This one slipped by me back in 2009. It's by Jared and Jerusha Hess, the creators of "Napoleon Dynamite." As classic as that film is, I was disappointed by their follow-up, "Nacho Libre," and I guess I stopped looking out for offerings from the Hesses.
In “Gentlemen Broncos”, Michael Angarano plays Benjamin, an awkward, home-schooled high-schooler who writes sci-fi/fantasy stories. When he submits one of his stories at a writing camp, an established author (Jemaine Clement) steals his ideas. Initially oblivious to the plagiarism, Benjamin and a couple of new friends (Halley Feiffer and Hector Jimenez) turn Ben's book into an amateur movie. Competing versions of Ben's vision eventually collide.
With “Napoleon Dynamite”, the Hesses were working with mostly unknown actors, but that film cast a long shadow, and they were able to get some recognizable names in this one. Jennifer Coolidge is charming as Benjamin's mom. Mike White, who also produced the film, is characteristically weird as a Big-Brother-type mentor from Ben's church. Sam Rockwell is unrecognizable as the movie version of Ben's novel protagonist. I would say Jemaine Clement steals the movie as the villainous sci-fi writer Chevalier. He plays it straight as a self-important has-been with ridiculous advice for young authors.
When the Hesses premiered “Napoleon Dynamite” at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, it was something new and fresh. With a cringy sense of humor and pacing that demanded patience, the film introduced unforgettable characters like Pedro, Uncle Rico, and Napoleon himself, a shoe-gazing super-nerd with a big inner life. Since then, the Hesses have struggled to recapture that lightning in a bottle. 2006's “Nacho Libre” fell flat in my book, cringy without much humor. “Gentlemen Broncos” gets back to their “Dynamite” roots – a nerd who conceals a creative soul under his awkwardness makes some weird new friends. The story is not as fresh this time around, and they rely more on potty humor than on originality, but the story occasionally displays some heart. If you are a big “Napoleon Dynamite” fan, this is one to watch when you can't find anything else.
2.5 stars out of 5
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