Napoleon Dynamite: Final Shooting Script

by Jared Hess

A true twenty-first-century hero, Napoleon Dynamite is awesome at drawing ligers, hunting wolverines, and playing tetherball. He also has some sweet dance moves. His friends have some pretty good skills too -- Pedro has a Huffy Sledgehammer and a mustache, and Deb makes the best boondoggle key chains in town. Sure, Uncle Rico tries to ruin Napoleon's life and makes him look like a freakin' idiot, but even if Napoleon's just had the worst day of his life, tomorrow he can get up and do whatever he feels like he wants to do. Gosh!

Genres: Film, Humor

248 pages, Paperback

First published July 5, 2005

Reviews

[Danger]

Read this because I was curious to see how this type of deadpan comedy plays out on the page. It is funny, but because it feels so substanceless in its broad strokes (by design) I wonder how it might have read if I didn't have the performers and their affections in my mind already as I made my way through. So much of what makes the tone of this movie work is the performances. As a script alone, it is fascinating to see how these scenes rapidly shift and build on each other, and it makes me wonder if the writer weren't also the director, how many people would have "gotten" what he was going for. I'm a fan of the film, and I found this script interesting from a mechanical standpoint as well.

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love the movie, and you always wanted the script then this is for you. It's flippin sweet. Like friggin' ligers and chips and quesadillas. If you read it all your wildest dreams will come true.

[Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to help with my screenplay -- and it was surprisingly helpful indeed.

[Pitrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotta watch or read this at least once a year.

[Jeremiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, so this isn't a book and neither is it really a script with any flow. But this is just to odd of a movie script to pass up. Most people either love or just hate this movie, and I love it. I never found my social niche in school and always felt like the outsider and a bit of a nerd-though not as completely clueless as N.D. or the rest of the gang. It appeals to us because we've all known a Napoleon, Rico, Kip or Pedro so it's funny to see on screen; also, Napoleon is the kid on the outside that isn't running with the main stream and most kids identify with that as various times in their lives. In the end we all seem to want to see the underdog win, and in this hilarious and endearing movie he does...sort of.

[Dane Ziggler · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an odd piece of work, I'll definitely give it that, but a quite rewarding one. It has essentially no development, no depth, heck, it barely even has a plot. But it's a good screenplay that got made into a great movie. It's fascinating to see it as it unfolds on the page, getting a feel for its incredibly particular brand of dialogue and understanding its (essentially nonexistent) pacing.
It's worth a read if you are interested in how to write deadpan comedy or just lifelike dialogue in general. Best enjoyed as an accompaniment to the movie.

[kavya · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Napoleon dances seamlessly for the entire song.
He struts a fusion of disco and hip-hop dance moves. It is amazing."

i watched this movie for the first time in my freshman year of college, drunk and loud in front of a close friend, one person who would become a close friend, a guy i liked, and a man i would try my best to not see after covid hit. what is left of the exuberance of youth, where we are unafraid to be stupid in front of each other?

[Tom C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has some fun scenes that didn't make the final cut. However, there are way too many typos and proofreading errors. Also I would have appreciated an introduction of afterword by the writers, Jared Hess & Jerusha Hess.

[Ranette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story about an awkward teen who is trying to find himself. By the end he surprises every one with a terrific dance.

[Austin Greis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summerween 2025: Sky On the Cover

4.5 ⭐

Full review here: https://boxd.it/ako7uF

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is really funny and very creative. the book shows a teen name Napoleon Dynamite and his family, Kip, his brother, uncle Rico, and his grandma. Napoleon is not really a popular kid in his school and one day made a friend name Pedro. The book shows the adventure of Napoleon in school and at home. three reason you should read this movie is because the movie is really good, its hilarious, and it shows you what the character felt and voice might have sound like because it was a script.

[Matt Lennert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The offbeat story still holds up after all the years. The script reads as awkward as the characters perform in the movie. The subtext of not belonging in school, in Idaho, or in American society drives the humor. All humor comes from pain. This remains a classic study of dysfunction with some very memorable lines.

“I caught you a delicious bass.”

[Zeb Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg!!!!!!!! i loved this book. this book is hilarious! if ur in the mood to be in a good mood try this book. this book is the story of my life

[Nick Tramdack · Rating 1 out of 5]

I grabbed this book because I figured it would take less time to read than watching the movie. And I'm glad I spent so little time on this lame-ass, substanceless storyline.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every bit as hilarious as the movie, which I recommend watching first.

[Paige Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

White Culture in a single screenplay. Chef's kiss.

[nina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had to read this about a million times for a script supervising workshop. We did a markup on it.

[Ian]

The book Napoleon Dynamite is about a kid in high school and what a couple days are like in his life. He lives with his older brother and grandmother who has a pet alpaca, Tina. after a bit of reading uncle Rico comes into the picture. Rico is a guy that is stuck in the 80’s and obsessed with his old football career. He drives an old full size “luxury” van. Then there's deb a girl Napoleon goes to school with that does pictures and keychains trying to make money for college. Lastly, there's Pedro he's new to the town and he and Napoleon become best friends and do some pretty crazy stuff.

I don’t really connect with any of the characters except for Pedro because he moved to a new school like I have done for all my life. I think the only thing this relates to in the world would be the bullying aspect of this book. Napoleon gets bullied a lot and is considered one of the “scrubby” kind of people that people tend to stay away from. When really they can be the coolest people even though they might not have a lot of money or things.

I liked this book because I didn't know they made a book for the movie and because it was in script form. Which could make a person feel like they are making the movie. My favorite part of the boo was when the jock asked Napoleon for his tots that were in his pocket. I would recommend this book to someone that likes to read scripts and feel like their in the movie also.