Sermon Illustrations
“Napoleon Dynamite”: Clinging to the Past
Napoleon Dynamite is the story of an awkward but loveable outsider (named Napoleon Dynamite) struggling through the ups and downs of high school life. Napoleon lives with his grandmother and brother Kip. Kip is a driven, misguided misfit, looking for direction in life.
When Napoleon and Kip's grandmother is hospitalized, smarmy Uncle Rico comes to live with them. Uncle Rico hates his life, and his dreams remain anchored in the glory days of high school football. To him, 1982 represents the salad days of life. Uncle Rico and Kip find common ground in a longing for the past.
In this scene, Uncle Rico sits on the front steps with Kip, eating a tough microwaved steak. Seeing Napoleon coming down the road on a bike, Uncle Rico stands up, grabs Kip's steak, and launches it at Napoleon, hitting him squarely between the eyes. Clearly pleased with his arm and his accuracy, Uncle Rico begins to think out loud with Kip about the glory days.
"How much you wanna bet I could throw a football over those mountains? If the coach had put me in fourth quarter, we would have been state champions, no doubt about it. You better believe things would have been different. I'd have gone pro, making millions of dollars, living in a big old mansion somewhere, soaking it up in a hot tub with my soul mate."
At this point, Uncle Rico pauses and seems wistful over what might have been. He continues, "Hey, Kip, you know a lot about cyberspace. You ever come across anything about time travel?"
Kip responds, "Easy. I've already looked into it for myself."
Filled with hope that a return to the good old days might be possible, Uncle Rico responds, "Right on."
Eventually, Kip breaks away from Uncle Rico and his backward-focused life. Embracing the real possibilities of today, Kip begins a new life, while Uncle Rico returns to his trailer in the desert still dreaming of what might have been.
Elapsed Time: 00:26:11 to 00:27:37
Content: Rated PG