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.

Director:

Jared Hess
Popularity
784 ( 7)
10 wins & 23 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jon Heder ... Napoleon Dynamite
Jon Gries ... Uncle Rico
Aaron Ruell ... Kip
Efren Ramirez ... Pedro
Diedrich Bader ... Rex
Tina Majorino ... Deb
Sandy Martin ... Grandma
Haylie Duff ... Summer Wheatly
Trevor Snarr ... Don
Shondrella Avery ... Lafawnduh
Bracken Johnson Bracken Johnson ... Randy
Carmen Brady Carmen Brady ... Starla
Ellen Dubin ... Ilene
J.C. Cunningham J.C. Cunningham ... Jock #1
Jimmy Stevens Jimmy Stevens ... Jock #2 (as James Smooth)
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Storyline

Preston, Idaho's most curious resident, Napoleon Dynamite, lives with his grandma and his 32-year-old brother (who cruises chat rooms for ladies) and works to help his best friend, Pedro, snatch the Student Body President title from mean teen Summer Wheatley. Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

It's Gonna Be a Dynamite Summer See more »

Genres:

Comedy

Certificate:

G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Sandy Martin, who plays Napoleon and Kip's grandmother, is only 28 and 27 years older than actors John Heder and Aaron Ruell. See more »

Goofs

Kip puts a green bowl under the van's wheel and when he goes to get into the van, the bowl is blue. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Kid on Bus: What are you gonna do today, Napoleon?
Napoleon Dynamite: Whatever I feel like I wanna do. Gosh!
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Crazy Credits

All the items, food or otherwise, used in the credits appear at some point in the movie, e.g. Napoleon's chap-stick, Uncle Rico's steak, etc. See more »

Alternate Versions

For wide release and all showings after the limited release, a scene was filmed featuring an additional five-minutes after the credits. See more »

Connections

Spoofed in Total Drama Island: Rock n' Rule (2009) See more »

Soundtracks

Canned Heat
Performed by Jamiroquai
Written by Jay Kay (as Jason Kay), Toby Smith, Derrick MacKenzie, Simon Katz, Sola Akingbola, and Wallis Buchanan
Courtesy of Epic Records and Sony Music Entertainment (U.K.) Ltd.
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
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User Reviews

Best movie of 2004
28 April 2004 | by elperrosatoSee all my reviews

This movie is a genx love fest and it made me feel better than any movie I have ever seen. Essentially, this movie is a remake of "welcome to the dollhouse" and a lot of the other slacker-esque movies of that era. The film follows the misadventures of a complete loser (Napoleon Dynamite is a near sighted high school kid with a penchant for medieval warriors and tall tales), his best friend (the new kid in town, a Mexican immigrant who must comprehend life in rural Idaho), their shared love interest (she is deliciously quirky on her own), and a few other random characters (Napoleon's scheming "get rich quick" uncle and his internet chatroom obsessed loser 32-year-old-but-still-living-at-home brother). In terms of story, this one is tops. All of the "good" characters grow and become much more than they were when the movie began. This film celebrates friendship at it's basest level and demonstrates the triumph of good people above overwhelming odds. The true appeal of this movie though, for me, was the close attention that the director paid to making this movie feel like the early 1990's or late 1980's. Characters wear zubbas and hand out friendship bracelets. Even the vocabulary the actors use comes from this era (when was the last time you called someone "retarded", for example), but it is done so in such a genuine manner. The music and the style are very appropriate, and you can really feel the social awkwardness of Napoleon and his friends. While this movie was made in many ways to appeal to those who can most relate to the awkward years of growing up (the unpopular kids, the new kid, the medieval warrior obsessed clique, the metal heads, the stoners, all the general low lifes you probably associated with, or possibly were at school), this will nevertheless appeal to everyone else. The comedy is not made to be knee slapping, but it's sublety is wonderful and I found myself laughing throughout the entire film. If you have ever rooted for the underdog, this is the movie for you. I can't spoil the ending for you, but for real, no movie has ever made me feel as happy and as inspired as this one. I can't wait to see what this director comes up with next!


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 August 2004 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Napoléon Dynamite See more »

Filming Locations:

Sykesville, Pennsylvania, USA See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$400,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$116,666, 13 June 2004

Gross USA:

$44,540,956

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$46,138,887
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (original)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »

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