My son’s first major film (he was first asst director) is a surprise hit! It’s now been in the theaters for three months and grossed $40 million. “Napoleon Dynamite” is taking the high schools by storm. Here is a report from my friend Cris Lewis in Portland:
“Thought you’d enjoy knowing that Napoleon Dynamite is taking over the high school. Everyone’s mimicking the movie’s star. Tell Tim thanks a lot for creating teenage America’s latest ‘cult’ following! (And to think they did it without profanity, vulgarity, sex…nice job!)
Vivienne and I saw it and thought it was the dumbest movie we’d ever seen. We turned to each other in the middle of it and said, ‘Why are we watching this’?
But we come home and now have laughed for hours as our children (who have seen it many times) have mimicked and laughed about every character. I think our generation knew too many Napoleons in our school and felt sorry for them that we can’t laugh at this character. But, for some reason, our children can’t get enough of the movie and talk about it constantly. And kids are mimicking it everywhere. My 6th grade daughter said a candidate for student body officer even sang a song in his political speech mimicking the closing song by Napoleon’s brother…to get a laugh. Go figure!
I’m just glad a clean movie has become a hit! (I hope Tim is getting some royalties on it.)”
Here are a few quotes from reviewers from around the country:
“One of the most winning movie creations in years.” — Stephen Hunter, WASHINGTON POST
“…a wonderfully skewed story that weaves together tater tot fetishism, a voracious llama, tether ball, Internet dating, and the high school presidential race…” — Spence D., IGN FILMFORCE
“Too low-wattage to be a true nerd anthem, but it’s charming in retrospect, when you’re freed from the narcoleptic pace to think back on the … beautiful tableaux and well-timed gags.” — David Edelstein, SLATE
All the best, AEIOU, M. Skousen
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