IMDb > Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Napoleon Dynamite
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Napoleon Dynamite (2004) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 37 | slideshow) Videos (see all 27 NEW)
Napoleon Dynamite (2004) -- A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home.
Napoleon Dynamite (2004) -- Kip dares Napoleon to hit him because he's been training to be a cage fighter.
Napoleon Dynamite (2004) -- A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home.
Napoleon Dynamite (2004) -- Home Video Preview
Napoleon Dynamite (2004) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.9/10   70,981 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 13% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jared Hess
Writers:
Jared Hess (written by) and
Jerusha Hess (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Napoleon Dynamite on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 August 2004 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy more
Tagline:
He's out to prove he's got nothing to prove. more
Plot:
A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
10 wins & 18 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(173 articles)
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User Comments:
TOO FUNNY! more (1404 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG for thematic elements and language.
Runtime:
82 min | USA:86 min (Sundance Film Festival) | Canada:86 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Certification:
USA:PG (certificate no. 40773) | Ireland:PG | Iceland:L | Germany:o.Al. | Netherlands:6 | Portugal:M/6 | Canada:G (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Québec) | South Africa:PG | New Zealand:PG | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-7 | Singapore:PG | UK:PG
Filming Locations:
Franklin, Idaho, USA more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Deb's photo studio is actually the basement of the interior version of Napoleon Dynamite's house. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Kip tells Napoleon to try and hit him, Kip is on the computer. When the two of them start to fight, the computer appears to be turned off. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Kid on Bus: What are you gonna do today, Napoleon?
Napoleon Dynamite: Whatever I feel like I wanna do. Gosh!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: I Get a Sidekick Out of You (#6.19)" (2006) more
Soundtrack:
Canned Heat more

FAQ

Filming dates:
more
414 out of 608 people found the following comment useful.
TOO FUNNY!, 7 December 2004
Author: eht5y

It seems based on many of the comments on this site that certain folks may be expecting a bit too much from a movie such as 'Napoleon Dynamite.'

This ain't art cinema, folks. It's absurdist comedy. Don't go to see this film looking for deep meaning or well-constructed plot--the vague semblance of a plot is as artificial as they come, and seems inserted mostly to give the film structure and to permit the audience a somewhat 'happy' ending.

NO, Napoleon Dynamite isn't about changing the world--it's live action 'South Park' (Preston, Idaho, where the film is set, actually bears a strong resemblance to the real South Park, Colorado). It's a highly ironic, self-mocking, merciless run of sight gags and one liners with no apparent purpose other than to get laughs at the expense of its main characters, especially the eponymous Napoleon, a fit stand-in for everyone who's ever felt like a socially inept outcast trapped in the hell of high school.

This movie isn't for everybody, but if you don't see glimpses of your own childhood in the various awkwardnesses and failures of the main characters, you're in denial. Don't see Napoleon Dynamite if you're expecting sensitivity--go see it if you're pissed off at the world and just need to laugh. I saw it for the first time last night, and I'm still busting into spontaneous laughter whenever one of Napoleon's silly one-liners or blank-faced dead-pan non-sequitirs comes to mind.

Was the above comment useful to you?
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Title/name was ripped off Talory
100 Things I Learned From Napoleon Dynamite wombatwizard
Delete your post Napoleon style! filmprincess
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