Posted on 01/06/2005 4:40:46 AM PST by goldstategop
Illegal aliens are invading our country and an army of some 20 million now occupy it.
150,000 are known dead in South Asia and up to 1 million are homeless due to the tsunamis.
The 109th U.S. Congress is convening.
But, don't worry. I've got some good news for you.
And, no, I didn't just save a boatload of money on my car insurance.
There's a movie sweeping the nation right now, capturing the imaginations of young Americans, making them laugh and entertaining them – and doing all that without sex, violence, obscenity or profanity. There's nothing politically correct about it. There's no deep message in the film. It's not intended to be socially redeeming. And, unlike the biggest box-office hit of the hour, there's nothing even offensive about the name of the film.
But it is funny.
Very, very funny.
Very strange and very, very funny.
This independent film was made on a budget of $400,000 and has grossed more than $44 million.
When the DVD was released for Christmas, Fox shipped 2.5 million copies – about twice the number you would expect for a movie that grossed $44 million. It sold 1.35 million copies the first day, making it the top-selling DVD for Christmas week. As a result, Fox ordered another million copies.
Yet, when I tell you the name of this movie, many are going to say: "Never heard of it."
Are you ready?
"Napoleon Dynamite."
Ever hear of it?
If you haven't, your kids have.
And it might be a good idea to buy the DVD, sit down and watch it with them.
It's just good, clean fun.
Grown-ups are not supposed to get the humor in this movie. And some of them clearly don't. When it was released, stuffed-shirt critic Roger Ebert described it as "a kind of studied stupidity that sometimes passes as humor." Another critic said it "may be the most condescending comedy ever ..."
Like I always say: There's no accounting for taste.
I admit this is a very different kind of movie – and not for everyone. But I have seen it three times now and I could easily watch it four more. I laugh a little harder every time.
The appeal of the movie is that it captures life in high school. Yet, aside from a few language quirks peculiar to this particular generation, there's transcendency to "Napoleon Dynamite." This 2004 glimpse of high-school life is strikingly similar to my own experiences some 35 years ago.
Don't ask me what happens in this movie. The only answer is "not much." That's not the point. It's not about plot. It's about characters – funny, goofy, recognizable misfits of all ages.
Imagine "Seinfeld" set in a suburban high-school environment. If you can picture that, you may begin to picture what you are in for when you rent or buy the DVD this weekend.
I don't recommend movies often. I only watched this one because my 18-year-old daughter brought home the DVD and asked her parents to watch it with her. I'm glad she did.
Your son or daughter might not bring it to your attention.
Why don't you get the jump on them and bring it home yourself?
If you do, here's my advice:
See it with an open mind.
Don't let me raise your expectations too high and ruin it for you. (After all, nothing much happens in this movie.)
And tell me if you don't think there is something redemptive about this geeky movie.
I rented it, I thought it was a bit slow at parts, but it definately captured the hich school social misfit characters pretty damn well.
My wife didn't care for it at all... I was laughing pretty hard at some of it.
"You ever take it off any sweet jumps?"
Yeah, he has a sweet bike.
Same here. Our 17 and 13 yr old love this movie but Hubby and I haven't had a chance to sit down and watch it with them. Due to Hurricane Ivan they had to wait until this week for finals.. our high schoolers Gov't class is going to watch it after finals. (her teach is a 22 yr old conservative..was great during the election.)
Everyone in my family loves the movie even my 70 year old sister loved it! It just has to appeal to you, that's all. Some just don't get it, and that's ok too! Compared to the pure crap that's flowing from establishment Hoolywood this is great.
"I love technology, but not as much as you, you see... But I STILL love technology... Always and forever."
I'm 43 and I really liked that movie too. It wasn't laugh out loud guffaw funny, but it was consistently funny and a very quirky movie. Sweet!
And I thank them for that!
As I sit in my office waiting for my staff to arrive for a meeting... Am I a Bevis or a Butthead - no. Am I crass, I can be - but it's not a life-style. Beware the broad brush-stroke...
Please man, if you don't understand satire, then don't watch it. But to call South Park Republicans crass and juvenile just because it's not your cup of tea is painting with an awful broad brush.
Napoleon Dynamite is an odd, funny, ultimately loveable character in an odd, funny, ultimately loveable movie.
“Do chickens have large talons?”
This little masterpiece is a sharp stick in the eye of today's theater (stage-screen) literati.
It is the purist (of the pure) example of humor springing forth from the characters: not from the ribald language; not from contrived camera angles; not from some anorexic, over-paid floozy; not from some get-Bush, get-Ashcroft (can you say Saturday Night Live) excuse for humor.
Perhaps its creators do not realize what a priceless gem of a film this is... but it is. The timing, the deadpan lines and the totally in-the-now acting generate timeless humor that can be watched again and again.
Buy it.
My husband gave the CD to me for Christmas. We watched it with my young neice. We all agreed that it was terrible, not funny, not entertaining and not worth the time it took to finish. My husband brought the movie based on Amazon's 5 star rating. The film producer must have had all his buddies write the reviews.
By the way, I love South Park!
Thanks for the heads-up on Napoleon Dynamite. My 17-year-old daughter recommended it and I bought it last week. Haven't watched it though.
I think I will try to watch it tonight while everyone else is gone. Having gone mostly anonymously through high school in 1970s southeastern Idaho (my parents and siblings still live there), I'm a little worried the movie may trigger an attack of Post Nerd Stress Syndrome.
But hey, I'll be missing any high school reunion this year so maybe this will be a fun, nostalgic trip for me.
HAven't seen it yet, but maybe tonight. Our daughter owns it and brought two DVDs over to watch, ND and Anchorman. We watched Anchorman last night. What a funny, totally mental movie.
My 15 year-old son and I watched it this past weekend. He strongly disliked it.
I thought it was somewhat amusing, and the basic prmise was outstanding, but I really disliked the way the three main characters had no facial expression whatsoever. It was so unnatural and unbelievable that it spoiled the movie for me.
Naploleon's brother, however, was a riot.
I rented it. I thought it was very funny. I like wierd humor , though.
My daughter and I saw this movie at the theater and laughed like crazy. It's not because it has a great plot - there's really no point to the movie - but the characters are hysterical. Everyone knows a Napoleon Dynamite from school and like someone else said, there's a little of him in all of us. Too funny. We quote the movie all the time. I rented it a few weeks ago and my husband and youngest daughter watched it with us - they liked it too. My husband thought it was strange, but funny and entertaining, too.
My son bought the DVD, and I watched it at his suggestion when I had a free moment during the holidays.
This is an engaging movie. It draws you in by reason of the sheer zaniness that is nonetheless faintly believable. I found it quite funny. But I can see why others might not. You would have to be a Utah Mormon to get some of the subtle humor, of which there is a lot. It is a clever, entertaining movie.
VOTE FOR PEDRO!
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