Adam Sandler Little Nicky - Religous Motifs

kennywc posted on Oct 10, 2016 at 09:46AM
Hey guys,

I just wanted to give you a heads up in case you read my forum post and realize how long it is.. I am taking a religion course in college and the professor assigned a writing piece. I chose to write a blog entire on a sci-fi/ fantasy movie and explain the religious motifs and how they have related to the things we are learning throughout the course. So I've chosen the movie Little Nicky. As many of you may know Little Nicky is a film where the Lord of Darkness (Satan) is a father to 3 boys. He is set to pass his thrown on to one of them. Needless to say Nicky's two brothers aren't too thrilled when Lucifer chooses to continue his rule of the underworld. When Cassius and Adrian receive the news, they then jump through the "fire gates of hell" which in turn freezes it over and starts the process of killing their father. The sooner they convert good to evil (these people are no longer able to enter hell and this is taking the power away from Lucifer and it is beginning to kill him by first making him weak). Satan starts to deteriorate and he then sends his least able son Nicky to stop his brothers from taking the thrown and ruling their own hell away from hell.. But on earth...

After watching this movie multiple times I think I have it figured out quite nicely. There are 7 religious motifs that we have been learning this semester. Below are as listed and beneath that they are listed in no chronological order to the movie itself.

RELIGIOUS MOTIFS:
- 1) Messianic Hero
- 2) Immortality
- 3) Free will and determinism
- 4) Prophecy
- 5) Evil
- 6) Mysticism
- 7) Apocalypse

1) First of all a messianic hero is one that is set to save all man kind. I believe in and throughout Little Nicky we are shown that all though it is for Satan himself, our hero and savior is Nicky. Nicky is one to provide "peace and prosperity" he is a chosen one and must fulfill his path to greater good by stopping his brothers.
2) Immortality - Through out this ENTIRE film we are brought to the attention of immortality. Nicky is already dead. Everyone who accompanies him in hell is dead, his brothers and parents although separated are dead. Some examples are when Nicky is transported to earth to help save his dad: He is immediately struck by a train and delivered back to hell. He then travels back to earth. Time and time again. Another example is when he finally captures his brothers (Cassius and Adrian) they are crammed into a flask.
3) Freewill and Determinism - This is apparent when Nicky is determined to capture his brothers regardless how many times he fails. He is shown the way by his dog and sidekick "Beefy". Beefy guides Nicky on his journey.Nicky's friends and followers are also by his side at the own freewill (John, Peter, Todd and Valerie).
4) Prophecy - Nicky is trying to fulfill the prophecies of the antichrist. Although he has been failing miserably time and time again (and again ultimately at the end of the movie) he tries countless times in order to make sure neither Cassius nor Adrian become the heirs to their fathers thrown.
5) Good and Evil - The power of good and the thrive for evil are all over this movie. Some of the evil characters are clearly the residents of Hell, Adolf Hitler, Lucifer himself, Nicky's two brothers Cassius and Adrian. Nicky starts on the side of evil and shortly after makes his way through to the goof side with his mother and the rest of the Angels. It is a clear line in this movie between good and evil because those who live in Hell seem to be the residents of evil and those who live in Heaven are those who reside on the side of "good" there are various residents in earth who are evil but the main characters remain The Prince of Darkness and his immediate family.
6) Mysticism - Mysticism is present throughout this movie when Nicky is able to communicate with his mother and the other angels in heaven they in turn are Nicky's higher power he attempts to communicate with and to in order to do good. Nicky is able to communicate with another higher power. His father Lucifer. Lucifer is the higher power for those of evil. To those who are able to communicate with him are something special.
7) Apocalypse - This is a clear scene in this movie. If Cassius and Adrian succeed on earth and live long enough they are able to kill their father off and push Nicky out of the way in order to RULE EARTH and kill everyone off. They want the end to come to mankind in turn some sort of rapture. Nicky is attempting to prevent that from happening an putting the power in the hands of his brother. In other words, if either one if his brothers rise to the thrown. The world as we know it will be over.

These 7 religious motifs are clear and pronounced throughout the entire movie and it is apparently and not appealing to those in a religious context. A movie in part worshiping the Lord of Darkness. Thank you for reading and spending your time reading and listening to what I have to say.

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