Cast of Napoleon Dynamite visits UB for screening and discussion

John Heder, Jon Gries and Efren Ramirez visit UB as the 20th anniversary of Napoleon dynamite approaches

DYLAN GRECO OPINION EDITOR

“Napoleon Dynamite” super fans flooded the Center for the Arts (CFA) theater, almost all of them wearing “Vote for Pedro” t-shirts and eagerly awaited a screening of a movie they’ve seen dozens of times over. The faint scent of Labatt Blue wafted through the theater as the lights dimmed and the film’s beginning credits rolled.

Audience members applauded and cheered classic scenes such as “gimme your tots,” feeding Tina and the iconic

“Vote for Pedro” dance. The lights turned on, revealing a piñata of Summer Wheatly, Pedro’s presidential opponent, and a tetherball pole flanked the stage. Three couches occupied center stage next to a plate of tater tots and a “totally legit” time machine.

This wasn’t just another screening. Fans went to the April 13 showing to witness John Heder (Napoleon), Jon Gries (Uncle Rico) and Efren Ramirez (Pedro) discuss their cult classic comedy, “Napoleon Dynamite.”

As the audience waited for the actors to reveal themselves, acoustic guitar blared through the speakers. Gries appeared on stage strumming his guitar and took a seat on one of the couches. As the acoustic riff continued, none other than Ramirez waltzed onto the stage playing a harmonica, dazzling the crowd. Shortly after Gries and Ramirez’s jam session, rapid footsteps echoed from the back of the theater; John Heder jogged on stage to a round of applause, high-fiving audience members along the way.

The audience’s varying ages evidently surprised Heder, as he began the show with “Ugh, you guys look older now” in his iconic Napoleon Dynamite voice. For the next 30 minutes, the actors regaled the audience with secrets from behind the scenes. The actors all shared a sheer doubt in how successful “Napoleon Dynamite” would become.

After he was offered the role of Uncle Rico, Gries’ manager was skeptical. “He said, ‘You don’t want to do this movie. These guys are just from Utah.’ They have no track, right?” Gries said.

Supposedly “a lot of [big] name actors” turned down roles in “Napoleon Dynamite" without giving the script a fair read. But the script alone piqued Gries’ interest, ultimately causing him to accept his nowfamous role.

“I said to my manager, ‘Let me read the script,” he said. “And of course, by page 15, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m doing this,’ because it was so original.”

Gries was further sold on the movie on the first day of filming. He showed up with his nylon wig in hand, and the first thing he saw was characters Lafonda and Kip playing footsie.

“I literally walked off set and called my friend in distribution. I told him that he was going to want to buy this movie,” Gries said. “Of course, he never called me back.”

Heder, Aaron Rule (Kip) and director Jared Hess all attended Brigham Young University’s film school, where they came up with the idea for “Napoleon Dynamite.” The cult classic started as a short film called “Peluca.” The films were so similar that many scenes from “Peluca” ended up in the feature length film.

On January 17, 2024, the film will turn 20 years old. And while “Napoleon Dynamite” hasn’t exactly maintained the fire it started in 2004, it has successfully become a cult classic with a dedicated fan base — one that is evidently strong at UB.

Editor’s note: The Spectrum spoke on-the-record to several students who requested to remain anonymous. All students were granted anonymity due to federal and campus marijuana policies.

With more than 1,300 acres across UB’s three campuses, students have found plenty of places to puff, puff, pass.

Although recreational usage of marijuana is legal in New York, marijuana is prohibited on campus due to federal law, forcing students to be mindful when choosing their pot spots.

One junior communication student prefers to smoke by the pillars at Baird Point. He says it’s the perfect balance between “lively” and “desolate,” giving students their own space to smoke surrounded by greenery.

He also smokes at the nature trail behind South Lake to absorb the sunlight and observe the forest creatures and the blossoming spring flowers.

“It’s a nice long walk where you can get your thoughts out, have a moment to yourself and just embrace nature,” he said.

A recent psychology graduate frequented Kanazawa Island during her freshman year, sharing joints with her friends.

The small island, located just outside of Wilkeson Quadrangle, is connected to the mainland with a bridge that spans Lake LaSalle. The student says she never went alone and always shared endless laughter with friends.

But her other favorite spot was at the bottom of one of the stairways in Wilkeson.

“I actually had my first bong hit in the stairwells,” she said. “It was good, but the girl made me pay $5 for one hit.”

Another student prefers to smoke in her apartment. She didn’t like smoking in her dorm on campus due to the sensitivity of the smoke detectors. She remembers ordering a new pipe with two cherry-shaped bowls and a green leaf for last year’s 4/20.

Excited about her new purchase, she went to her friend’s dorm in Fargo Quadrangle to smoke with her friends.

“All of a sudden, Campus Living knocks