Kevin Smith’s irreverent Catholic comedy Dogma is coming back to theaters in time for its 25th anniversary. Ever since the movie went out of print on home media, Smith has been struggling to reacquire the rights from the Weinstein brothers. “My movie about angels is owned by the devil himself,” Smith quipped. Now that he’s finally struck a deal to get his own movie back, he’s putting it back on the big screen — and it’s just as hilarious and relevant today. After Clerks, Mallrats, and Chasing Amy had all focused on character, Dogma was Smith’s first plot-driven movie. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, hot off Good Will Hunting, star as two fallen angels who discover a loophole in Catholic dogma that will allow them to return to Heaven. But since that loophole would prove God to be fallible, if they succeed, then all divine creation will be undone and the universe will cease to exist. So, it’s up to the last scion and two prophets — Jay and Silent Bob — to stop them. Dogma sparked widespread controversy before it was even released, with the Catholic League condemning it as blasphemy and Smith receiving death threats. But Dogma’s intention isn’t to mock people’s religious beliefs; it’s a well-balanced examination of the institutions that have warped those beliefs, and the absurdity that something as beautiful as the worship of a higher power could get bogged down in a set of contradictory rules. Having been raised Catholic, Smith made Dogma as a passion project, and it shows. Only someone who follows a religion could satirically deconstruct it with this much authority.
Dogma Is Kevin Smith’s Most Thoughtful (& Star-Studded) Movie

A Stacked Ensemble Cast Brings This Religious Satire To Life

Dogma has all the usual raunchy, juvenile humor you’d expect from Smith, like a grossout sequence involving a “s*** demon.” But it also has some genuinely thought-provoking reflections on faith, the hypocrisy of organized religion, and the misinterpretation of Christ’s teachings. It ponders why people go to church every Sunday, whether Jesus would agree with what Christianity stands for today, and the advantage of ideas over beliefs (beliefs lead to violent conflicts, but ideas lead to peaceful discussions). It’s Smith’s most thoughtful and contemplative screenplay by far.

Related

10 Best Quotes From Dogma

Kevin Smith’s incisive religious satire Dogma was denounced as blasphemy by the Catholic League, but it’s filled with hilarious quotes.

This movie has an absurdly stacked cast. On top of Damon and Affleck, this ensemble has huge stars in small roles, from Salma Hayek as Serendipity to Alanis Morissette as God to Chris Rock as the hilariously profane Thirteenth Apostle, Rufus. The late, great Alan Rickman plays Metatron, the voice of God, with the same dry, deadpan deliveries he brought to Galaxy Quest in the same year. George Carlin, one of the world’s most outspoken atheists, was great stunt casting for Cardinal Glick — and he nails every monologue with his typically biting wit. Linda Fiorentino has the unenviable job of “straight man,” and does a terrific job of grounding her co-stars’ craziness as the audience’s everywoman surrogate.
Smith Ditched His Usual Minimalist Directing Style To Do The Epic Saga Of Dogma Justice

Dogma Is The Most Visually Engaging Movie Of Smith’s Career

In tackling a much more epic, action-packed tale than his previous films, Smith elevated his directing style to incorporate busier mise-en-scène, livelier camera movements, and more engaging editing. The more minimalist approach worked for movies like Clerks and Chasing Amy, but Smith really steps up his cinematic game to do his ambitious vision for Dogma justice. Howard Shore’s sweeping orchestral score shares the grandiosity of his Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings music, conveying the existential weight of this high-stakes theological narrative. But it also has the whimsy to remind you you’re watching a comedy.

Life of Brian will always be cinema’s greatest religious satire, but Dogma is a very close second.

Dogma’s satire of the flaws of organized religion and the misconstruction of Jesus’ teachings is, sadly, still relevant today. Life of Brian will always be cinema’s greatest religious satire, but Dogma is a very close second.

Dogma

8/10

Release Date

November 12, 1999

Runtime

130 minutes

Pros & Cons

Dogma satirizes the flaws of organized religion without mocking people’s faith
The star-studded cast brings the characters to life, with standout turns by Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, and George Carlin

Some of the film’s violence is pretty jarring