Page - 153 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 05/02

the film promotes. Together the duo is much stronger than it would be if each character were left to his own devices. The duo wins the support of the majority of the students by emphasizing a shared marginality, a fact that Hess emphasizes when Summer and Pedro square off in a presidential debate of sorts. Summer does a dance with the cheerlead- ing squad, while Pedro simply says, “If you vote for me, all your dreams will come true.” He walks dejectedly off the stage, and then Napoleon comes to his aid by dancing to LaFawnduh’s brother’s audition tapes. Easily one of the most memorable scenes from the movie, it finishes as students jump to their feet and cheer. Richard J. Allen questions the reigning interpretation that holds that Napoleon’s dance wins Pedro supporters, but he also argues that this scene emphasizes that “the majority of [Napoleon’s] classmates … are more in tune with his eccentricity than the bullies and mean girls who taunt him”.47 As Pedro positions himself as an Everyman for the student body, he assures his victory and undermines the position not only of Summer but also of the racist principal. Hess emphasizes the allegorical union between the Gentile and the Lamanite by crosscutting between the film’s several protagonists, showing them reconcile the problems they were facing throughout the film. When he depicts Pedro’s election party, he shows a diverse group of people, all of whom celebrate this major achievement. The religious discourse in this film remains hidden from the casual viewer, but the relationship between Napoleon and Pedro holds deep significance within Mormon thought. FAITH, CELIBACY, AND CHILDLIKE ADULTS IN NACHO LIBRE Hess emphasizes the religious element of his representations of Mexican peo- ple and cultures more explicitly in Nacho Libre than in Napoleon Dynamite, but the Mormon backdrop is less obvious. The film stars Ignacio (aka “Nacho”) (Jack Black), who is the child of a Mexican Catholic and a European missionary. After growing up in a monastery following his parents’ deaths, he chooses to become a friar and dedicate his life to the Lord. Hess’s ironic take on Catholi- cism in general – and Mexican practices of the religion in particular – acquires a deeper meaning as we consider his own Mormon upbringing. Nacho Libre builds on a common imaginary within Mormon thought in which God has ap- parently blessed the people of Mexico with an especially acute ability to feel the Spirit.48 While laudable, this quality at times leads them to make childish 47 R. J. Allen 2013, 9–22. 48 Most academic discussions of Mormonism in Mexico center on the North American immigrants who arrived in the northern state of Chihuahua after the United States passed anti-polygamy laws. See Janzen 2018. Nevertheless, the majority of Mormons in Mexico are ethnic Mexicans who have converted to the faith as a result of aggressive proselytization. On (Dang) Quesadillas and Nachos | 153www.jrfm.eu 2019, 5/2, 141–165