The magic of Napoleon Dynamite

Writers most often struggle to 'break into the business.' The best way, hands down, is to find collaborators and do things - shorts, student films, whatever - from there, sometimes, magic happens.

I cannot even begin to tell you how lucky I’ve been. I wrote screenplays because I loved the medium - and they quickly got me recognition with screenwriting contests, garnered me an excellent literary agent and got me work. Thirty years later I’m still lucky - and yes, of course, it’s the hard work that increases the chances of Lady Luck putting in an appearance. Luck favors the prepared, that’s for sure.

There are countless Hollywood stories of directors and writers and editors and actors meeting early in their careers, and then growing together. The perfect example, perhaps, is film editor Thelma Schoonmaker, who worked with Martin Scorsese on his first film and has edited all of his films since Raging Bull - and is still at it today, after half a century, with Killers of the Flower Moon. But now let’s jump into the curiously exuberant life of Napoleon Dynamite!

Once upon a time, way back when in 2002, a few film students collaborated on a project. They were Jared Hess and Jon Heder and they delivered an odd short film, shot in black and white, called Peluca. Nine awkward minutes spent in the company of a nerdy high school student. Here are those nine minutes - if you know the final film, you’ll love this look at the origin of the magic.

Jared pulled his future wife Jerusha into filmmaking at Brigham Young University, saying that the film department was better because there you didn’t have to read long books, you could watch movies and write about them. I guess he was convincing, because she did change departments and they would go on to write Napoleon Dynamite together.

Now here’s the setting, a bunch of students meet, they make a student film - and it is essentially one that’s based on Jared Hess’ adolescence. So everything’s down to earth, the students have fun together, they make it happen. At the 2003 Slamdance Film Festival the 9-minute short you’ve seen above garners quite a bit of attention - the lesson here is simply this - YOU NEVER KNOW!

Do what you’re passionate about, write the stories that matter to you, don’t think trends or sales - if the magic wants to happen, it will. If Lady Luck feels like putting in an appearance, she will. Just do what you love doing - and they did - and that weird little short resonated.

They got 400’000 worth of funding to turn the short into a feature-length film … and soon the idea of getting a star to play the lead role appeared. Jake Gyllenhall was mentioned - but Hess was sure that Jon Heder was the right and only choice to play Napoleon Dynamite. You see - they formed bonds during their student years, they had spent time having fun with each other, working with each other.

It built up trust and all of that is what you want when you collaborate on a film. Making films is arduous, it often means years of ups and downs - and so of course you will always want to gather those around you with whom you’ve shared good experiences in the past. Could Scorsese work with other film editors? Sure - but why would he when Schoonmaker knows his mind as well as he does?

Napoleon Dynamite, a tiny film with a big heart, went on to gross over 45 million and is, today, a cult movie if ever there was one. It remains as odd as it’s always been and so it is no wonder that it is ranked amongst the funniest movies ever.

I think the film is deserving of its cult status, not because it is funny in a traditional Hollywood way, but because it leans into the aforementioned awkwardness. And none of it aims for Ben Stiller funny or Adam Sandler funny of Will Farrell funny - it is its very own thing. Napoleon Dynamite is, in his unique way, utterly endearing. If you haven’t seen it, make time for it and be prepared to be perplexed (and if you don’t get it at first, don’t worry, it’ll grow on you!).

I’d love to leave you with the famed Napoleon Dynamite dancing scene - but one should only watch that dance as the climactic moment - it is a real treat, the cherry on top of a truly special film. And so, instead, I’ll leave you with the film’s opening credits (a creative joy all in itself).

As you see, the magic happened. That would be good enough! But if you grow together in the world of film, long-term collaborations can become their very own magic. In the case of Napoleon Dynamite, for one, Jared and Jerusha got married and have been collaborating on children and movies ever since. They’ve co-written several films, among them Nacho Libre. They’ve also co-created the animated Napoleon Dynamite series - where pretty much all the actors from the movie lend their voices to the characters they’ve so lovingly created.

Now then, if you have seen the film, you’ll likely be itching to watch it again … and if you haven’t, I hope you’re properly primed now - jump to it!