Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Napoleon Dynamite: Directed by Jared Hess. With Jon Heder, Jon Gries, Aaron Ruell, Efren Ramirez. 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.

“The love/hate reactions Iu0026#39;ve seen do not surprise me at all. This movie is very different, itu0026#39;s own style… and it is PURE GENIUS. But itu0026#39;s definitely not for everyone… you have to back off and understand the mood and general feel of the movie before you have the context to find the actions of the characters funny. Then you will u0026quot;get itu0026quot;. And what is this context Iu0026#39;m referring to? This movie explores the very essence of boredom and mediocrity as you follow the daily life of a dorky guy doing uninteresting things in a small, unexciting town. Napoleanu0026#39;s constant, open-mouth, blank stare says, u0026quot;Iu0026#39;m only tolerating this monotonous existence because Iu0026#39;ve got nothing better to do.u0026quot; It took me about 15 minutes into the movie and then I GOT it. The movie has no real plot because it isnu0026#39;t about an interesting story, itu0026#39;s about the real life that exists BETWEEN the interesting stories. Ever call up your bud because youu0026#39;re bored, then talk about what youu0026#39;re not doing, then decide to get together and be bored together, and spend the remainder of the evening trying to think of something to do to no avail? This movie is about this very type of thing… a tribute to the ordinary every-day stuff that you have no reason or desire to remember… like eating reheated leftover Hamburger Helper, or that old shirt you wear when youu0026#39;re working that youu0026#39;re not afraid to get dirty, or some magazine you flipped through to pass the time in the dentistu0026#39;s waiting room.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI constantly found myself saying, u0026quot;This all seems too strangely familiar. I knew a guy like that. Iu0026#39;ve done stuff like that. Iu0026#39;ve been to a store like that. Iu0026#39;ve been in a house like that.u0026quot; This isnu0026#39;t the kind of movie to make you suddenly laugh out loud, itu0026#39;s a movie that will first make you chuckle, and then chuckle some more, and pretty soon you canu0026#39;t stop laughing as scenes and characters continuously remind you about the absurdity of watching random, stupid pointlessness. Why would something boring be interesting to watch? Youu0026#39;ll just have to see it to understand.”