Why Was Napoleon Dynamite's Film World So Weird, and the Role of Mormon Culture

The Napoleon Dynamite film provides a unique and peculiar look at a rural American setting, capturing a distinct social dynamic through eccentric characters and a distinctive visual style.

Unique Characters

The film features a cast of eccentric characters, each with their own peculiar traits and behaviors. This is perhaps most evident in the socially awkward Napoleon, his eccentric family, and his odd classmates, which collectively create a distinctive social dynamic. These quirky characters contribute to the overall sense of weirdness and make the movie both relatable and absurd.

The Setting

Set in rural Idaho, the film captures a small-town vibe that contrasts with typical urban narratives. The mundane yet bizarre aspects of small-town life are exaggerated, further adding to the film's oddity. This unique blend of familiarity and strangeness is what makes Napoleon Dynamite so compelling.

Deadpan Humor

The film employs a deadpan delivery style where characters often react to absurd situations with little emotion. This creates a humorous dissonance that enhances the film's weirdness. The lack of emotional response to surreal situations often leaves the audience both confused and amused.

Cultural References

The film is peppered with references to 1980s and 1990s pop culture, which adds a nostalgic yet surreal layer to the movie. The characters' interests like dancing and drawing contribute to the offbeat tone, making the film feel both familiar and strangely alien at the same time.

Visual Style

The cinematography and production design emphasize a retro aesthetic using muted colors and simple settings. This creates a unique visual style that is both familiar and strange, which contributes to the film's overall sense of weirdness.

Peculiar Success: The Role of Mormon Culture

Interestingly, the film's peculiar style and success are partially due to Mormon culture. The film's eccentricity and odd social dynamics parallel Mormon thought, which might explain why the movie resonated so strongly with the Mormon community.

For example, the film's unique visual style and familiar setting resemble the small-town Mormon community, where eccentricities and quirks are often celebrated. The movie's success can be attributed to the Mormon population, who eagerly filed into theaters to see it, driving it to become a hit and grossing millions of dollars, a feat that was not repeated in subsequent years.

The movie's success can also be attributed to other Mormon entertainers, such as Richard Dutcher, director of some of the best movies from Utah, and Orson Scott Card, a science fiction writer with a Mormon viewpoint. These individuals, according to the article, rose to prominence due to Mormon support, which allowed them to succeed in the entertainment world.

While some Mormon old theology on race has been a subject of debate, the community's support for Napoleon Dynamite demonstrates the complexity of their influence on the film's success. Without the Mormon population, the movie would likely not have achieved the same level of success, as the community's enthusiastic support played a significant role in its success.

Ultimately, the combination of eccentric characters, unique setting, and peculiar humor, as well as the support from the Mormon community, makes Napoleon Dynamite both a unique and a successful film.