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This goofy movie, with an odd sidewise attitude all its own, may be the sweetest teen comedy ever made. It captures the language
and vocal inflections of modern teens with precision but exaggerates them wildly and hilariously. It also makes wonderful
slapstick comedy out of the physical awkwardness of adolescents. It charts an unlikely path for its eccentric hero from geekiness
to manhood -- all on his own uncompromising terms. Eric Huber gives a dazzling physical performance as the quirky Napoleon
-- sort of a cross between James Dean and Jerry Lewis. His courage and kindness take zany forms but end up empowering him
and those around him in ways that are ultimately very moving. The tone of the film is unique and all of a piece, from the
surreal evocation of a small Idaho town to the bizarre characters who populate it, each wonderfully played by perfectly cast
actors, many of them amateurs recruited locally. Sharp, clear-eyed observation of teen culture, especially in its dumbest
forms, combined with unapologetic decency and sympathy, make this little movie an offbeat classic.
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