Napoleon Dynamite

Over the weekend I was asked to write a film analysis using the hero's journey method.  In the movie Napoleon Dynamite, the call to adventure for Napoleon is constantly changing over the course of the movie.  The main journey I want to focus on is at the ending of the movie.

The hero receives the call when his friend, Pedro, wants to become the president of the student body. There is no real refusal to the call but crossing the threshold is when they start to put up the posters and start to come out of their comfort zone.  The mentor could be the principal because he talks to Pedro and tells him what he can and cannot do.  Lafawnda was a mentor to Napoleon because she gave him some music to dance to and he learned to dance to it because of the way she treated him.



Uncle Rico is most definitely the shadow because he keeps coming into Napoleons life and saying that Napoleon can't do anything.  The villain at this point of the story is Summer because she is running against Pedro and trying to win.  One of the tests and trials is the beating of the pinata.  Pedro then learns that you can't make, and destroy a pinata of the person you are running against.

Another test at this point of the story is when Napoleon goes on stage and helps Pedro with his campaign.  Napoleon can be both a hero and a mentor because he was willing to go out and show the world what he's made of.  When Napoleon wins the election for Pedro that is when he is "resurrected" and starts on the road back(quite literally).  The enlightened state is when Pedro is at the picnic with his family and Napoleon plays tether-ball with Deb and they are all enlightened and prepared for the year to come.

Napoleon Dynamite was one of the funniest movies I've seen, but it is full of the hero's journey and that's what makes it so great to watch.

The way of the Drake

Drake was an average everyday single man.  He woke up every morning and tended to his natural routines which include brushing his teeth, eating breakfast, and reading the paper.  Throughout the day he only worked, went home and then eventually went to bed after watching some late night infomercials.  Today seemed like any other day until he found an add on his computer advertising a program for those who want to learn kung-fu. 

Will he join the dojo?
Will he meet a woman?
Will he become a master?
Dose this change his outlook on his life?
Is someone going to challenge him for the girl?

Blurbs...Blurbs...What?

Major Tom
A man alone travels to space.  He feels that he's meant to be out in space.  Everything goes according to plan to get him into space.  When he gets to space, the rockets catch fire and he goes to fix them.  Now he's in space.  Will he get home or is space his new home?

If I had a million dollars
Two friends get together after years of going their separate ways.  The two have always loved the theater and decide to make a play.  The only problem is that they don't believe they have enough money.  They then discuss what they would do with a million dollars.  Then it hits them, they now need to find ways to put it together before they lose everything.

The trail we Blaze
A man and a woman are starting to drift apart from each other and are now realizing that their marriage is falling apart.  Now faced with an overwhelming debt, the couple set out on a journey to fight against the modern lawyer and fight to save their crumbling marriage.  Will they succeed, or will their marriage be another casualty of the 21st century?

Anyone Alive Out There

Anyone there... I really need something to talk about aside from these things I do randomly.  Why won't anyone respond to my posts. :< Don't leave me hanging.  Just put something up that we can talk about.  And tell your friends.