Superhero? Porn star? Nope, just a high school student: "Napoleon Dynamite"

Here's how it used to be at the homestead when the missus and I would discuss what movies to watch: She would plug stuff like "Moonstruck," "The Graduate" or, her favorite, "Harold and Maude." Meanwhile, I'd futilely try to explain the plot of "Army of Darkness" and why it was indeed very funny.

Nowadays, we often go our separate ways so she can watch "Judging Amy" reruns in peace while I retire to the office and surf the Internet. (Gotta keep up on the latest Christian rock hits.) Last weekend, however, we both were in a "Napoleon Dynamite" mood, and I'm starting to think this little film could enter the rare atmosphere of "Movies that Only Get Better Every Time You See Them." (See "Bull Durham" and "Starship Troopers." What, you expected "Schindler's List?")

I confess that I didn't have "Dynamite" Fever when the movie came out last year. Maybe I was busy or something, but I figured it could wait until the small screen while I indulged my senses with stuff like "Spider-Man 2." That's it ... "Dynamite" just needed more costumes and explosions. Then again, Tobey Maguire in Napoleon's three-piece suit could have made Sam Raimi another $50 mil, I bet.

Anyway, when I finally saw "Dynamite" last fall, I was amused. When I saw it again last weekend, I laughed out loud. Some might find it hard to believe a teen movie in this era can be funny without fart jokes, profanity and nubile bodies prancing around. But "Dynamite" is, and I think it comes down to two aspects: deadpan and random.

One way to think about it is if Steven Wright was a teenager, much more myopic and much less self-aware. Napoleon's monotone is funny enough, but the odd stuff in his life -- martial arts, Future Farmers of America, his family's pet llama, his family in general (Kip!), his new Hispanic friend and, of course, ligers -- just keeps coming at you. The best thing, though, is that it doesn't hit us over the hammer and is all perfectly natural to him.

You have to give writer-director Jared Hess credit for including other funny details -- stereotypical names like "Pedro Sanchez" (from Juarez, of course) and "Summer Wheatley," corn dogs, Trapper Keepers, D-Qwon's Dance Grooves -- into a movie that was shot in 22 days for, what, maybe $10,000? Pretty good music, too.

But the real man here is Jon Heder, the unknown star who got only $1,000 up front -- hopefully more since -- for portraying the eponymous character. Napoleon Dynamite probably has carved out a permanent place in movie history, if only for his wardrobe and dance moves alone. He can count on my vote for Pedro, just as long as the chickens don't have large talons.