JACKSON, Tenn. — March 11, 2005 — It is often said that one must laugh just to keep from crying. While most agree that life is certainly that way at times, it seems that much of American society has now arrived at a place where laughter is valued even above careful thinking.
This is especially evident as preoccupation with silliness and aversion to truth and meaning seem to be the fountain head from which flows the current youth culture鈥檚 fascination with the ridiculously silly movie, 鈥淣apoleon Dynamite.鈥� If you are unfamiliar with the movie, talk to the nearest teenager, and more than likely you will get an earful of silly one-liners spoken as precisely and passionately as originally delivered in the movie.
Yesterday鈥檚 culture was enamored with 鈥淪einfeld鈥� 鈥� a show about nothing. However, in comparison to the subject matter of 鈥淣apoleon Dynamite鈥� which obsesses on oblivion, 鈥淪einfeld鈥� appears to be a show full of meaning, purpose and direction. Society鈥檚 quest for triviality has caused us to want more and more of nothing, and we are getting it with this latest film.
Never mind the fact that there exists no plot or point. In fact, the point of the movie is that there is no point. When asking young people what the movie is about, puzzled looks appear on their faces, and after awkward pauses they usually reply 鈥淲ell, I don鈥檛 know but it鈥檚 hilarious!鈥� Saying that 鈥淣apoleon Dynamite鈥� is 鈥渉ilarious鈥� is like saying that grass is orange. It simply is not.
Someone older than 25 who does not think the movie to be funny probably will be written off by teenagers as uncool or out of touch with this present generation. Nevertheless, the essence of 鈥淣apoleon Dynamite鈥� lies not in its humor鈥攔egardless of one鈥檚 opinion about what is funny鈥攂ut in its focus on nothingness. Scene after scene, one looks hopelessly for some semblance of plot or significance, but emphasis remains solely on the absurdities of each character. From Napoleon putting Tater Tots in his pockets to his brother鈥檚 endless and romantic chatting with a long-distance 鈥渂abe鈥� to Pedro鈥檚 wearing of a wig purchased off of a store mannequin, pointlessness prevails. Snippets of silliness are constructed upon a storyline of nothingness resulting in the thoughtful viewer鈥檚 frustration which waits in vain for resolution. The logical conclusion of the movie is that nothing matters, and that life is a series of meaningless (although many might say funny) irrationalities.
Christian leaders have an excellent opportunity to expose the inadequacies of such a film. Sadly, rather than helping our young people to think Christianly about the meaninglessness espoused in the movie, 鈥淣apoleon Dynamite鈥� has become the theme of many church youth retreats, conferences, and DiscipleNow weekends. By plastering Dynamite鈥檚 picture on the front of the latest church camp T-shirt and building programming on the images of such a movie, many are telling the world that some Christians consider faith to be on the same level of seriousness as that of the culture around us.
Any movie is an outgrowth of one鈥檚 worldview. 鈥淣apoleon Dynamite鈥� is reflective of a worldview that is hopelessly trivial in essence. Such a worldview is rooted in pessimism and driven by meaninglessness. The movie鈥檚 conclusion leads one toward ultimate nothingness.
The apostle Paul sought to take 鈥渆very thought captive to the obedience of Christ,鈥� (2 Corinthians 10:5) and we must do no less, regardless of how seemingly insignificant the thought might be. In the midst of such a culture which values the trivial and the nonsensical, the Christian should strive to have the mind of Christ about all things 鈥� even about society鈥檚 infatuation with an apparently harmless and funny movie. But as is evident, it is much easier simply to laugh. After all, it doesn鈥檛 require any thought.
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Todd E. Brady is minister to the university.