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movie review - Napoleon Dynamite

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

This is a teenage movie that goes way out on a limb and features real teenagers (okay, the actors are a bit older, but my point is that the characters are realistic). The title character, for instance, believes that potential girlfriends would be impressed by such things as martial arts skills (which he lacks). He also utters a dejected and irritable "God!" to just about everything, and seems to really wrangle with the world the way a teenager might.

The plot is about "Napoleon Dynamite", his pal, (Pedro), his girl, his brother, and his uncle. None of them is possessing of any real social skills or standing of any kind, and none of them is particularly sympathetic. But the light-hearted nature of the depiction of their various struggles with life is what makes this thing work.

Strongly recommended.

P.S. If you see someone walking around with a "Vote for Pedro" shirt, it's a reference to the t-shirts worn in the movie when Pedro runs for school president.