The Napoleon Dynamite Complex: Enjoying life inside a town stuck in time
Table Of Content
They came in anticipation of some of the film’s greatest moments — like Napoleon’s incredible dance (in moon boots!) to Jamiroquai’s “Canned Heat” that helps secure Pedro’s class president victory. The film is set during the 2004–2005 school year, as shown on Napoleon's student ID card in the title sequence.[14][15] The film contains several culturally retroactive elements harkening back to the 1980s or 1990s. Hess described the very moment when the Sundance Film Festival crowd saw the movie for the first time. As the scene where Napoleon gets on the bus flashed across the screen, people in the audience broke out into laughter.
Discover more from Global Film Locations
Napoleon Dynamite swaps ligers for 'Giving Machines' to aid nonprofit - KATU
Napoleon Dynamite swaps ligers for 'Giving Machines' to aid nonprofit.
Posted: Tue, 19 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
There he met his wife, Jerusha, and they teamed up to create a semi-autobiographical flick about a lanky, awkward teenager who has trouble fitting in. The famous scene is where Napoleon did his iconic dance on stage at the end of the movie. A scene so popular it made its way all the way to Magnolia, Texas, where Tatum Brokaw copied Napoleon’s moves during a high school talent show his senior year. You can see the Deseret Industries where Napoleon shopped and his house just a few miles away. The film is part of the town’s culture, as much as the town is part of the film. Tourism has slowed down a bit over the decades, but it’s still enough so that when people come in and ask for directions at the local gas station, they just hand them a map.
Preston, Idaho
Dave Johnson, the manager, shares the initial surprise and excitement when the filmmakers approached the establishment for filming. Henline shares the story of how his family acquired the bowling alley. A short drive away lies Pop-N-Pins Bowling Alley, owned by Logan Henline. "The town just pulled out all the stops to help us make this movie," Jerusha said.
Preston, Idaho: Home of Napoleon Dynamite
The Slamdance Film Festival, which featured early work by many legendary filmmakers, is moving from its long-time home of Park City to LA. But Garner said a lot of people see the film in themselves too, even the kids who were born well after the film went big. I don’t have hair now, but I had a big bushy hair then, and I was skinny and geeky, and I had moon boots,” Thomas said. Brady Garner, the assistant superintendent of the Preston School District, shares his unique perspective, having been a student during the filming. Johnson, who had a cameo in the film, turned Big J Burgers into a shrine adorned with photos from the filming days. Premiering 20 years ago, the film not only captured the hearts of audiences worldwide but also left an indelible mark on the quaint town of Preston, Idaho.
The geeks inherit the earth in Jared Hess’ wryly deadpan one-off, which put Preston, Idaho, on the map. The town, on Highway 91, at the Utah border, 100 miles north of Salt Lake City, has produced a Sweet Map to Napoleon’s Preston. But at the end of the day, the most wonderful and moving thing about “Napoleon Dynamite” is that, ultimately, it’s a story of hope. When “Napoleon Dynamite” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 20 years ago this month, there wasn’t an opening credits sequence.
Co-writers and co-directors Jerusha and Jared Hess, both students at Brigham Young University at the time, shared the genesis of Napoleon Dynamite. Finally, the wedding of Kip and LaFawnduh (shot months after completion of the film) is at Lamont Reservoir, a couple of miles east of Preston. The house has four bedrooms and two bathrooms with over 2,000 square feet of space. Additionally, there is also a finished basement. Furthermore, Preston, ID is a city in Franklin County, Idaho.
East 800 North
I first visited Preston in summer 2005 for the first ever Napoleon Dynamite festival! I saw the film in a local indie theater in Boise with my parents and other family, and I remember thinking it was SO WEIRD, and I did not understand why everyone older than me was laughing. (I was a young high schooler at the time.) I quickly saw its quirky appeal, and my friend and I became big fans. We had an 80s themed joint birthday party because we shared the same birthday! I went with her family to Preston for the festival. This time around, the cheers started early and didn’t stop.
Well the movie did do something — people still come to Preston to see where it all happened, visiting the homes of Napoleon and his best friend Pedro. “I had the opportunity to be in the movie, but at the time, I was like, ‘Well, it’s not going to do anything,’” Garner said. "It seems funny that there's so many people wanting to see Pedro's house," Terresa Taylor, Jones' next-door neighbor said.
With a small budget of $400,000, the filmmakers faced the challenge of bringing their vision to life. Also out of town – and out of the state – Kip confides in Uncle Rico about his on-line girlfriend, LaFawnduh, at Big J’s Drive-in, 190 South 200 East, Richmond, Utah, opened in 1959 (as Jed’s) and was about to be demolished. The chicken farm, where Napoleon and friends earn six dollars (plus all the eggs they can eat – and drink) moving around chickens with large talons, is Ritewood Egg Co, 3643 South 4000 East, Franklin. He buys his awesome suit at Deseret Industries Thrift Shop, 36 South State Street. In fact, the store furnished most of the film’s wardrobe.
The gas station employees are not the only ones to offer that sweet brochure. Fans of Napoleon Dynamite should put this tour on their summer to-do list. Just remember, people actually live and work in these homes and businesses, so be respectful when visiting. This establishing shot of the house is shown directly before the scene where Napoleon tests out the "time machine" that his uncle Rico bought on the Internet. Napoleon's house is about 1.2 miles east of the intersection between Idaho State Highway 36 and East 800 North. Choosing Preston, Idaho, as the film's backdrop because of Jared's high school connections, the town's residents played a pivotal role in helping to make the movie.
Abundant with quiet settings but also very-much alive with bustling activity, Los Angeles is the perfect destination to explore the local environment, in collaboration with world-class dining and endless bar after hours in front of your door. “I was very blessed that I could have my actual real family in the movie,” Avery said, adding that her mom, a sister and two of her brothers made it in that final scene. When it came time to shoot the film’s end-credit scene, when LaFawnduh and Kip tie the knot, the filmmakers faced yet another obstacle — “There were no Black people in Preston, Idaho,” Shondrella Avery, who plays LaFawnduh, said with a laugh. Carlinda is injured in a quad-bike accident and asks their Uncle Rico to look after the boys while she recovers.
Comments
Post a Comment