Hi, everyone! Happy Easter, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!
We are now well into 2025, and I will be doing something a little different: Usually, the first blog post I make each year is my Top 10 favorite movie characters of the previous year. While I am still working on compiling that list for 2024 movie characters, this year I have a couple other entries that are almost finished and that I really meant to put out last year, so I want to get them out of the way first this year.
For this installment, to finish my three- part look at pop culture media that directly involve religion and faith, I will be looking at the 1999 comedy- drama film 'Dogma,' which very recently celebrated its 25th anniversary!
This movie is part of what's known as the "Askewniverse," a series of several movies in the same universe, all directed by Kevin Smith, and each feature among their casts of characters two goofy potheads named Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith himself) in various levels of prominence. Jay is a gutter- mouthed moron who hardly ever shuts up, while Silent Bob is much wiser and more reflective, and as his nickname indicates, he generally only talks once or maybe twice in each movie, usually saying something really brief and/ or really profound. The two of them play off each other well, and are always good for a laugh in every movie they appear in.
Now, on to 'Dogma.'
DISCLAIMER! As you can probably tell from my description of Jay and Silent Bob, this movie is definitely not suitable for all audiences. It's rated R, mainly for the fact that it has a ton of bad language, and its ending is very bloody. So, use caution before seeing it or letting kids see it.
The central plot of 'Dogma' revolves around two angels named Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck). For defying God long ago, they were banished from Heaven forever and forced to reside in Wisconsin of all places.
Loki and Bartleby's situation takes a major turn when they receive an anonymous letter pointing out to them that if they can reach a certain New Jersey cathedral on a certain day, they can get back into Heaven by exploiting a somewhat obscure loophole in Catholic dogma. They quickly set out on their way to do this. Problem is, we eventually discover that if they are able to pull this off, it will completely unmake all of existence.
Enter our main protagonist, Bethany Slone (Linda Fiorentino), a woman who works in an Illinois abortion clinic of all places. While Bethany is a practicing Catholic, she very strongly doubts that God exists due to some quite heartbreaking personal tragedies she faced. One night, she is visited by a top- ranking angel known as the Metatron (The late Alan Rickman in one of his most underrated roles), who fills her in on the Loki- and- Bartleby situation and tasks her with traveling to New Jersey ASAP and attempting to reach the cathedral before the two fallen angels can so that she can hopefully stop them from unwittingly destroying the world.
Bethany soon gains a number of companions on her quest; First up, two "Prophets" who turn out to be none other than the aforementioned Jay and Silent Bob. They are deeply attracted to her, and decide to follow her on this journey. Next up, they meet Rufus (Chris Rock), the foul- mouthed yet often quite wise and witty thirteenth Apostle of Jesus, who was apparently left out of the Gospels due to his race (Though, interestingly enough, Romans 16:13 does have the apostle Paul mention a "Rufus" who apparently was some kind of leader in the early church). Eventually, they also meet up with Serendipity (Salma Hayek), a former celestial muse who came to Earth to start a writing career, only to suffer from writer's block and work at a strip club to pay her bills.
We see Bethany and her little group on their journey, Loki and Bartleby on theirs, and we know that the time will come soon when their respective paths will converge in a thrilling climax with all of existence at stake.
I consider 'Dogma' to be quite possibly Kevin Smith's best movie to date. It may not be his funniest movie (Though it does have tons of EXTREMELY funny moments), but I'd say it is his most thought- provoking, exciting, and intelligently- written movie. The assorted philosophical questions it raises on faith as well as other subjects are things that I could picture a lot of viewers talking with each other about over coffee or lunch afterwards.
I HAVE to do a character run- down since there are so many memorable ones in this. Loki and Bartleby prove to be fascinating characters, with their assorted banter with each other quite entertaining and natural- sounding. Big props to Matt Damon and particularly Ben Affleck for their performances. In the climax at the cathedral, Affleck brings an out- of- nowhere menace to Bartleby, showing how his obsessive pursuit of his goal has eventually driven him over the edge into sheer madness.
Bethany makes for a nice enough "Everyman" sort of protagonist, her reactions to all the strange and miraculous things she sees and is told about feel like how you or I would react under the circumstances. The more you see and learn of her and her assorted inner struggles (i.e. The personal tragedies she faced that had heavily hindered her faith in God), the more you sympathize with her. Linda Fiorentino gives a clever and yet heartfelt performance as her, conveying stress, sadness, exhaustion, and eventually, hope. By the end of the film, you'll DEFINITELY find yourself wondering where she'll go from here.
Jay and Silent Bob steal every scene they appear in, just as they do in all their other movies. Jay has so many funny lines, and Kevin Smith's performance as Silent Bob conveys a whole cornucopia of emotions just through simple facial expressions and gestures. They bring much- needed levity to the film to keep it from taking itself too seriously. A line of dialogue by Jay in one scene also includes a subtle but very amusing nod to an earlier Jay- and- Silent- Bob film called 'Mallrats.'
Chris Rock as the "Apostle" Rufus is an interesting case. In his first couple scenes, he's a LOT like how Rock usually presents himself in his acting roles and his stand- up routines: Very loud, short- fused, using a good deal of cursing, and rather obsessed with race. However, as the film progresses, he makes Rufus more thoughtful, wise and indeed thought- provoking. A scene later in the film when he and Bethany are on a train and have a conversation about what Jesus was like and about faith in general is wonderfully- handled by him, you could genuinely believe that this Rufus was a disciple of Jesus who faithfully followed Him.
I admit, Serendipity the muse was a bit of a wasted character. Salma Hayek's performance as her was good, but she doesn't do as much as she could; She shows up to meet Bethany and her group about halfway through the movie, but then doesn't stay with them for the next phase of their journey, and then out of nowhere shows up to help save the day near the climax of the movie. A couple more scenes with her would have been nice.
As I indicated earlier, I consider the angel Metatron to be Alan Rickman's most underrated role. He may be best known by the majority of movie buffs for playing characters like Hans Gruber or Severus Snape (Perhaps some day, I could look at Scriptural lessons that can be taken from the Harry Potter series? Let me know if you'd be interested in that), but his performance as Metatron is honestly brilliant, even though he only appears in three scenes of the movie. He's grumpy, cynical (Both rather typical traits for Rickman characters, I admit), but also loyal, frequently funny, dignified, and kind deep down. A scene about 2/3rds of the way through the film when he comforts Bethany while she is feeling deeply discouraged will genuinely move you, largely through the compassion and empathy that Rickman conveys in that scene.
Even though obviously the main threats for the heroes to overcome in this film are Loki and Bartleby, there is also another prominent villain in 'Dogma,' in the form of a suave yet sadistic demon named Azrael (Jason Lee) who it quickly becomes clear is working his own twisted agenda and seeking to exploit the whole Loki- and- Bartleby situation to advance it. He makes for an excellent baddie largely through Lee's performance (Lee would go on to be cast as the voice of the supervillain Syndrome in 'The Incredibles' largely because the Pixar execs were so impressed with his performance here), and the trio of quasi- demonic hockey- playing teens he uses as his henchmen/ muscle are suitably menacing, too. As for the grotesque monster known as "The Golgothan" that Azrael secretly sics on Bethany and co. halfway through the film, you'll have to see that thing to believe it!
In addition to everyone I mentioned, there are two minor characters in 'Dogma' that I feel also deserve mention: First, the late comedian George Carlin appears in it as a long- winded Catholic cardinal (This is especially ironic due to the fact that Carlin was known for being a hardcore atheist), and gets some laughs for some of his lines, rather embodying the pompous religious leader who talks a good game theologically but is almost certainly more worldly than Godly deep down. Second, in the very end of the film, the singer Alanis Morissette appears as God, and although she doesn't talk, she still conveys power, compassion, and an almost childlike love of the world and its simple pleasures through her performance. A likable enough take on the Almighty.
Morisette also sings a really cool song called "Still" that is heard in the film's closing credits.
Oh, and one more thing to keep in mind if you watch 'Dogma': The movie opens with a seemingly- inconsequential scene of a homeless man on a boardwalk being attacked by Azrael's hockey- playing henchmen. Tuck that scene in your mind when it happens, as it will in fact have a TON of bearing later in the story!
As you can probably guess, in spite of how irreverent 'Dogma' can be at times (It attracted a lot of controversy when it first came out), it still conveys TONS of Scriptural truths, if you know where to look.
The first I can think of concerns faith not just in God Himself, but in what God has in store for us. During one scene on a train, Bethany is asked when she lost faith in God, and she responds that she can remember exactly when it happened: Shortly after going through the aforementioned personal tragedies, she was on the phone with her mother talking about it, and as she put it, "When nothing she was saying was making me feel any better, she said, 'Bethany, God has a plan.' I was so angry with her, I was like, 'What about MY plans?' You know? I had planned to have a family, with my husband; Wasn't that plan good enough for God? Apparently not."
On one level, I can deeply relate to Bethany's feelings in that statement. I too have had what I considered to be good, acceptable plans for my career, relationships, and life in general, only to have them yanked away from me in ways that at the time seemed completely senseless. However, when our plans derail, it is often because God has something better in mind for us that we could never have imagined at the start. This, too, I have seen firsthand; I'm a great deal happier and more fulfilled now with where God has put me on so many levels than I would have been if my initial plans had come through the way I had intended back then. This can even be seen through Bethany's experiences in the movie, if you look closely at it; Had she gotten her own plan (A family with her then- husband), her life would have gone in a completely different direction from what it took, meaning she likely would not have been able to stop Loki and Bartleby, and all of existence would have been destroyed. Furthermore, not to give away a big spoiler in the end of the film, but Bethany ultimately DOES get at least part of her own plan/ wish granted, in an unusual but truly wonderful and blessed way. This ties into one of my favorite Bible verses, Jeremiah 29:11: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" God has a much better sense of the big picture than we do, and He truly does know what He is doing. So, when your own plans get set aside in one way or another, have faith that God has something better in mind for you and faithfully follow Him.
A pair of additional theological lessons to be taken from this film can be found in a single scene of it. See, a very important scene in 'Dogma' for me occurs about halfway through it; Loki and Bartleby take a little detour from their trek to the cathedral to visit the corporate headquarters of a kids' entertainment/ fast food franchise called "Mooby, the Golden Calf," the title character of which appears to be based on a combination of Mickey Mouse, Barney the dinosaur, and obviously the Golden Calf that the Hebrews briefly worshipped in the Old Testament. Loki was the Angel of Death and dispenser of God's righteous judgment on sinners before being cast down (Noah's flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the 10th Plague of Egypt were all his work, apparently), and so he decides to do the same to the Mooby company's horrifically corrupt and morally bankrupt board of directors.
When the two fallen angels confront the board, Bartleby first up rebukes them for the fact that this character they have built a franchise and mega- corporation around has become an idol to many, drawing worship away from God. He then points out that only one of the assembled executives in the room is a remotely decent human being, as God and His angels are able to see every detail of every life, even the closely- guarded personal secrets that they have. To prove this point, Bartleby then lists some of the deeply despicable sins that the other executives have committed (i.e. One of them cheated on his wife eight times in a year including at one point sleeping with her best friend in the bed he and his wife shared on an occasion when he was supposed to be watching their kids, another approved the production and sale of toys made from materials that he knew were toxic and unsafe in order to save money, and so on). It ultimately ends with Loki shooting each of them except for the one who turns out to be a decent person, who is allowed to live. The whole scene is disturbing, thought- provoking, and yet darkly funny all at once.
In an honestly brilliant bit of cinematography, there is a point or two in this scene when the camera does a close- up of the Mooby statuette at the center of the board's table. In the background whenever this close- up is done, through the board room's large window, we can see what is clearly a church/ cathedral from across the street. With the Mooby statuette centralized in the shot and that cathedral positioned behind it, this is a marvelous way of subtly conveying that Mooby has indeed become an idol, a symbol that draws worship away from the Lord, just like the Golden Calf from the Old Testament was.
(See what I mean? This image comes from the url https://fancaps.net/movies/Image.php?imageid=1346128)
We all need to be very aware that even the most seemingly harmless things in our lives can end up becoming idols to us. A hobby or job that takes up increasingly more of your time, a video game you can't stop playing, a celebrity or pastor you become obsessed with, each of these and many other things can end up dominating our thoughts and actions more than God Himself does and thus can become idols to us if we let them. I've certainly gone through this myself. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 that "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." While that verse is obviously pointing out how an obsessive pursuit of money can become an idol to people, it can also apply just as easily to the things I previously mentioned. We can enjoy all those things, but we as believers MUST make sure that God comes first in all things and that nothing replaces Him in our hearts.
Another point to be taken from the "Mooby massacre" scene is on God's omniscience and His sense of justice. After Bartleby outlines the horrific things that the board members have done and how there's only one remotely decent person among them, Loki continues, "Do you know what makes a human being decent? Fear. And, therein lies the problem; None of you has anything left to fear anymore. You rest comfortably in seats of inscrutable power, hiding behind your false idol, far from judgment, lives shrouded in secrecy, even from one another; But not from God." There is a sobering truth in there for all of us. Our God is merciful, but also just, and He sees all. Some people, like the other executives in the scene, delude themselves into thinking that God will never notice the awful things they did and they will never have to answer for any of it, but everyone on this Earth will one day have to give some sort of accounting before God for how they lived, including what they did behind closed doors. Proverbs 15:3 says that "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good." Jeremiah 16:17 has the Lord declaring "For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes." In addition, Hebrews 4:13 declares "And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Thankfully, for those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have salvation through His sacrifice on the Cross acting as an atonement of our sins, but we too must remember that God sees all that we do and we will have to give an accounting of all of it in time.
To take things into at least a somewhat more cheerful direction, one final theological message I've taken from 'Dogma' is on the importance of maintaining our Godly joy. During the scene when Bethany and her new friends first meet Serendipity the muse and talk to her a bit, when the discussion turns to the Loki- and- Bartleby situation and the loophole in Catholic dogma they seek to exploit, this exchange occurs:
Serendipity: "I always knew that thing was a bad idea; Leave it to the Catholics to destroy existence."
Bethany: "You have issues with Catholicism, I take it?"
Serendipity: "I have issues with those who treat God like a burden instead of a blessing, like SOME Catholics. You people don't celebrate your faith; You mourn it."
I love that last statement, and it and it carries a lesson not just for Catholics, but for ALL Christians. We need to keep from allowing sadness and despondency to rule our lives and keep us from feeling joy over what God has done for us. Philippians 4:4 states "Rejoice in the Lord always; Again I will say, rejoice." Furthermore, Nehemiah 8:10 states, "Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Notice that last part: Our joy gained from knowing the Lord can be a source of strength for us. We all know that life can be tough, between personal struggles and (Particularly for people who spend too much time watching cable news) seeing the world as a whole as a sad, scary place full of evil. However, even in those times, lasting joy can be found by remembering that God loves us, sent His son to save us from our sins, has a great plan for our lives, and has set aside a place in Heaven for each of us who accepts Him.
Unfortunately, 'Dogma' is a VERY hard- to- find film nowadays. See, it was directly financed by the now- infamous Harvey Weinstein, and the contract for him to do so dictated that as long as Weinstein lives, he will receive a small share of all proceeds made from the film, from ticket sales to streaming deals to each individual DVD sale. When details of the awful acts Weinstein committed came to public light, Kevin Smith refused to allow another penny to land in that creep's pocket if he could help it, so he discontinued all DVD and Blu- Ray sales of it and refused to put it on any streaming site until after Weinstein dies or the contract is otherwise nullified. As frustrating as that is for me as a fan of the film, I can respect Smith for making that decision for the reasons he did.
The good news is, 'Dogma''s not COMPLETELY impossible to find: Your local library may still have a copy of the DVD available for rent, AND there are full rips of the movie available to watch on YouTube (Type in "Dogma Full Movie" as a search term, and one or two should come up).
Furthermore, it sounds like Kevin Smith and some outside parties have over the last couple months managed to buy back the rights to the film from Weinstein's people, as he is currently doing a nationwide tour of screenings of the movie! I think he'll be doing a lot more with 'Dogma' in the near future, as he should! With any luck, this will lead to it being available to watch in home- viewing formats again soon, God willing.
That about sums up my look at 'Dogma,' a slightly irreverent but awesome and thought- provoking film that teaches great lessons about trusting in God's plan, keeping away from idols, learning to be as righteous as we can, and finding the true joy that only comes from the Lord. Truly blessed lessons to learn.
With that, I bring a close to this entry of the Nightcrawler Experience. Stay alert, as I will hopefully have a new entry out (The other one I had been working on for a while) within the next few weeks. Until then, stay safe, have a very happy Easter, and may God bless you all!
