Entertainment

Gosh! It's The Napoleon Dynamite Statue!

by Mallory Schlossberg

My lips hurt real bad. So bad, that I think I'm going to call my grandma to get me some Chapstick. And then I'll go vote for Pedro and celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Napoleon Dynamite with a commemorative statue! Yup, that's right — the cast of the super-quotable cult classic from 2004 that inspired big sleeves and tater tot obsessions everywhere has honored the movie with a bronze statue of its bizarre, fumbling hero. Fox Searchlight described the statue as "possibly the only bronze statue ever to sport moon boots." (That's probably true.)

Along with unveiling the bronze statue, which features Napoleon holding a tetherball and wearing the iconic Vote for Pedro shirt, Fox Searchlight hosted a Q&A with the movie's director Jared Hess and the cast, including Jon Heder (Napoleon), Efren Ramirez (Pedro), Haylie Duff (Summer), Tina Majorino (Deb), Shondrella Avery (Lafawnduh), and Sandy Martin (Grandma). Apparently, even Napoleon's pet llama, Tina, showed up for the event. I guess somebody brought her some ham.

Napoleon Dynamite was one of the biggest independent movies, as it was shot on a budget of $400,000 and went on to make over $44 million. But perhaps more importantly, it changed our cultural vernacular — after all, how else would we have known what a liger was? Besides the fact that it's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion and a tiger mixed, bred for its skills in magic.

Take a look at some of the photos from the event — and then commemorate the movie on your own by launching into some of D-Kwon's Dance Grooves.

Valerie Macon/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Valerie Macon/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images