Napoleon Dynamite, Uncle Rico, Pedro In Joliet

JOLIET, IL — If you see a lanky, skinny man wearing glasses practicing his dance moves Friday in downtown Joliet, perhaps at the vacant Chicken-N-Spice parking lot, it's not someone pretending to be Napoleon Dynamite, it's the real thing. It's really Jon Heder.

And given that the NFL season is underway, you might see Uncle Rico, yes, the real Uncle Rico, otherwise known as Jon Gries, tossing around a football this afternoon in Joliet's giant empty Kmart parking lot at the corner of Jefferson Street and Larkin Avenue.

But if you don't see Heder, Gries and the beloved Pedro — who is actor Efren Ramirez — walking the streets of Joliet, or perhaps going on a scenic boat tour of downtown Joliet's Des Plaines River canal, you will definitely see them tonight inside the Rialto Square Theatre.

At 7:30 p.m. the Rialto presents a full movie screening of "Napoleon Dynamite" followed by a live conversation with the main stars of the cast: Heder, Gries and Ramirez.

The prospect of Napoleon Dynamite visiting Joliet has been on the Rialto's calendar for about a year and a half. The show was originally set for September 2020, but it had to be postponed a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, it's showtime.

People who bought their tickets in advance paid $30. It's $35 for walk-ups on the day of the show. The event will be general admission.

The Rialto theater can accommodate nearly 2,000 guests.

Doors to the Rialto will open at 6:30 p.m. and seats open 30 minutes prior to showtime. Napoleon Dynamite the movie came out in 2004.

"Appealing to the inner-teenager in each of us, the story, and more importantly the dialogue, makes 'Napoleon Dynamite' one of the most quoted movies of our time," the Rialto's marketing brochure touts. “Napoleon Dynamite makes us laugh and laugh hard over and over again.

"Napoleon Dynamite is a socially awkward 16-year-old from Preston, Idaho, who lives with his grandmother and his older brother. The film centers around Napoleon’s high school’s race for class president, where Napoleon is determined to help his friend Pedro beat popular girl Summer. In addition to navigating his high school life, Napoleon must also face the strange family dynamics back home."

"This unique evening includes a full screening of 'Napoleon Dynamite' followed by a lively, freewheeling, moderated discussion with fan-favorite cast members; Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), Efren Ramirez (Pedro) and Jon Gries (Uncle Rico)."