When you think of Napoleon, the first figure that might come to mind is the French military leader with historical significance and a tendency to play the romantic field. If you were thinking of Napoleon Bonapart, I have to break the news to you that I am not John Green, and this is not a history crash course. However, you are about to be schooled by one Napoleon Dynamite.
Standing at 6 '1, decked out in a t-shirt, corduroy pants, moon boots, and his trusty Walkman is Napoleon Dynamite; a man of true grit, athleticism, passion, and pure grooviness. He might just be an underdog, but to me, he’s the Top Dog.
“Napoleon Dynamite" is a cult-classic, coming-of-age film. Set in Preston, Idaho in the early 2000s, it follows protagonist Napoleon, as he navigates– no, conquers high school. He’s an awkward, inventive, indefinitely mouth-breathing, yet frankly iconic teenager. Napoleon lives with his grandma and his older brother Kip, in a small home located in their sparsely populated rural town. After his grandma injures her coccyx in a quad-bike accident, she asks their Uncle Rico to look after the boys in her absence. Rico is a middle-aged aspiring quarterback with no desire to let go of his glory days. He’s confident and entrepreneurial with a touch of delusion (he’s also single if that’s what you’re into). While Uncle Rico spends his time as a door-to-door salesman, Kip pursues love via an internet chatroom with his girlfriend, LaFawnduh.
Meanwhile, Napoleon befriends Pedro Sanchez, the soft-spoken and determined new student rocking a solid stache and a cool-as-a-cucumber attitude. Along with running Pedro’s election for class president campaign, Napoleon also pursues his own quest for romance with Deb. She’s his shy, creative, and entrepreneurial classmate with an outstanding side ponytail.
From love, triumph, hardship, and courage, to an undying commitment to cafeteria tots, this movie has it all. We all can learn a little something from the movie, and I’m going to take this opportunity to break it down in five simple lessons.
The first lesson this film teaches us is the importance of quality over quantity. Napoleon’s ultimate act of friendship throughout the movie is his dedication to helping Pedro become class president. Riding onto school grounds on one bicycle, the duo distributed the campaign posters Napoleon hand-drew for the occasion. When Pedro delivers a disappointingly lackluster speech for his campaign and things look bleak upon discovering he must also present a skit, Napoleon volunteers to display his killer dance moves. Touché.
Quality, unfortunately, is not the most important factor when it comes to skills. Skills are about quantity, obscurity, and dare I say… danger? Napoleon does us all a favor by naming off some important skills one must have in life. These include nunchuck skills, bow-hunting skills, and computer skills (all of which I hope you already know). Our man Napoleon showcases pure skill in dancing as demonstrated through his fiery dance performance to Jamiroquai’s “Canned Heat.”
He is also quite skilled in the arts; a true Renaissance man. Not only does Napoleon create posters for the campaign, but he draws a complex and fearsome Liger— it’s a lion and a tiger, idiot. Finally, demonstrating his act of prom courtship, Napoleon draws a portrait of his classmate, Trisha.
Even with ninja-level agility, Katniss-adjacent bowhunting, and true disco mastery, your skill set is nothing without a work ethic. Lucky for you, the film gives us some good examples of skill application and hard work. Deb is the best and most ethical example of this. She runs a side hustle of creating and selling keychains as well as glamor shots. Deb utilizes her craft and photography business to raise enough money for college (academic weapon!). On top of this, her business supports other characters such as Uncle Rico and Kip who seek out her services to help their door-to-door business appear more “professional.”
Napoleon shows a work ethic of his own when performing his high-intensity dance sequence which is rewarded by a standing ovation from the whole school. Additionally, Napoleon takes responsibility for around-the-house tasks such as feeding their llama, Tina, albeit often with exasperation. Every evening, he approaches Tina to feed her and says “Tina, you fat lard, come get some DINNER.” While this isn’t exactly the tone I would like to be taken with me upon dinnertime, I suppose I can’t speak for Tina.
Napoleon Dynamite can also encourage us to go for the gold. Ask out your crush via a portrait you drew of them. Run for president even if the odds do not seem in your favor. Pursue true love on the internet, even when everyone tells you you’re being catfished (sometimes the haters might be right, but lucky for Kip, LaFawndah is 100% real). Continue to quad bike well into your old age. The sky's the limit and regardless of the bullies, breakable coccyxes, and risks you might come across, never hold back.
We have now arrived at the last important lesson of the movie: the power of authenticity. Napoleon is unapologetically himself, and he truly does not let others get in his way. Unlike many nerdy movie protagonists, Napoleon fights fire with fire when it comes to bullies, and he would never give away one of his precious tater tots even in the face of hostility.
This film, and Napoleon specifically, is a reminder of the value in our attitudes and perspectives toward ourselves and the world. We see this through how Napoleon treats others, fosters his strengths, and challenges his weaknesses. This in turn affects how his goals and relationships develop. There are always people out there to appreciate your authenticity (Lawfandah and Kip; Napoleon and Deb; Napoleon and Pedro) so don’t shy away from being yourself. Take a page from Napoleon’s book and live like the disco-loving, liger-drawing, icon you are.