‘Napoleon Dynamite’ explained: why should we vote for Pedro?
After becoming a sleeper hit which grew in popularity by word of mouth, coming-of-age comedy Napoleon Dynamite has developed an enormous cult following. Its classic status among certain layers of fandom has been cemented to such an extent that actor Jon Heder said he’s recognised as the titular character while playing Xbox Live.
It’s hard to say exactly what about plucky nerd Napoleon, his sweet-natured friends, and his bizarre family compelled people who’d seen the movie to spread the word. Perhaps it’s classic high-school put-downs like, “Your mom goes to college” (delivered by Napoleon’s twenty-something older brother Rip). Or the provincial middle-aged delusions of the door-to-door salesman and wannabe football player Uncle Rico.
Likely, it’s a mix of the naivety of the film’s characters with the gentle, well-meaning irony of its subtext and its off-beat sense of humour that has endeared so many people. Napoleon has no idea how to become a hero and believes he doesn’t have any good “skills”. As he explains to his friend Pedro, “You know, like, nunchucks skills, bow-hunting skills, computer-hacking skills.” Yet, despite lacking these archetypally heroic qualities, he becomes one anyway.
The crux of the movie hangs on Pedro’s unlikely bid to be class president, with the support of Napoleon and their friend Deb. Pedro is a transfer student from Mexico whom Napoleon takes under his wing. The two of them, alongside Deb, appear to be at the bottom of their school’s social pecking order.
So his chances of winning seem close to zero. He’s up against Summer Wheatley, the most popular girl in school. As Napoleon asks him earlier in the movie when Pedro decides he’s going to woo Summer, “How the heck are you gonna do that?” To make matters worse, Pedro is reprimanded by the school principal for having students hit a piñata resembling Summer to promote his campaign.
So, why should we vote for Pedro?
Throughout the movie, Napoleon seems up against it. He is constantly mocked by his classmates, and sabotaged by his uncle, who ruins his friendship with Deb by offering her breast enhancement surgery on Napoleon’s behalf.
In the background, though, something is happening. This seemingly down-on-his-luck, dorky teenager is on a hero’s journey.
First, he buys an instructional dance videotape and starts practising with it at home, which just seems at the time like the kind of absurd, non-sequitur typical of Napoleon’s behaviour throughout the movie. Then Kip’s girlfriend LaFawnduh gives him a mixtape, which he begins listening to. Again, the moment it happens, there seems nothing to be read into this gift. It’s just a nice gesture.
When election day arrives at school, Pedro’s campaign to be class president appears to have hit rock bottom. Summer puts on a spectacular dance performance with her cheerleader friends. Following this performance, Pedro believes he has nothing to offer the audience except the nonsensical promise that he will make all their wildest dreams come true.
Completely unexpectedly, the one person who has put his faith in Pedro throughout the film achieves a dream of sorts and comes through for his friend when he needs him most.
Napoleon walks onto the school stage wearing a ‘Vote for Pedro’ t-shirt, and the sound engineer presses play on the mixtape LaFawnduh gifted. He breaks into a stunning dance routine to Jamiroquai’s ‘Canned Heat’, surprising everyone, including Pedro, Deb, and most of all, us. The crowd goes wild.
The hero of the story has simultaneously mastered a skill, become the most popular kid in school (perhaps second only to his friend, the new class president), and won Deb’s affection. And that’s why we should vote for Pedro.
