Dogma (1999)
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Two fallen angels attempt to exploit a loophole in religious doctrine to return to Heaven, threatening to undo all of creation.
The story
The story revolves around two fallen angels, Bartleby and Loki, who were cast out of Heaven and are currently banished to Wisconsin. Upon discovering a loophole in Catholic dogma involving a church rededication in New Jersey, they plan to use the ritual to regain entry into Heaven. However, their success would prove God's fallibility and undo all of creation. To prevent this catastrophe, a woman named Bethany, who is revealed to be the last descendant of Jesus Christ, is tasked by the angel Metatron to stop the pair and save the universe.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Bartleby and Loki, fallen angels in Wisconsin, discover that a church rededication in New Jersey offers a way back to Heaven. If they perform the rite and die in human form, they would enter Heaven, but their success would prove God's fallibility and destroy existence. Metatron tasks Bethany, the last scion of Jesus, to stop them. Bethany joins forces with two prophets (Jay and Silent Bob), the 13th apostle Rufus, and the Muse Serendipity. The group faces various obstacles, including the demon Azrael and his minions, the Stygian triplets. During a tense journey to Red Bank, the group tries to prevent the angels from reaching the church. Ultimately, a confrontation occurs where Bartleby kills several people, including Loki. In a final desperate move, Bethany reaches the hospital to save a man named John Doe Jersey. By doing so, she successfully liberates God but dies in the process. God then resurrects her and conceives a new child, the next scion, while the others remain on Earth.
- First release year
- 1999
- Runtime (minutes)
- 128
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Kevin Smith
- Writers
- Kevin Smith · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ben Affleck · Loki; Matt Damon · Loki; Linda Fiorentino · Bethany Sloane; Salma Hayek · Serendipity; Jason Lee · Azrael; Jason Mewes · Jay; Alan Rickman · Metatron; Chris Rock · Rufus
- Genres
- fantasy; comedy
- Themes
- religion; faith; existence
- Tone and mood
- irreverent; provocative
- Setting
- Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Illinois.
- Premise and plot tags
- religious satire; fantasy comedy
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was noted for its provocative and audacious treatment of religious themes.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 71% · scale: percentage · review count: 146; Metacritic · score: 62 · scale: 100 · review count: 36; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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