N.Dynamite

Gosh!

I’ve somewhat recently re-named my Substack, “Brian Does Whatever He Feels Like Doing, Gosh!” and some of you may get the obvious reference to the first line of the protagonist by the same name in the first scene of the amazing movie Napoleon Dynamite. Napoleon climbs wearily onto the bus to school and sits in the very back seat. A younger kid sitting in the seat across the aisle looks at Napoleon with obvious admiration, curiosity and interest and says, “What are you going to do today, Napoleon?” to which Napoleon replies, “Whatever I feel like doing, gosh!”

I love, love, love this movie. I’ve watched it more times than I can count, and find it to be a touchstone for many of my own middle-life experiences and musings. As a Waldorf teacher, I think of Napoleon as the “perfect Waldorf kid.” As a student of Christian theology, I find Napoleon to be an effective Christ-figure translated for rural Idaho in the 1980’s. I am not joking, I really find this movie to be so powerfully symbolic. I even hosted a movie discussion at my church a few years ago about this amazing movie. Here is the blurb I put into the church newsletter to entice people to come:

“Napoleon Dynamite is an inspirational and funny movie that has many touch points with.... the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth! Do you doubt it? Consider: a country bumpkin from a small town experiences from within a strong creative impulse that leads him to take original and loving action that transforms not only his own relationship with his community, but also the lives of the most vulnerable around him. Hmmm. . . We will discuss key scenes throughout the movie and share enthusiasm for this amazing film! And, we will do whatever we feel like doing, gosh!”

About three years ago, I attended a movie showing of ND at the Pabst theater (my lovely wife found out about it and bought us tickets). The three main actors (Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez and Tina Majorino) were there for a talkback session at the conclusion of the film. I found, to my dismay, that very few other people who love this movie find the same depth of meaning as I do. Perhaps this explains why, although the church movie discussion was fun, I got very little feedback from folks wanting to delve into it further. I was pleased that Tina Majorino, from her comments, of all the people in the room, did seem to ascribe some of the same meaning to this movie that I did. You go, Deb. But Jon Heder, Napoleon himself, seemed determined to undermine and distance himself from the character’s power. He made a joke about Napoleon ten years later being on his third wife and becoming a lost and ineffective adult. Not cool, Jon.

(I’m also aware that there was a short-lived cartoon show on MTV, which I’ve never watched, and doesn’t interest me at all.)

Oh well. Whether the writer and director Jared Hess meant to or not, I think he’s created a modern retelling of some of our most powerful religio-mythical stories. Stories of transformation from outcast to hero and salvation of the outcasts through selfless creative action.

I love the characters, too. From Napoleon, Pedro and Deb to Summer, Don, and Trisha, to Uncle Rico, Kip, Grandma . . . and Kyle! And Rex and Starla! And Lafawnduh! Oh, I love them all. Each one just seems to me to be so lovingly crafted by the actors as caricatures, yes, but caricatures that nevertheless come to life in beautiful ways.

For instance, it’s interesting to me that nearly every main character (Napoleon, Deb, Pedro, Kip, Uncle Rico, Summer, Don, Trisha) is struggling with their own fears. But the supporting cast have somehow transformed themselves into much more fearless people (Grandma, Kyle, Rex, Lafawnduh).

And, each of the fearful main characters finds a path to transformation; Pedro through winning the presidency; Deb through her beauty and photography business; Summer and Don perhaps get a wake up call through failing to secure the popularity contest; Uncle Rico through hitting rock bottom. Kip, of course, finds his transformation through undying love for Lafawnduh. Oh my God, do I love the Kip and Lafawnduh love scenes!? You bet I do!

Napoleon himself is, to me, a perfect representation of a Christ figure, right up to the ending. Just after they find out they are supposed to have a skit that they didn’t know about and haven’t prepared, and Pedro is despondent and about to walk to the podium and throw in the towel, Napoleon says to him, “Just speak from the heart. That’s what I always do.” Napoleon is not exaggerating. What seems to the casual observer to be an awkward boy with no clue about how to navigate high school or the social sphere, at deeper levels is a truly pure-hearted soul who can’t not speak from the heart. This is the wedding scene at Cana brilliantly reimagined.

Napoleon is in the Happy Hands Club. His current event is about Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, and how we can help her. He believes in the magical powers of ligers. He is swept away by the suit he finds in the thrift store. He does devotional drawings for girls he likes, he stands up to Don, he takes pretty much everything at better than face value and, in the end, he dances in front of the whole school with complete abandon. This is a soul with a mission to be nothing but himself 100% of the time. The message, that being just yourself, doing “what you feel like doing,” is exactly the thing that will transform others and the world for the better, is the most uplifting (and practical) message I can imagine from a story or movie.

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