Napoleon Dynamite: Difference between revisions
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The film has its setups and payoffs, but is very much a [[Random Events Plot]]: anything that would be a big deal in most high school films is very deliberately downplayed. The first half of the story has Napoleon meeting new student Pedro, and the two of them begin searching for dates for the upcoming school dance. In the second half of the movie, Pedro decides to run for class president with Napoleon as his campaign manager. A running theme is a mild quasi-romance between Napoleon and Deb, a girl who is even less socially capable than Napoleon.
Additionally, Napoleon and his unemployed brother Kip are forced to host their Uncle Rico, a [[Jaded Washout|former high school football player]] trying to find a way to travel back to 1982 so he can [[I Coulda Been a Contender|win the big game and become an NFL star]]. Kip, meanwhile, joins in Uncle Rico's various get-rich-quick schemes to be able to meet up with LaFawnduh, a girl from Detroit he talks to in an online chat room on
The movie aims to be as deadpan awkward as possible, and the results have caused quite a bit of [[Hype Backlash]] for those who expected a regular teen comedy. It was the breakout role of Jon Heder, who plays the title character and has gone on to mainstream roles alongside stars like Will Ferrell and Billy Bob Thornton. The filmmakers themselves, [[Write What You Know|Idaho natives]], went on to make ''[[Nacho Libre]]'' with Jack Black.
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{{tropelist}}
* [[Adorkable]]
* [[Advertised Extra]]: Diedrich Bader has two scenes and receives Top Billing but compare some of the other Characters like Sumer played by [[Fake Guest Star]] Haylie Duff who has much more screen time then him.
* [[Alpha Bitch]]
* [[Aluminum Christmas Trees]]
* [[Ambiguous Disorder]]
* [[Anachronism Stew]]
** When Jared and Jerusha Hess were asked ''when'' their story was set, they responded "Idaho."
* [[Animated Adaptation]]
* [[Awesome McCoolname]]
* [[Big Lipped Alligator Moment]]
** It's a rare [[Justified Trope|justified]] BLAM, though--Napoleon only did it because he had no idea that he and Pedro were required to perform a skit, so he just did the first thing that popped into his head to stall for time.
* [[Catch Phrase]]
* [[Chekhov's Gun]]
** The dance instruction tape that Napoleon watches early in the movie (see [[Chekhov's Skill]] below).
* [[Chekhov's Skill]]
* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]
* [[Credits Brand Products]]
* [[Dull Surprise]]
* [[Fake Guest Star]]: Haylie Duff as Summer among others who's in quite a bit of the movie despite not getting top billing. Compare with [[Advertised Extra]] Diedrich Bader who does and is in far less of the movie.
* [[Footsie Under the Table]]: Kip and LaFawnduh.
* [[Giant Poofy Sleeves]]
* [[Glory Days]]
* [[Gosh Dang It to Heck]]
* [[Gratuitous Japanese]]
* [[I Believe That You Believe It]]: As noted, the name "Napoleon Dynamite" was first used as a pseudonym by Elvis Costello. Despite this, the film makers say that they weren't aware of that and thought up the name on their own. Costello isn't calling them liars, but he doesn't think it's a name that you'll ever come across twice.
* [[I Call It Vera]]
* [[I Coulda Been a Contender]]
* [[The Illegal]]
* [[Insistent Terminology]]: "My friends and colleagues, they call me ''Uncle'' Rico..."
* [[Jaded Washout]]: Uncle Rico.
* [[Jerk Jock]]
* [[Lovable Nerd]]
* [[Merchandise-Driven]]
** And there is now merchandise backlash
*** Or "I voted for Pedro" with George W. Bush's face on it.
* [[Metaphorgotten]]
{{quote|"And you'll find that helps your health."
"All that fresh air and exercise will do you a lot of good."
* [[Mormon Cinema]]
* [[Nerd]]
* [[Nerds Are Sexy]]
* [[No Antagonist]]
* [[Odd Friendship]]
* [[Poirot Speak]]
* [[Power Crystal]]
* [[Pretty Fly for a White Guy]]
* [[Random Events Plot]]
* [[Retro Universe]]
* [[Sassy Black Woman]]
* [[Scenery Porn]]
* [[Shmuck Bait]]
* [[Sophisticated As Hell]]
* [[Stylistic Suck]]: The hideous portrait of Trisha drawn by Napoleon, and anything drawn by him in general. Like the
* [[Too Quirky to Lose]]
* [[The Unintelligible]]
* [[Unusual Euphemism]]: Quite a few. "Bodaggit", "decroded", etc.
* [[Wearing a Flag on Your Head]]
** "Take a look at what I'm wearing. You think someone wants a [[Chuck Norris Facts|roundhouse kick to the face]] while I'm wearing these bad boys?!"
* [[What Does She See in Him?]]: In the post-credits scene, all of LaFawnduh's relatives are clearly in shock and disbelief at the fact that she's
* [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?]]: The entire subtext of everything in the film [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshades this]].
* [[What the Fu Are You Doing?]]: Kip's "cage fighting skills" vs. Rex.
* [[When He Smiles]]: It takes flipping FOREVER for Pedro to register ANY kind of facial expression, let alone smile, but when he does, it's beautiful.
* [[Wimp Fight]]
** "I think you ripped my mole off!"
* [[Younger Than They Look]]
* [[Your Mom]]
{{reflist}}
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