Page - 152 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 05/02

Pedro remains culturally different from his peers, but he is also very much wel- come to stay. The story of Pedro’s victory reverberates with the Mormon idea that the Lamanites – aided by worthy Gentiles – will establish a New Jerusalem in the United States while leaving unworthy Mormon Gentiles (allegorically cod- ed as Don and Summer) behind.45 Throughout the campaign, Napoleon and Pedro emphasize the racialized “skills” that Pedro brings to the table. After witnessing a student get bullied, Napoleon approaches the victim and says, “Pedro offers you his protection.” Hess cuts to another scene, where the same bully attempts to steal the stu- dent’s bicycle. Pedro’s cousins – who look like stereotypical Latino gangsters from Hollywood films – show up in a hydraulic lowrider with loud music and look at the bully. They shake their heads disapprovingly and the bully flees. Hess certainly filmed the aforementioned scene for comedic effect; nevertheless, in asserting an alliance between the bullied student and these “dangerous” Mex- ican immigrants, Hess deconstructs the idea that whites of all stripes must join forces against threatening people of color. Instead, he suggests that oppressed whites and people of color should focus on their common interests. Pedro’s cousins appear dangerous to white characters – and perhaps even audiences – throughout the film, but Hess emphasizes their kindness. These characters nev- er speak English, but they constantly help people whether or not they know them. In one scene, Napoleon is forced to walk to his prom date’s home after his uncle refuses to give him a ride. Luckily, Pedro’s cousins find him and offer to take him and his date to the dance. Hess’s shots in this sequence once again pro- duce a comedic effect, as they subvert common filmic tropes that equate Latino youths with criminality. Viewed allegorically, this episode has Hess remind faith- ful Gentiles and Lamanites to work together in building the “Kingdom”. Napoleon has to help Pedro navigate a new culture also so that he can avoid committing major faux pas. At one point, for example, Pedro makes a piñata of Summer that his supporters beat with a stick. Afterwards, Hess cuts to the principal’s office, where the school’s top administrator says, “I don’t know how they do things down in Juarez, but here in Idaho we have a little something called pride.” A bit flustered, Pedro tells Napoleon, “we do that in Mexico all the time!” Pedro’s innocence – or at least his lack of familiarity with the student election process – remains clear throughout the film. Given Napoleon’s own eccentricities, which have led many critics to suggest he may have Asperger’s syndrome,46 it is surprising that he would be the one to show Pedro how to properly act in the United States. Nevertheless, his desire to help his friend de- spite his own social challenges reverberates within the racialized imaginary that 45 Mink 2008, 158. 46 Levin/Schlozman 2006, 430. 152 | David S. Dalton www.jrfm.eu 2019, 5/2, 141–165