Editing Dogma (film)

{{Short description|1999 fantasy comedy film by Kevin Smith}}
{{about|the 1999 film|the avant-garde filmmaking movement|Dogme 95}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}{{Infobox film
| name           = Dogma
| image          = Dogma (movie).jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Kevin Smith]]
| producer       = [[Scott Mosier]]
| writer         = Kevin Smith
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Ben Affleck]]
* [[Matt Damon]]
* [[Linda Fiorentino]]
* [[Salma Hayek]]
* [[Jason Lee]]
* [[Jason Mewes]]
* [[Alan Rickman]]
* [[Chris Rock]]
}}
| music          = [[Howard Shore]]
| cinematography = [[Robert Yeoman]]
| editing        = {{Plainlist|
* Kevin Smith
* Scott Mosier
}}
| studio         = {{plainlist|
* [[View Askew Productions]]
* STKstudio
}}
| distributor    = {{Plainlist|
* [[Lions Gate Films]] (United States)
* [[Miramax International]] (International)
}}
| released       = {{Film date|1999|05|21|[[1999 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes]]|1999|11|12|United States}}
| runtime        = 128 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $10 million<ref name="mojo"/>
| gross          = $43.9 million<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Dogma#tab=summary|title=Dogma (1999) - Financial Information}}</ref>
}}
'''''Dogma''''' is a 1999 American [[fantasy film|fantasy]] [[comedy film]] written and directed by [[Kevin Smith]], who also stars with [[Ben Affleck]], [[Matt Damon]], [[George Carlin]], [[Linda Fiorentino]], [[Janeane Garofalo]], [[Chris Rock]], [[Jason Lee]], [[Salma Hayek]], [[Bud Cort]], [[Alan Rickman]], [[Alanis Morissette]] in her feature film debut, and [[Jason Mewes]]. It is the fourth film in Smith's [[View Askewniverse]] series. [[Brian O'Halloran]] and [[Jeff Anderson]], stars of the first Askewniverse film ''[[Clerks (1994 film)|Clerks]]'', appear in the film, as do Smith regulars [[Scott Mosier]], [[Dwight Ewell]], [[Walt Flanagan]], and [[Bryan Johnson (filmmaker)|Bryan Johnson]].

The story revolves around two [[fallen angel]]s who plan to employ an alleged loophole in [[Dogma in the Catholic Church|Catholic dogma]] to return to Heaven after being cast out by [[God]], but as existence is founded on the principle that God is [[infallible]], their success would prove God wrong, thus undoing all creation. The last scion and two prophets are sent by the angel [[Metatron]] to stop them.

The film's irreverent treatment of [[Catholic Church|Catholicism]] and the Catholic Church triggered considerable controversy, even before its opening. The [[Catholic League (U.S.)|Catholic League]] denounced it as [[blasphemy]]. Organized protests delayed its release in many countries and led to at least two death threats against Smith.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A82630 |title=Mr. Smith Goes to Austin |author=Jones, Kimberley |work=Austin Chronicle |date=August 10, 2001 |access-date=2009-06-18}}</ref><ref name="Andy Seiler">{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/2001-08-24-kevin-smith.htm |title=Kevin Smith is seldom 'Silent' |author=Seiler, Andy |work=USA Today |date=October 24, 2001 |access-date=2010-07-19}}</ref> Despite this, ''Dogma'' was well received by critics, and grossed $43 million against its $10 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing film in the View Askewniverse series to date.

==Plot==
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[[Bartleby and Loki]] are [[fallen angel]]s, eternally banished from Heaven to [[Wisconsin]] for insubordination, after an inebriated Loki resigned as the Angel of Death at Bartleby's suggestion. In a newspaper article that arrives anonymously, the angels discover a way home: Cardinal Ignatius Glick is rededicating his church in [[Red Bank, New Jersey]], in the image of the "[[Buddy Christ]]." Anyone who enters the church during the rededication festivities will receive a [[plenary indulgence]], remitting all sins. Were the banished angels to undergo this rite—and then die after transmuting into human form—God would have no choice but to allow them re-entry into Heaven. They are encouraged by the demon [[Azrael]] and the [[Styx|Stygian]] triplets, three teenage hoodlums who serve Azrael in hell.

[[Bethany Sloane]], a despondent [[abortion clinic]] counselor, attends a service at her church in [[McHenry, Illinois]]. Donations are solicited for a campaign to stop a Red Bank hospital from disconnecting life support on John Doe Jersey, a homeless man who was beaten into a coma by the triplets. Metatron—a [[seraph]], and the voice of God—appears to Bethany in a pillar of fire and explains that if Bartleby and Loki succeed in re-entering Heaven, they will overrule the word of God, disprove the fundamental concept of God's [[omnipotence]], and nullify all of existence. Bethany, aided by two prophets, must stop the angels and save the universe.

Now a target, Bethany is attacked by the triplets, who are driven off by the two foretold prophets, drug-dealing stoners [[Jay and Silent Bob]]. Bethany and the prophets are joined by Rufus, the 13th [[Twelve apostles|apostle]], and Serendipity, the Muse of creative inspiration, who now works at a strip club in search of inspiration of her own. Azrael summons the Golgothan, a vile creature made of human excrement, but Bob immobilizes it with aerosol air freshener.

On a train to Red Bank, a drunken Bethany reveals her mission to Bartleby, who tries to kill her; Bob throws the angels off the train. Bartleby and Loki now realize the consequences of their scheme; Loki wants no part of destroying all existence, but Bartleby remains angry at God for his expulsion, and for granting free will to humans while demanding servitude from angels, and resolves to proceed.

In Red Bank, Bethany asks why she has been called upon to save the universe; why can't God simply do it himself? Metatron admits that God's whereabouts are unknown; he disappeared while visiting New Jersey in human form to play [[skee ball]]. The task falls to Bethany because—she now learns—she is the [[Brothers of Jesus|last scion]], a distant but direct blood relative of [[Jesus]].

The group cannot persuade Glick to cancel the celebration. Jay steals one of Glick's golf clubs. Their only remaining option is to keep the angels out of the church, but Azrael and the triplets trap them in a bar to prevent them from doing so. Azrael reveals that he sent the news clipping to the angels; he would rather end all existence than spend eternity in Hell. Bob kills Azrael with the golf club, which Glick had blessed to improve his game. Bethany blesses the bar sink's contents, and the others drown the triplets in the [[holy water]]. They race to the church, where Bartleby has killed Glick, his parishioners, and assorted bystanders. When Loki (who is now wingless and therefore mortal, with a conscience) attempts to stop him, Bartleby kills him as well.

All appears lost; Jay attempts to seduce Bethany before all existence ends. When he mentions John Doe Jersey, Bethany finally puts all the clues together. She and Bob race across the street to the hospital, as the others try to keep Bartleby from entering the church. But in doing so, Jay destroys his wings with automatic gunfire, making him mortal as well. Her faith restored, Bethany disconnects John's life support, liberating God, but killing herself. Bartleby reaches the church entrance where he confronts God, manifested in female form, who annihilates him with her voice. Bob arrives with Bethany's lifeless body; God resurrects her and conceives a child—the new last scion—within her womb. God, Metatron, Rufus, and Serendipity return to Heaven, leaving Bethany, Jay, and Silent Bob to reflect on the past and the future.
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==Cast==
{{div col}}
* [[Ben Affleck]] as Bartleby
* [[Matt Damon]] as Loki
* [[Linda Fiorentino]] as Bethany Sloane
* [[Salma Hayek]] as Serendipity
* [[Jason Lee (actor)|Jason Lee]] as [[Azrael]]
* [[Jason Mewes]] as [[Jay and Silent Bob|Jay]]
* [[Alan Rickman]] as [[Metatron]]
* [[Chris Rock]] as Rufus (the Thirteenth Apostle)
* [[Kevin Smith]] as [[Silent Bob]]
* [[George Carlin]] as Cardinal Ignatius Glick
* [[Bud Cort]] as John Doe Jersey/God
* [[Alanis Morissette]] as God
* [[Janeane Garofalo]] as Liz
* [[Betty Aberlin]] as Nun
* Barret Hackney, Jared Pfennigwerth, and [[Kitao Sakurai]] as the Stygian Triplets
{{div col end}}

==Production==
===Development===
On October 25, 2000, Kevin Smith wrote an essay titled ''In the Beginning... The Story of Dogma'', which details the history and genesis of how ''Dogma'' came to be. His essay is available on the ''Dogma'' 2-disc Special Edition DVD.

Before Smith began writing ''[[Clerks (1994 film)|Clerks]]'', he began noting down ideas for a film called ''God''. During his brief period in film school, he essentially wrote the scene introducing Rufus, but this version did not feature Jay and Silent Bob. During the development of ''Clerks'', Smith continued to jot down ideas for his ''God'' project, including having the main character be a high school jock, the conception of 13th Apostle, Rufus, and a muse named Serendipity; but, Smith didn't have a story to work off of.

By the time ''Clerks'' had been picked up for distribution, Smith began writing the first draft for the film. He felt calling the project ''God'' was inappropriate, and retitled it ''Dogma''. The first draft was completed in August 1994, with 148 pages accomplished, and more additions; the high school protagonist was changed to a stripper named Bethany who meets Jay and Silent Bob at a nudie booth, Azrael (or known throughout the script as the "Shadowy Figure") was introduced in the final 30 pages, and Bethany blew up the church in order to not let Bartleby and Loki pass through the archway. After Smith and ''Clerks'' producer [[Scott Mosier]] reread the draft, they decided that they didn't want ''Dogma'' to be their sophomore film; they didn't want to tackle a bigger scale picture until they felt ready to do it. Despite including the line "Jay and Silent Bob will return in ''Dogma''" at the end of ''Clerks'', Smith moved to [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] in order to develop his next film, ''[[Mallrats]]''.

During ''Mallrats{{'}}'' production, Smith revisited the ''Dogma'' script and made some changes; Bethany's job went from stripper to an abortion clinic and included an [[orangutan]] for Jay and Silent Bob to hang out with. In 1996, he dropped the orangutan and reworked Bethany to be played by his then-girlfriend [[Joey Lauren Adams]]. During that time, he was writing ''[[Chasing Amy]]'' and got [[Ben Affleck]] to agree to be in both projects. After ''Chasing Amy'' was released to critical and box-office success, Smith felt confident enough to make ''Dogma''.<ref name="Beginning">{{cite news|title=''In the Beginning... The Story of Dogma''|author=Kevin Smith|date=October 25, 2000}}</ref>

===Visual effects===
Smith and Mosier assembled a group of visual artists to realize their concept of a surreal, abstract environment "somewhere between reality and unreality": production designer Robert Holtzman, special effects supervisor Charles Belardinelli, creature effects supervisor Vincent Guastini, costume designer Abigail Murray, and director of photography [[Robert Yeoman]].<ref name = "movie.com"/>

===Locations===

Principal filming took place from March to June 1998. The triplets' attack on John Doe Jersey was filmed on the [[boardwalk]] in [[Asbury Park, New Jersey]]; all other scenes were shot in and around [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]. The Mexican restaurant in which Metatron explains Bethany's mission was the Franklin Inn in [[Franklin Park, Pennsylvania|Franklin Park]], north of Pittsburgh. Serendipity's pole dance and the Golgothan confrontation took place at the Park View Cafe (since renamed Crazy Mocha and later Yinz Coffee) on East North Avenue in Pittsburgh.  The heroes plan their final strategy in the Grand Concourse Restaurant in the restored [[Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Station]].  St Michael's Church, site of the apocalyptic climax, is the [[Saints Peter and Paul Church (Pittsburgh)|Saints Peter and Paul Church]]—currently vacant—in [[East Liberty (Pittsburgh)|East Liberty]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dogma film locations |url=http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/d/Dogma.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302145756/http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/d/Dogma.html |archive-date=March 2, 2013 |access-date=January 12, 2017 |website=movie-locations.com}}</ref>

===Casting===

[[Jason Lee (actor)|Jason Lee]] was initially attached to play Loki. When that role went to [[Matt Damon]], due to his onscreen chemistry with Affleck in ''[[Good Will Hunting]]'', Lee received the Azrael role due to scheduling conflicts with filming ''[[Mumford (film)|Mumford]]''. Smith envisioned [[Samuel L. Jackson]] as Rufus, but was convinced to hire [[Chris Rock]] after meeting him. [[Alan Rickman]] was recruited to play Metatron.<ref name="Beginning" /> [[Albert Brooks]] was offered the role of Cardinal Glick, but turned it down.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2011 |title=The Lost Roles of Albert Brooks |url=https://www.vulture.com/2011/06/the-lost-roles-of-albert-brooks.html |website=Vulture}}</ref> [[Emma Thompson]] was originally attached to play God, but had to withdraw when she became pregnant.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tvovermind.com/10-things-didnt-know-movie-dogma/ |title=10 Things You Didn't Know About Dogma |website=TV Overmind |date=March 16, 2018 |access-date=September 22, 2022}}</ref>  Smith — a fan of ''[[The X-Files]]'' — offered the role of Bethany to [[Gillian Anderson]], but "heard back that she really hated it."<ref>{{Cite tweet |last=Smith |first=Kevin |user=ThatKevinSmith |number=183551632200581121 |date=24 March 2012 |title=Via @fukidosan "have Gillian Anderson play a part" I tried to, once: she was offered the lead in DOGMA. Heard back that she really hated it. |access-date=22 September 2022}}</ref>

Critics expressed surprise at the film's eclectic casting, which Smith said was done deliberately to emphasize contrasts between characters — Rickman as the powerful Metatron, for example, opposite Mewes as the hopelessly verbose stoner Jay, "...{{nbsp}}a Shakespearean trained actor of the highest order next to a dude from New Jersey." Smith warned Mewes that he would have to take his acting to a higher level. "I really impressed upon him that he had to be prepared for this movie. 'There are real actors in this one,' we kept telling him."<ref name="movie.com">{{Cite web |title=About the Production |url=http://www.dogma-movie.com/about/productionnf.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991127081316/http://www.dogma-movie.com/about/productionnf.html |archive-date=1999-11-27 |access-date=2015-11-19 |website=Dogma (official site)}}</ref> In response, Mewes memorized not only his own dialogue but the entire screenplay, because he "didn't want to piss off that Rickman dude".<ref>{{cite web |date=March 29, 2006 |title=My Boring-Ass Life |url=http://silentbobspeaks.com/?p=236 |access-date=2009-06-18 |website=silentbobspeaks.com}}</ref>

Other unorthodox casting decisions included George Carlin, who had made his [[atheism]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/top-george-carlin-quotes-on-religion-4072040 |title=Top George Carlin Quotes on Religion |last=Cline |first=Austin |date=May 30, 2018 |website=ThoughtCo |access-date=March 5, 2019}}</ref> a cornerstone of his public image, as a Catholic priest; Mexican actress [[Salma Hayek]] as Serendipity — "the [Muse] who throughout history inspired all the geniuses of art and music, like Mozart and Michelangelo, and never got any of the credit" — and singer-songwriter [[Alanis Morissette]] as God. "There's a Zen Buddhist serenity to Alanis that calls to mind something otherworldly," Smith explained. "She's definitely ethereal in nature, even when not speaking, and she carries an air about her that played into the role."<ref name = "movie.com"/>

It was rumored in the years following the film’s release that Fiorentino and Smith did not get along during the filming. Smith stated that rumors of a falling out between the two had been misconstrued and overstated, and that while the two hadn’t spoken in years, they amicably reconnected following his near fatal heart attack. He attributed the rumors to a careless comment: “ I remember on a commentary track on the DVD — Janeane Garofalo was in the movie and at one point I said it would have better if she played the lead, which was a really shitty and stupid thing to say. Thoughtless, considering that Linda was the lead and Linda did a great job. So it had been years since I had spoken with Linda and I got an email from her. And of course I was thankful to hear from her and it also gave me a chance to say I’m so sorry that I ever said that thing years ago. It gives you a chance to make amends. So that was my favorite one. I heard from so many people, but that one really stood out for me because, if somebody had said, ‘Oh, the movie would have been better if Ben Affleck directed it,’ that would have hurt my feelings. I know it hurt her feelings and really unnecessarily because I always loved her performance in the movie.”<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.thedailybeast.com/kevin-smith-on-surviving-a-heart-attack-its-like-i-got-to-attend-my-own-wake |title=Kevin Smith on Surviving a Heart Attack: 'It's Like I Got to Attend My Own Wake' |first1=Matt|last1=Wilstein|work=The Daily Beast|date=May 9, 2018|access-date=August 1, 2023}}</ref>

===Deleted scenes===
On the film's official website, Smith described a scene that did not make the final cut: a climactic face-off in the hospital between Silent Bob, a badly burned and half-decomposed triplet, and the Golgothan. The battle was to end with the triplet killing Bethany (temporarily), and God, newly liberated, transforming the Golgothan into flowers. Test audiences felt the scene had "too much Golgothan", and the film's run time already exceeded two hours, so the scene was eliminated.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Scenes That Never Were |url=http://www.dogma-movie.com/pics/hospital/hospitalnf.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728120545/http://www.dogma-movie.com/pics/hospital/hospitalnf.html |archive-date=2012-07-28 |access-date=2009-06-18 |website=Dogma (official site)}}</ref>

Another deleted scene has come to be known as the "''Fat Albert'' sequence". In the strip club, a gang (led by [[Dwight Ewell]]) grows jealous that the stripper is paying more attention to Jay & Silent Bob than to them. The gang confronts them and draws guns. Jay & Silent Bob then defuse the situation by taking to the stage and performing the theme song from ''[[Fat Albert]].'' Rufus realizes that the stripper is the muse Serendipity, and she actually deescalated things by giving Jay & Silent Bob the idea. The sequence was in the film when it screened at [[1999 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes]], but was removed before its general release. The scene gained notoriety as fans began speculating as to why it was removed.  On the ''Dogma: Special Edition'' DVD, Smith said the feedback he received was that the scene ran too long and was not very funny.<ref>{{cite AV media | people = Kevin Smith | date = 2001 | title = Dogma: Special Edition Deleted Scenes Introduction | type = DVD | publisher = Columbia TriStar Home Video}}</ref>

==Release==
''Dogma'' was originally scheduled for a November 1998 release by [[Miramax Films]], but due to controversy,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/37986/miramax-disney-dogged-by-dogma|title=Miramax, Disney Dogged by "Dogma"|work=E! Online|author=Marcus Errico|date=April 8, 1999|access-date=November 21, 2020}}</ref> the film was postponed for a 1999 release, and the rights were passed on to [[Lions Gate Films]] for the United States, although Miramax Films retained foreign distribution rights.<ref name=lgf>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/dogma-goes-to-lions-gate-1117755515/|title='Dogma' goes to Lions Gate|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|author=Oliver Jones|date=September 9, 1999|access-date=November 21, 2020}}</ref>

The film was screened but was not entered into competition at the [[1999 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/5332/year/1999.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Dogma |access-date=2009-10-11|work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref>

===Home media===
''Dogma'' was released on DVD and VHS by [[Columbia TriStar Home Video]] in May 2000. This was followed by a 2-disc Special Edition DVD in 2001<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dogma: Special Edition (1999) |first=Colin |last=Jacobson |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/dogmase.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020124054119/http://www.dvdmg.com/dogmase.shtml |archive-date=2002-01-24 |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=DVD Movie Guide}}</ref> and then on [[Blu-ray]] in 2008.<ref name="bluraycom">{{Citation |title=Dogma Blu-ray Release Date March 11, 2008 |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Dogma-Blu-ray/649/ |access-date=2020-03-30}}</ref> A thirty-seven minute documentary produced for the DVD, ''Judge Not: In Defense of Dogma'', was not completed in time for the release and was instead included on the DVD release for the Smith-produced film ''[[Vulgar (film)|Vulgar]]''.<ref name="bluraycom"/>

===Rights issues===
After going out of print on home media, ''Dogma'' was unavailable to stream or [[Electronic sell-through|purchase digitally]] due to the film's rights being owned personally by [[Bob Weinstein|Bob]] and [[Harvey Weinstein]] in a deal that predated the streaming era.<ref>{{cite web |last=Marshall |first=Andrew |date=2019-09-02 |title=Kevin Smith's Dogma Isn't Available to Stream - And It's The Weinsteins' Fault |url=https://screenrant.com/dogma-kevin-smith-streaming-rerelease-weinsteins/ |access-date=2020-03-30 |website=[[Screen Rant|ScreenRant]]}}</ref> In early 2020, after Harvey was [[Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases|convicted and sentenced to 23 years' incarceration for rape]], he reportedly contacted Bob offering to sell the rights for $5 million, but Bob refused.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Auletta |first=Ken |title=Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence |date=July 12, 2022 |publisher=Penguin Publishing Group |isbn=9781984878380 |location=City of Westminster, London |publication-date=July 12, 2022 |pages=405 |language=English}}</ref> In 2022, while promoting the release of ''[[Clerks III]]'', Kevin Smith publicly commented on his efforts to reacquire rights to the film, claiming he had made two offers that were turned down, and quipping, "My movie about angels is owned by the devil himself."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hermanns |first1=Grant |title=Dogma's Streaming Rights Are Being Held Hostage, Says Kevin Smith |url=https://screenrant.com/kevin-smith-dogma-streaming-rights-weinstein-details-explained/ |website=ScreenRant|date=September 17, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Taylor |first1=Drew |title=Kevin Smith Explains How Harvey Weinstein Is Holding 'Dogma' Hostage: 'My Movie About Heaven Is in Limbo' |url=https://www.thewrap.com/why-isnt-dogma-streaming-kevin-smith/ |website=The Wrap |date=September 16, 2022 }}</ref>

In June 2024, at a Smodcastle Theater screening of ''[[Clerks: The Animated Series]]'', Smith announced that the Weinsteins had finally sold the rights to the film,<ref>{{Cite web |last=MarcFBR |date=2024-06-30 |title=Apparently at the Clerks animated screening marathon a few hours ago at Smodcastle Kevin Smith said Weinstein sold Dogma, so seemingly that'll get a new disc and digital releases. |url=https://x.com/MarcFBR/status/1807347433887948986?t=yjA_vXgKe9lynHeEfbYbnA&s=19 |website=[[Twitter]]}}</ref> and later confirmed on a podcast interview that he had regained the rights himself, announcing his intent to re-release the film on home media and digital the following year, in addition to touring the film theatrically.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vito |first1=Joe |title=Kevin Smith Finally Regains Control of Dogma, Coming to Streaming for 25th Anniversary |url=https://consequence.net/2024/10/kevin-smith-dogma-return-theaters-streaming/ |website=[[Consequence (publication)|Consequence]] |date=October 13, 2024 |access-date=15 October 2024}}</ref>

In April 2025, it was revealed that [[Iconic Events]] had bought rights to ''Dogma'' from [[Miramax]], planning a theatrical re-release for its 25th anniversary starting June 5, 2025. In anticipation for the re-release, Smith announced he would go on a national tour starting April 20, 2025, hosting screenings of the film in 25 cities and participating in related Q&A sessions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's 'Dogma' to Get Theatrical Rerelease in June as Kevin Smith Plots 25th Anniversary Tour|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Ethan|last=Shanfeld|date=1 April 2025|access-date=1 April 2025|url=https://variety.com/2025/film/news/dogma-theaters-kevin-smith-tour-1236353108/}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name         = Music from the Motion Picture Dogma
| type         = soundtrack
| longtype     = to the film ''Dogma''
| artist       = 
| cover        = 
| alt          = 
| released     = November 2, 1999
| recorded     = Various
| venue        = 
| studio       = 
| genre        = Various
| length       = 40:36
| label        = [[Maverick (company)|Maverick]]
| producer     = 
| chronology   = [[View Askewniverse]] soundtrack
| prev_title   = [[Chasing Amy]]
| prev_year    = 1997
| next_title   = [[Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back#Soundtrack|Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back]]
| next_year    = 2001
}}

The soundtrack album accompanying the film was released in the United States on November 2, 1999, by [[Maverick Records]]. It features an orchestral score by [[Howard Shore]], performed by the [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]]; and the song "Still", written, performed, and produced by Morissette. [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] of [[AllMusic]] described the "rich, effective" score as "alternately melodramatic and humorous".<ref>[[Stephen Thomas Erlewine|Erlewine, Stephen Thomas]]. [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000254854|pure_url=yes}} "Dogma (Original Soundtrack) - Review"]. [[AllMusic]].</ref>

Several songs used in the film do not appear on the soundtrack, including "[[Magic Moments]]" performed by [[Perry Como]], [[Candy Girl (New Edition song)|"Candy Girl"]] by [[New Edition]], "[[Alabamy Bound]]" performed by [[Ray Charles]], and others. In one scene, [[Matt Damon]]'s Loki recites the hook of the [[Run-DMC]] song "[[Run's House (song)|Run's House]]".

==Reception==
===Box office===
''Dogma'' was the third-highest-grossing film in its opening weekend, behind ''[[The Bone Collector]]'' and ''[[Pokémon: The First Movie]]'', grossing $8.7 million.<ref>{{cite web|title=Weekend Box Office Results for November 12-14, 1999|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=1999&wknd=46&p=.htm|work=[[Amazon.com]]|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=2011-10-18}}</ref> The film grossed a domestic total of $30.7 million from a $10 million budget.<ref name="mojo">{{mojo title|dogma|Dogma}}</ref> It remains the highest-grossing film in Smith's View Askewniverse series.

===Critical response===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Dogma'' has an approval rating of 68% based on 130 reviews, with an average rating of 6.25/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Provocative and audacious, ''Dogma'' is an uneven but thoughtful religious satire that's both respectful and irreverent."<ref>{{rotten-tomatoes|dogma|Dogma}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film received a score of 62 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{Metacritic film|title=Dogma}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' awarded the film three-and-a-half stars (out of four).<ref name="rogerebert">{{cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=November 12, 1999 |title=Dogma Movie Review & Film Summary (1999)|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dogma-1999 |access-date=September 15, 2024 |work=RogerEbert.com}}</ref>

Some religious groups{{em dash}}in particular the activist [[Catholic League (U.S.)|Catholic League]]{{em dash}}denounced the film as [[Blasphemy|blasphemous]].<ref name="Chicago Tribune archive">{{cite web |last=Caro |first=Mark |date=November 7, 1999 |title=A Practicing Catholic on the Religious Storm of 'Dogma{{'-}} |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1999/11/07/a-practicing-catholic-on-the-religious-storm-of-dogma/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240901185011/https://www.chicagotribune.com/1999/11/07/a-practicing-catholic-on-the-religious-storm-of-dogma/ |archive-date=September 1, 2024 |access-date=September 15, 2024 |website=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref> Other groups staged protests outside theaters screening the film.<ref name="Andy Seiler"/> Director Kevin Smith himself attended one of these protests, pretending to be opposed to the movie.<ref>{{cite web |last=Blevins |first=Joe |date=April 29, 2016 |title=Back in 1999, Kevin Smith joined the protests against his own film, Dogma |url=https://www.avclub.com/back-in-1999-kevin-smith-joined-the-protests-against-h-1798246714 |access-date=2021-02-28 |website=[[The A.V. Club]]}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] noted that no official objection came from the [[Catholic Church]] itself. "We are actually free in this country to disagree about religion," Ebert wrote, "and blasphemy is not a crime."<ref name="rogerebert" />

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Award !! Category !! Nominee(s) !! Result
|-
| 1999 || [[Stinkers Bad Movie Awards|The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards]] || Musicians Who Shouldn't Be Acting || [[Alanis Morissette]] || {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan=5 | 2000 || rowspan=2 | [[Satellite Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=2000 4th Annual SATELLITE™ Awards |url=http://www.pressacademy.com/satawards/awards2000.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218122348/http://www.pressacademy.com/satawards/awards2000.shtml |archive-date=February 18, 2009 |access-date=November 1, 2022 |website=International Press Academy}}</ref>|| Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical || [[Alan Rickman]] || {{nom}}
|-
| Best Original Song: "''Still''" || Alanis Morissette || {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Independent Spirit Awards]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 13, 2000 |title="Election," "Limey" Up for Indie Oscars" |work=E! Online |url=http://it.eonline.com/news/39253/election-limey-up-for-indie-oscars |url-status=dead |access-date=2022-11-01 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130122050804/http://it.eonline.com/news/39253/election-limey-up-for-indie-oscars |archive-date=January 22, 2013}}</ref>|| Best Screenplay || rowspan=2 | [[Kevin Smith]] || {{nom}}
|-
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards || Best Screenplay, Original || {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Raspberry Awards]] || Worst Supporting Actress || [[Salma Hayek]]<br />(sharing with ''[[Wild Wild West]]'') || {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=2 | 2001 || [[Nebula Award for Best Script]] || Best Script || Kevin Smith || {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Schmoes Award]] || Best DVD of the Year || ''Dogma'': Special Edition || {{nom}}
|}

==Possible sequel==
In late November 2005, Smith responded to talk of a possible [[sequel]] on the ViewAskew.com message boards:

{{blockquote|text=So weird you should ask this, because ever since [[9/11]], I have been thinking about a sequel of sorts. I mean, the worst [[terrorist]] attack on American soil was religiously bent. In the wake of said attack, the leader of the "Free World" outed himself as pretty damned Christian. In the [[2004 United States presidential election|last election]], rather than [[Iraq War|a quagmire war abroad]], the big issue was whether or not [[gay marriage]] was moral. Back when I made ''Dogma'', I always maintained that another movie about religion wouldn't be forthcoming, as ''Dogma'' was the product of 28 years of religious and spiritual meditation, and I'd kinda shot my wad on the subject. Now? I think I might have more to say. And, yes, the Last Scion would be at the epicenter of it. And she'd have to be played by Alanis. And we'd need a bigger budget, because the entire third act would be the [[Apocalypse]]. Scary thing is this: the film would have to touch on [[Islam]]. And unlike the Catholic League, when those cats don't like what you do, they issue a death warrant on your ass. And now that I've got a family, I'm not as free to stir the shit-pot as I was when I was single, back when I made ''Dogma''. I mean, now I've gotta think about more than my own safety and well-being, but regardless – yeah, a ''Dogma'' follow-up's been swimming around in my head for some time now.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.viewaskew.com/theboard/viewtopic.php?t=41221 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060323075259/http://viewaskew.com/theboard/viewtopic.php?t=41221 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 23, 2006 |title=The View Askewniverse Message Board |author=Smith, Kevin |date=November 27, 2005 |access-date=2009-06-18 }}</ref>}}

When asked about the sequel in October 2017, Smith said it would not happen, as he no longer desired to make any new religious films.<ref>Kennedy, Michael (October 5, 2017).  [https://screenrant.com/kevin-smith-dogma-2-never-happen/ "Kevin Smith Says Dogma 2 Will Never Happen."]  ''ScreenRant.com''.  Retrieved 2018-04-24.</ref>

Near the same time as the cancellation, just weeks before the [[Weinstein scandal]] broke to the public, [[Harvey Weinstein]] pitched to Smith about doing a sequel. Not much came from this pitch, but it was just a mere idea for Weinstein. According to Smith in an interview with ''[[Business Insider]]'', he recalls:

{{blockquote|text=I said, 'Hey, how are you?' And he goes, 'You know, we have ''Dogma'', I just realized, and we got to get it out there again.' I said, 'We do! People online are always asking where they can get it. And he then goes, 'You know, that movie had a big cast, we might even be able to do a sequel.' And I was like, 'Yeah man, right on. I might think about that.' And he was like, 'We'll talk.' And a week later, the ''New York Times'' story breaks. I felt sick to my stomach.}}

Smith believes that he only got the call because,  "It was him looking to see who was a friend still because his life was about to shift completely."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movieweb.com/dogma-2-harvey-weinstein-kevin-smith/|title=Harvey Weinstein Pitched Dogma 2 to Kevin Smith Days Before the Sex Scandal Broke|author=Jeremy Dick|publisher=[[MovieWeb]]|date=October 3, 2019|access-date=October 14, 2019}}</ref>

Damon returned to reprise his role as a reborn Loki in ''[[Jay and Silent Bob Reboot]]''. In a fourth-wall breaking monologue, he explains after the events of ''Dogma'' God once again banished him to Earth, this time to the Mediterranean Sea where he was rescued by Italian fishermen after getting amnesia, describing the plot of Damon's film ''[[The Bourne Identity (2002 film)|The Bourne Identity]]'': he remarks that would make his current form his "''reborn'' identity".

While promoting ''[[Clerks III]]'', Smith reiterated that Weinstein still owned ''Dogma'', and tried to buy the film's rights back once he was assured the money would not go directly to Weinstein, who is currently imprisoned. Despite increasingly larger offers from Smith's camp and a letter sharing how personal ''Dogma'' was for him, their offers were denied by Weinstein's lawyer. Smith described the film as a movie that is "held hostage" and shared his wish to both tour the film as a re-release and to produce a sequel if he would get the rights back.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Connell |first=Sean |date=September 9, 2022 |title=Kevin Smith Has A Plan For Dogma, But Harvey Weinstein Is Blocking It From Prison |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/kevin-smith-has-a-plan-for-dogma-but-harvey-weinstein-is-blocking-it-from-prison |access-date=September 12, 2022 |website=CinemaBlend}}</ref>

After buying back the film's rights, Smith stated in November 2024 he was brainstorming a ''Dogma'' sequel, with the hope that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck would make cameo appearances.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Garner |first1=Glenn |title=Kevin Smith Says ‘Dogma 2’ Is In Works With Ben Affleck & Matt Damon Potentially Returning |url=https://deadline.com/2024/11/kevin-smith-dogma-2-happening-ben-affleck-matt-damon-returning-1236179685/ |website=Deadline |access-date=1 April 2025 |date=17 November 2024}}</ref> Smith later clarified that while he at the very least intended to write a sequel script, he could not guarantee it would be made and had yet to reach out to Damon and Affleck.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McNab |first1=JM |title=Kevin Smith Walks Back ‘Dogma’ Sequel Announcement |url=https://www.cracked.com/article_44430_kevin-smith-walks-back-dogma-sequel-announcement.html |website=Cracked |access-date=1 April 2025 |date=18 November 2024}}</ref>

== In pop culture ==
A scene in which Jay says the lines, "I fell in love with you! We fell in love with you! Guys like us just don't fall out of the fucking sky, you know?" and "Beautiful, naked, big-titty women just don't fall out the sky, you know?", was sampled on [[Kanye West]] and [[Ty Dolla Sign]]'s song, "[[Back to Me (¥$ song)|Back to Me]]", featuring [[Freddie Gibbs]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=¥$, Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign feat. Freddie Gibbs's BACK TO ME sample of Don't Just Fall Out of the Sky |url=https://www.whosampled.com/sample/1125014/%C2%A5$-Kanye-West-Ty-Dolla-$ign-Freddie-Gibbs-BACK-TO-ME-Dogma-Don%27t-Just-Fall-Out-of-the-Sky/ |access-date=19 February 2024 |website=WhoSampled}}</ref> The song is the fifth track on the duo's collaborative album ''[[Vultures 1]]'', according to the official tracklist.

==See also==
* [[List of films about angels]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20050606013323/http://www.dogma-movie.com/ Official website]
* {{IMDb title|0120655}}
* {{TCMDb title|443006}}
* {{mojo title|dogma|Dogma}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|Dogma|Dogma}}
* {{Metacritic film|title=Dogma}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060820073647/http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/1999/11/09/catholics/index.html Why are Catholics so set on dogging "Dogma"?] at [[Salon.com|Salon]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120406194218/http://www2.citypaper.com/film/review.asp?rid=5941 God Stuff: Kevin Smith Chases Jehovah]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070110182540/http://www.fbi945movies.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=132290 Radio Interview with Kevin Smith] from FBi 94.5 Sydney Australia

{{Kevin Smith}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dogma (Film)}}
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