20 Things You Somehow Missed In Napoleon Dynamite
8. The Inspiration Behind Jon Heder's 'Canned Heat'
Napoleon Dynamite's most iconic set piece is the protagonist's dance to Jamiroquai’s 'Canned Heat.'
Along with his own improv, Jon Heder cites a wide array of dance influences naming Michael Jackson, John Travolta, and Backstreet Boys as inspiration. Heder also credits Tina Majorino (Deb) for assisting him in choreographing the dance. Majorino, after a successful career as a child star, went to school for Hip Hop dancing.
Keen viewers will notice another covert hint at Heder's effort during the scene. By the end of the performance, the moon boots worn by Heder were duck taped and Sharpied blue to disguise their condition.
Though the filmmakers tried setting the dance to several other tracks, they couldn’t find one that fit the scene quite like 'Canned Heat'. Sticking with the song cost a sizeable amount of the movie’s already limited budget.