I didn’t find the plot to revolve around one character but rather all of them who were in somewhat “down” points in their lives feeling a bit depressed about their situations. And they all journeyed to a “things are looking up” place.
Pedro was a new guy in town without any friends. He befriends Napoleon and Deb and gains some popularity through his presidential win. In the end a smile creeps across his face in a “thing are looking up” way.
Uncle Rico is a miserable guy living in the past and trying to make a fast buck. In the end his girlfriend returns and he also smiles in a “things are going to be allright” way.
Deb also plays the lonely role and ends up finding friendship in Napoleon.
Kip is living with his grandma sitting on the computer all day. He ends up finding love and moving out and on with his life.
And all of this centers around Napoleon who while content with his life didn’t have much purpose with others. Then he innocently helps and observes things looking up for others. He gets Pedro the win, he becomes the friend for Deb, he watches his brother get on with his life, he watches his uncle move on with his.
It gives a subtle happy ending to what began as a few lost souls.
It had moments but NP’s cruelty to the llama made me hate him, so I didn;t like the film, would not watch it again.
I like ND because it is so darn quirky. Whenever I get into a discussion with someone about ND, I usually ask the person what type of life they experienced in high school: were they members of a well-received or popular group (athletes, cheerleaders, band, singers, etc.), or were they loners and outcasts. What I have found is that if a person was a member of a well-received or popular group, then that person typically does not like or “get” ND, whereas the people who self-identify as loners or outcasts (such as geeks, nerds, dorks, etc.) typically like the movie.
I was a skinny outcast nerd, a member of the AV “club” (I worked for the school library and set up AV equipment), a computer programmer on our school’s first Apple II computers (1979), and only played in sports one year. I was also a singer, and was in the elite singing group my senior year. However, the singers and other art-related groups were considered “nerds” by most of the school, unless that person happened to be in a garage-band (which I wasn’t).
My wife was just a loner/outcast, desperately hoping nobody would notice her. We both had very few friends. We both love ND. The movie was somewhat bittersweet for us, because I see Napoleon as being a caricature of me, and my wife thought Deb was an accurate portrayal of her own life. On the whole, though, we both thought it was a good movie. One of the few movies I have watched more than 1 time. (I hate watching movies more than once, and have seen ND at least 5 times.)
One of my daughters was a singer in a school that places The Vocal Arts up there with Football and Basketball. She had a lot of good, solid friends, and made good grades. She thinks ND is totally stupid.
My other daughter was the victim of a bully from 5th grade through 9th grade. She hated school. She played in the orchestra, and only had 2 or 3 friends, most of whom were fellow loners and outcasts. She, too, likes the movie for the same reasons my wife and I do.
I know that the plural of anecdotes is not data, but when I hear that someone does or does not like ND, I can typically tell them what type of high school experience they had.
Back to the OP … I am intrigued by your theory about the movie being “about Pedro”, but I think you might be giving the film makers too much credit. Personally, I think it is just about a bunch of quirky people who are pretty much like the majority of high-school kids, who persevere through the ridicule and persecution and become something greater than themselves.
Now, having said that, I think that Pedro has one of the most important parts in the entire film. He goes through the entire movie with a flat affect until the victorious scene at the end, when he just lights up. That scene was worth the entire movie, IMO.
Actually, doesn’t Rico get on with his life after Napoleon calls him on his bullshit and the guy who has the gym breaks his arm for putting the moves on his wife?