English 100, Section 6
Unexpected Success, Unexpected Effects In the profile “Rural Idaho Town Seeks to Turn Film’s Cult Status into Prosperity” by Laura Holson, she shows the impact that a movie can have on a town. The movie is Napoleon Dynamite, and the town is Preston, Idaho. Throughout this profile, Holson tells the reader about a Napoleon Dynamite festival held in the small Idaho town the movie was filmed in. Some examples are given as to the events held at the festival such as the Napoleon look-alike contest, or the tater tot eating contest. Many of these contests and activities help people bring out their so called, “inner Napoleon” (Holson 162). Holson is able to illustrate the impact the Napoleon Dynamite festival had on the town and the people of Preston, while organizing the piece effectively. One point that is addressed by Holson is how the town is affected by the Napoleon Dynamite festival. The title addresses this point when she says the “rural Idaho town” (Holson 161). After her short story about the festival, Holson immediately jumps into how the town is effected. Holson states that “more than 300 people traveled from as far away as California and Connecticut for the chance to embrace their own inner Napoleon” (Holson 162). She also gives another example of how a movie can impact a town. Holson mentions Field of Dreams, which turned a small town in Iowa to someplace that is visited by over 65,000 people a year. Holson continues to show how the movie has affected the town by giving constant examples. She first states that Preston, Idaho is a rural town, with only 5,000 residents. Next, she mentions Penny Christensen, who is the executive director of the Preston Area Chamber of Commerce. Christensen was also the organizer of the first festival due to the 15,000 visitors of the town asking for a map of the movie’s sites (Holson 162). Holson shows how the movie and festival changed the town through the tourism that it generates. The next point that can be drawn from the profile written by Laura Holson is the effect that the festival has on the people of not only Preston, but the people that participate in the festival. She goes about this by quoting many attendees of the festival. For instance, she mentions Gordon Smith who traveled all the way from Utah to attend the festival. Holson quotes him in the piece as saying, “I can relate to it. In high school it’s the cool kids and everybody else. I was part of the ‘everybody else’ crowd. But in the movie the geeks, like Napoleon, support each other. You know, there was a very good message” (Holson 162-163). In this quote, it is easy for the reader to draw back to an earlier statement by Holson, talking about everyone’s “inner Napoleon.” Holson also gives the perspective of the prior resident of Preston when she mentions Dale Critchlow, who is the 76-year-old cattle farmer who played Lyle in the movie. Critchlow tells Holson that he has never had that kind of fame in his life (Holson 163). He is referring to the numerous autographs he gave out throughout the days of the festival. By giving numerous quotes from people who were residents of Preston or attendees of the festival, it is easy for Holson to establish credibility with the reader in her profile of this festival. Throughout the profile, Holson makes it easy for the reader to understand the points she is making, along with establishing credibility with the reader. She organizes her points effectively, while making the piece easy to read and very interesting. The numerous quotes in this essay give the reader a real understanding of her points along with support to make the reader interested in the festival itself. One of the examples given is the tater tot eating contest where entrants are given one pound of the crispy potato lumps to down (Holson 163). Examples such as this, given by Holson, give the reader a full understanding of the activities of the festival along with the approval by the residents of Preston. In the organization of points and quotations, Holson puts together a solid profile, giving the reader the necessary examples and background information to help the reader fully understand the benefits of the festival on the town and the people. Holson illustrates the impact that the Napoleon Dynamite festival had on the town of Preston, Idaho. She does this by showing the reader the effect on the city, the effect on the people , and throughout the organization of points in the profile. Her many quotations along with direct examples provide credibility for the reader and make it easy for the reader to understand the points she is trying to make. Throughout the reading of this profile, Holson can persuade any fan to go see what the festival is all about.