Join Comedy 101 for a special 20th anniversary screening of NAPOLEON DYNAMITE!
Aaron Ruell (who played Napoleon's brother Kip) will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A!
A low-stakes slice-of-life comedy, NAPOLEON DYNAMITE is centered on the titular socially-awkward teenager (a breakout performance from Jon Heder) navigating high school life in small town Idaho. Supported by a cast of equally endearing weirdos – new student Pedro with dreams of being class president, entrepreneurial photographer Deb, chatroom-obsessed brother Kip, and failed football star Uncle Rico – NAPOLEON DYNAMITE refreshingly (for 2004) positions nerds not as outcasts, but lovable, eccentric heroes.
Despite its low budget and indie status, the surprise hit from husband-and-wife filmmakers Jared and Jerusha Hess gained a cult following through its Sundance clout and clever word-of-mouth marketing. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE is celebrated for its offbeat humor and authentic depiction of nerd culture, but twenty years later, Comedy 101 asks: Was NAPOLEON DYNAMITE somehow responsible for both the dominance of superhero films and the low-budget niche indie flick boom of the mid-2000s? We can – and will – argue ‘heck yes,’ gosh!
In general, the Hollywood Theatre does not provide content advisories about the subject matter shown in our theatre. Films exhibited don’t necessarily reflect the views of the Hollywood Theatre. Information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media and DoesTheDogDie.com.