would really like to pretend Napoleon and company don’t exist, but are forced to acknowledge them when Pedro runs for school president. Napoleon’s adult older brother who chats online all day, and their grandmother who takes care of them.
I think Napoleon resonated with me mostly because he was me at that age. I was the shy social outcast who didn’t care what they thought anyway, and went off to do things by myself.
In the end, Napoleon gains a few friends. With his help, his friends make something of themselves, but Napoleon is still the same gangly, child-like outcast. He hasn’t gained any self-confidence, but strangely, that’s okay.
I do recommend it. I’ll probably buy it on DVD … or put it on my Amazon Wish List. Maybe Jennifer will like it, too.
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