By Bill Burk
If you’ve never seen the movie Napoleon Dynamite do this:
Go to Wikipedia and read the plot synopsis. You’ll be able to picture the storyline, some characters and plot devices and the general premise of the movie.
Ignore what you read there.
Find somewhere to watch a trailer of the film. You won’t be able to reconcile what you read in Wikipedia in any measurable way with what you’ll see, but it’ll help you get a visual of how the story is laid out, what the characters look like, how some scenes are crafted.
Then pretend you never saw that.
Next, ask someone who’s seen it to explain it to you.
Don’t bother to listen, they won’t make sense.
Finally, rent the full-length film. Watch it alone while preoccupied with something else, like vacuuming or doing your taxes. You’ll be tempted to rewind and try to pick up the thread of the plot.
Don’t. It won’t help.
20 years ago this summer. Since then, much has changed;
but the characters, as enduring as they are endearing, stay in
our hearts. Appealing to the inner-teenager in each of us, the
story, and more importantly the dialogue, makes Napoleon
Dynamite one of the most quoted movies of our time. This
unique evening includes a full screening of Napoleon Dynamite
followed by a lively, freewheeling, moderated discussion
with fan-favorite cast members; Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite)
and Efren Ramirez (Pedro).
Then go online and buy tickets to Napoleon Dynamite; A Conversation with Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez, showing at the Reg Lenna Theater in Jamestown, Wednesday, April 17th from 7-10pm. If you’ve never seen the movie, you won’t be disappointed. If you’re a fan, you’ll be glad you did.
Scott Wolfman, President of Wolfman Productions, Inc. out of Connecticut has booked some form of this show since the movie came out twenty years ago. The independent film got rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival, submitted by new filmmakers Jess and Jerusha Hess. It was a surprise hit from the start. In a recent kpcw on-line interview Jess says about it, “…we were showing it (at Sundance) and people like started clapping, and we were like, OK, people get it.”
That was twenty years ago. People are still watching and “getting” Napoleon Dynamite today.
Check out the YouTube video highlighting the show that will be at Reg Lenna; reglenna.com/events/napoleon-dynamite-conversation. In it you see it’s a family-oriented, interactive audience participation celebration. Wolfman says, “That video will give you a sense of the love and connection the fans have for the movie and the characters. Our show has an odd and wonderful audience participation feel to it.”
The movie was filmed in Idaho and on the Utah border, picturesque backgrounds and mid-west sceneries are a feature. It was made on a budget under half a million dollars and grossed over $44 million in its first year of domestic release. It’s listed as number 14 on Bravo’s 100 funniest films. That’s a pretty fair recipe for a cult classic. So, in 2015, the fifteenth anniversary of the premier, Wolfman, The Hess’, and the stars of the movie decided to develop a more audience-friendly, interactively organic show for their fans.
Jon Heder has been in more than forty movies, and on T.V. (Mad TV, Saturday Night Live, and My Name is Earl, to name a few). Efren Ramirez, thirty movie credits and T.V appearances in American Dad, and FBI’s Most Wanted. In Napoleon, the two play mid-west high schoolers as quirky as you can imagine.
“Part of the dialogue about Napoleon Dynamite is the first time you see it, you don’t get it. The second time you think it’s okay. The third and times after you think it’s great,” says Wolfman. “At the show, people dress like Napoleon, there are “Vote for Pedro” tee shirts, people bring footballs, and dress like Uncle Rico. It’s a tribute to the genius of Jared and Jerusha Hess that the show has this following. We see parents who have introduced the movie to their children, sometimes three generations of fans.”
The promo for the event reads: The beloved indie classic Napoleon Dynamite was released 20 years ago this summer. Since then, much has changed; but the characters, as enduring as they are endearing, stay in our hearts. Appealing to the inner-teenager in each of us, the story, and more importantly the dialogue, makes Napoleon Dynamite one of the most quoted movies of our time.
Napoleon Dynamite; A Conversation with Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez is three hours, including the screening of the movie and discussion. VIP experiences are available, which include a signed poster, photo opportunity and meet and greet with Heder and Ramirez prior to the event.