Dogma (1999)

Director:

Kevin Smith

Writer (WGA):

Kevin Smith (written by)

Release Date:

12 November 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Mystery

Tagline:

Get 'touched' by an angel.

Plot:

An abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is called upon to save the existence of humanity from being negated by two renegade angels trying to exploit a loophole and re-enter Heaven.

Plot Keywords:

God | Angel | Clinic | Abortion Clinic | Abortion

Awards:

6 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Bud Cort	...	John Doe Jersey
Barret Hackney	...	Stygian Triplet (as Barrett Hackney)
Jared Pfennigwerth	...	Stygian Triplet
Kitao Sakurai	...	Stygian Triplet
George Carlin	...	Cardinal Glick
Brian O'Halloran	...	Reporter (as Brian Christopher O'Halloran)
Betty Aberlin	...	Nun
Matt Damon	...	Loki
Ben Affleck	...	Bartleby
Dan Etheridge	...	Priest @ St. Stephen's
Linda Fiorentino	...	Bethany
Derek Milosavljevic	...	Kissing Couple
Lesley Braden	...	Kissing Couple
Marie Elena O'Brien	...	Clinic Girl (scenes deleted) (as MarieElena O'Brien)
Janeane Garofalo	...	Liz

Also Known As:

Bearclaw (USA) (fake working title)
God (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language including sex-related dialogue, violence, crude humor and some drug content.

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Argentina:16 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:(Banned) | USA:TV-14 (tv rating) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:18 | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (nf) | Hong Kong:IIB | Israel:16 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Norway:15 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

600 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

View Askew Productions

Trivia:

When Azrael takes Bartleby and Loki to the toy store, Madman toys can be seen behind Azrael. Madman is a comic book character created by Mike Allred, who did the pencils for the comic book pages used in Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy (1997).

Goofs:

Continuity: The puddle in front of Bethany's car keys after the Stygian Triplets knock her down appears and disappears in between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen, the driving force behind Catholicism WOW, Cardinal Glick.
Cardinal Glick: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now we all know how the majority and the media in this country view the Catholic church. They think of us as a passe, archaic institution. People find the Bible obtuse... even hokey. Now in an effort to disprove all that the church has appointed this year as a time of renewal...

Movie Connections:

References Stand by Me (1986)

Soundtrack:

Blue Danube Waltz Opus 314

Highly recommended for fans and future fans alike

Dogma is firmly rooted in Kevin Smith's View Askew world so fans of his other films will not be disappointed. However, it also expands on the direction he took in Chasing Amy by dealing with subject matter and concepts that are personal and thought provoking. Dogma goes beyond the "dick and fart jokes", which are reassuringly present, and gives the viewer something to think about.

The film deals with thoughts on religion, Catholicism mainly, in a way that pokes fun at the institution but does not deride it. Dogma is by no stretch of the imagination an anti-Catholic movie. It embraces religion and points out the potential and actual problems that can occur within any religious institution. The film's comments and contents are definitely meant to be taken with a grain of salt.

The cast is great and there are many instances of hilarious viewing, usually Jay and Silent Bob, as well as very sensitive and expressive moments from the various actors.

In the end, Dogma is a thoroughly fun and thoughtful viewing experience that both old and new fans will enjoy. A movie outside the typical fare that is worth spending your money on seeing.