How 'Napoleon Dynamite' became Hollywood's template for Middle America

Fifteen years ago, on June 11, 2004, “Napoleon Dynamite” was released in theaters nationwide.

Read the two-part oral history here:
Part 1: https://bit.ly/2Y1665R
Part 2: https://bit.ly/2Xwo2cu

The director of “Napoleon Dynamite,” Jared Hess, grew up in Preston, a small rural community near the Idaho/Utah border. He and his wife, Jerusha Hess, wrote the script with Preston in mind and filmed the movie there.

It paid off. “Napoleon Dynamite" made nearly $200 million in box office and home video sales combined — all on a production budget of only $400,000. That’s pretty unheard of. The unlikely success of “Napoleon Dynamite” changed Hollywood’s relationship with certain kinds of indie comedies. And for a time, the movie became Hollywood’s visual template for Middle America. Take a look.

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