The Journey with Jesus: Film Reviews
Film Reviews by Dan Clendenin
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
I watched this film twice and loved it even more the second time around. As a light-hearted comedy it follows the travails of the frustrated, gangly, unseemly, and misanthropic high schooler, Napoleon, along with his circle of similarly weirdo and disenfranchised characters that surround him—his brother Kip who specializes in chat rooms, Pedro the improbable class president, Uncle Rio a door-to-door salesman, and his heart throb Deb. Napoleon is hazed at school, envies Pedro's mustache, lies about having a gorgeous girl friend, and musters his best compliment to Deb at the dance: "I like your sleeves; they're big." These central characters are all decidedly uncool. But everyone needs a friend, and at times watching this film makes you squirm when you appreciate the very real social realities that it parodies. Best of all is the film's sugary ending.