History Film / NapoleonDynamite

The movie is often considered an "honorary" [[UsefulNotes/MormonCinema Mormon film]]. Despite containing no explicitly Mormon themes, most of the production team was LDS and recently graduated from BYU, the film is [[GoshDangItToHeck squeaky-clean]] to the point of it being part of the humor, and many of the jokes make a lot more sense if one has a familiarity with Mormon culture.

* UsefulNotes/MormonCinema: Played with. Jared and Jerusha Hess, Jon Heder and many involved in the production are Mormons. It's filmed and takes place in Preston, Idaho, a city with a huge percent of its population being Mormon. It has no cursing or raunchy humor. People dress conservatively for the most part. However there is never any direct reference to Mormonism, in fact the only religious symbolism seen at all are Catholic items in Pedro's house. Likewise we never get any explanation where Kip and Napoleon's parents are and Grandma is wearing a T-Shirt at the Dunes that indicates she's divorced. ParentalAbandonment and Divorce are strongly against Mormon values.

* {{Jerkass}}: Summer (classic AlphaBitch who makes a racist crack at Pedro after passively-aggressively rejecting his prom offer), Uncle Rico (former JerkJock turned into pathetic has-been clinging to his glory days who makes fun of Napoleon to his face and creepily hits on teenage girls), and the Principal (well-meaning but patronising ass who talks down to Pedro).

The movie aims to be as deadpan awkward as possible, and the results have caused quite a bit of HypeBacklash for those who expected a regular teen comedy. It was the breakout role of Creator/JonHeder, who plays the title character and has gone on to mainstream roles alongside stars like Creator/WillFerrell and Creator/BillyBobThornton. The filmmakers themselves, [[WriteWhatYouKnow Idaho natives]], went on to make ''Film/NachoLibre'' with Creator/JackBlack.

* PutMeInCoach: Uncle Rico of ''Film/NapoleonDynamite'' wants to invoke this... through TimeTravel. He's spent the last twenty-two years lamenting that his high coach left him on the bench, and wants to go back to 1982 for a second chance at the big game, thinking its victory will make him into a famous football player.

AutopilotArtistry: Deb momentarily forgets her social anxiety as she browses her studio's stock for a style suitable for Uncle Rico. She mutters to herself in a distinctly more fluid stream of consciousness than we see her exhibit anywhere else, then immediately tenses up again the second she turns back around to face him.

** Parodied and subverted with Kip. During his romance montage with LaFawnduh, she is shown removing his glasses in slow motion in a bright vignette as one might see when this trope is played straight. She only reveals an even more effeminate face than before, grinning meekly, but apparently that's exactly her type. Kip probably looks his best at his wedding in a fashionable suit and marginally more stylish glasses, but is still so unbelievably nerdy that it doesn't make a difference.

** Subverted with Kip. He probably looks his best at his wedding in a fashionable suit and marginally more stylish glasses, but is still so unbelievably nerdy that it doesn't make a difference.

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