Dogma (1999)
79%RT Audience Score: 85%
Awards & Nominations: 8 nominations
Dogma, Kevin Smith’s satirical blockbuster, is a noble failure that tries to break away from his provincial milieu but falls short due to its crass comic-strip ethos. While Smith’s trademark humor gets in the way, the film still manages to find the right pitch between religious referencing and sending most of that religiosity up. However, the film’s metaphysical conceits about the war between Good and Evil are puerile, and Smith’s attempt to promote his own generic “faith” while telling us what’s wrong with orthodox Catholic belief is too talky and too caught up in its own in-jokes. Despite its flaws, Dogma has the ability to serve as an intelligent debate about religion, but significant cutting might be able to transform it into a playable one.
Dogma is a movie that’s like a rollercoaster ride – it has its ups and downs. Some critics think it’s too talky, too vulgar, and too caught up in its own comic-strip ethos. But others think it’s a rare satirical blockbuster that finds the right pitch between religious referencing and sending most of that religiosity up. Personally, I think it’s a fun and creative take on religion that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Plus, it has Matt Damon and Ben Affleck playing bad actors, which is worth the price of admission alone.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Lionsgate Films
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church – Larimer Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong language including sex-related dialogue, violence, crude humor and some drug content
Year of Release
1999
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:2h 15m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 12, 1999 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 17, 2002
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Ben Affleck, Linda Fiorentino, Matt Damon, George Carlin, Salma Hayek, Jason Lee, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier, directed by Kevin Smith, written by Kevin Smith, comedy, R rating, box office performance, $30.7M gross USA, reviewed by Todd McCarthy, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Andrew Sarris, Geoff Andrew, Steven D Greydanus, Eddie Harrison, Jas Keimig, Patrick Nabarro, Jason Zingale, Steve Biodrowski, Maitland McDonagh, Bartleby, Barry, Bethany Sloane, Loki, Larry, Cardinal Ignatius, Serendipity, Azrael, religious satire, Wisconsin, New Jersey, loophole, heaven, humanity, Catholic, Good and Evil, sacrilegious, pro-faith, vulgar, irreverent, talky, in-jokes, crass, comic-strip ethos, subversive, thought-provoking, intelligent debate, product placement, recycled jokes, black comedy, Jay and Silent Bob, strip club
Worldwide gross: $31,429,330
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $56,416,524
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,277
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 6,152,293
US/Canada gross: $30,652,890
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $55,022,792
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,028
US/Canada opening weekend: $8,669,945
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $15,562,793
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 769
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $10,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $17,950,279
Production budget ranking: 1,419
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $9,666,225
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $28,800,020
ROI to date (est.): 104%
ROI ranking: 918
Linda Fiorentino – Bethany Sloane
Matt Damon – Loki, Larry
George Carlin – Cardinal Ignatius
Salma Hayek – Serendipity
Jason Lee – Azrael
Director – Kevin Smith
Producer – Scott Mosier
Writer – Kevin Smith
Director(s)
Kevin Smith
Writer(s)
Kevin Smith
Producer(s)
Scott Mosier
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
8 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (128) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (86) | Rotten (42)
A very vulgar pro-faith comedy rather than a sacrilegious goof, Dogma is an extraordinarily uneven film that significant cutting might be able to transform into a playable one.
March 19, 2008
Todd McCarthy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
I couldn’t care less whether Smith’s metaphysical conceits about the war between Good and Evil are those of a devout believer or an atheist. The bottom line is that they’re puerile.
March 19, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Dogma is more strained than funny.
April 27, 2007
Andrew Sarris
Observer
TOP CRITIC
Too talky, too fond of in-jokes, too caught up (especially during the dismally weak climax) in its crass comic-strip ethos, and not, finally, as funny, subversive or thought-provoking as it would like to be.
January 26, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
As an ambitious and overreaching break with Smith’s provincial milieu Dogma is a failed experiment, but a noble failure.
December 2, 2002
Kevin Maher
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Smith isn’t content merely to promote his own generic “faith”; he has to tell us, again and again, what’s wrong with orthodox Catholic belief.
May 8, 2002 | Rating: F
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films
TOP CRITIC
a rare satirical blockbuster
March 13, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
Eddie Harrison
film-authority.com
For the record, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are bad actors.
December 9, 2021
Jas Keimig
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
Smith finds exactly the right pitch between the cogent religious referencing required to drive the narrative versus sending most of that religiosity up.
November 5, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
PJ Nabarro
Patrick Nabarro
It’s too bad Smith’s trademark humor got in the way, because while the film definitely has its flaws, there’s no denying that it also had the ability to serve as an intelligent debate about religion.
October 18, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/5
Jason Zingale
Bullz-Eye.com
The true target of the film is not religion but religious dogma …
July 7, 2008
Steve Biodrowski
Cinefantastique
Make no mistake, Kevin Smith’s talky, farcical comedy of cosmic errors is clever. But it’s clever in a deeply juvenile way.
March 19, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide…
Plot
An abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is enlisted to prevent two angels from reentering Heaven and thus undoing the fabric of the universe. Along the way, she is aided by two prophets, Jay and Silent Bob. With the help of Rufus, the 13th Apostle, they must stop those who stand in their way and prevent the angels from entering Heaven.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The impressive cast of Dogma includes Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Alan Rickman, George Carlin, and Chris Rock.
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