Kevin Smith Week: ‘Dogma’

In Kevin Smith’s  farcical ‘Dogma’, two renegade angels, Loki and Bartleby, are given the boot  from heaven and sent to Wisconsin by the All-Powerful, where they hatch  a dangerous plan that involves sneaking into a church re-dedication ceremony that will give them a pass  back into  heaven against God’s will – proving he’s fallible and something that will wipe-out all mankind.  Add to that, Smith’s amusing idea  that God  is a huge  skeeball  fan and, every once in a while,  goes all-out human so he can  come down for a couple of plays  at the arcade. Little do  Loki and Bartleby  know, God’s ancestor, Bethany Sloane,  has just been chosen to  nix their reentry and  she works at, of all places, an abortion clinic. Think Virgin Mary redux… and of course, she’s helped by ‘Mallrats’ prophets Jay and  Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith), former muse Serendipity (Salma Hayek), and Rufus (Chris Rock), the 13th Apostle, left out of the Bible because he was black. As it turns out, Bethany and her disciples discover God is a woman (Alanis Morissette).

According to Wikipedia, the movie is noted for its heavy use of profanity. The word “fu*k” is used 106 times in the film, and the word “sh*t” 38 times. Have to give Smith an “E” for effort – always keeping the flags of discontent flyin’! As Metatron exclaims, “I’m as anatomically impaired as a Ken doll.” Who puts this kind of line onto the page? only the nutty imagination of  Kevin Smith. Totally his writing and directing of this sarcastic yuk-fest  to the end…..

Goes to prove how brilliant the casting was too. Alan Rickman’s Metatron aka “The Voice of God”  is my favorite character  of the film. His ever smarmy style of delivering  the witty lines with his English accent as he announces  “I am the Metatron.”  Obviously Rickman  appreciates the deft writing with his performance. Matt Damon showing up Ben Affleck, no stretch there, in the scene where his Loki shoots everyone in the boardroom while Bartleby waits outside….had me slack-jawed and howling all at the same time.  “Ladies and Gentlemen, the driving force behind Catholicism Wow, Cardinal Glick.” Who better than George Carlin to play a Cardinal promoting “a buddy Christ”?  Ã‚  And he does it with such ease and dexterity, too.  The genius of all casting EVER…..The small role of the nun was played by Betty Aberlin, better known as “Lady Aberlin” from the children’s television program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Totally blew my mind…

As a cradle Catholic, I found nothing offensive from this very funny, well-written script. After  a second look, how can one NOT be a Kevin Smith fan. Even on the eve of ‘Zack and Miri’, Smith’s ‘Dogma’ is a smart satire from beginning to its reverential  end  and  still his funniest  movie.

On a side note,  below is the story that News 12 New Jersey ran about the locals protesting ‘Dogma’. Kevin Smith makes a funny cameo as one of the protesters carrying a sign “Dogma is Dogsh*t.” During the interview, Smith never once gives his name, but stands alongside  the faithful  Ã‚  – probably inspired by the Almighty himself!