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Napoleon Dynamite: Asperger’s Disorder or Geek NOS?

Dr. Levin is a child and adolescent psychiatrist in private practice in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Schlozman is Associate Director, Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and Associate Director of Training for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Program, MGH/McLean Program in Child Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts. Address correspondence to Dr. Levin, 11980 San Vincente Boulevard, Suite 809, Los Angeles, CA 90049; hope.levin{at}gmail.com (E-mail). Copyright © 2006 Academic Psychiatry.

Napoleon Dynamite, the quirky hit film from 2004, is a fascinating portrayal of a teenager with social difficulties. The character Napoleon provokes intriguing diagnostic questions in distinguishing between mental illness and the spectrum of normal behavior. He demonstrates several symptoms of Asperger’s disorder, yet he also challenges the notion that children and adolescents with Asperger’s spectrum disorders will not be accepted or understood. He forms genuine, connected friendships, and fans of the movie appear to celebrate his quirkiness rather than ridicule his oddities. The authors explore the extent to which cultural issues have an impact on psychiatric phenomenology, as well as the potential treatment issues for someone with his apparent social challenges. Finally, the authors offer possible explanations for Napoleon’s immense popularity, especially among adolescents. With the rise of computer technology, our culture has fully embraced the idea of what has come to be called "geekdom," and the authors consider the idea that Napoleon’s popularity may be a more rural equivalent for this phenomenon. The success of the movie appears to be related to a genuine celebration of Napoleon himself.

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