Original artwork, not a still
We're on a mission from God.
— The Blues Brothers • 1980
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It turns two sunglasses-wearing ex-cons and a police pile-up across Chicago into a holy errand, which makes everything they do, from wrecking a shopping mall to dodging neo-Nazis, spiritually justified. The deadpan makes it funny. It remains the standard way to claim a divine mandate for something unreasonable, from office parties to road trips, and the AFI nominated it for its list of the top film quotes.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Blues BrothersShow the scene
In The Blues Brothers (1980), Jake Blues leaves prison and joins his brother Elwood to learn that the Catholic orphanage where they grew up will close unless it pays $5,000 in property tax. After a sermon at the Triple Rock Baptist Church, Jake has an epiphany: they will reunite their band and raise the money with a show. The line is the brothers' reason for the whole mad crusade, their answer to everyone who asks why they are doing it. Dan Aykroyd and director John Landis wrote the screenplay from the characters Aykroyd and John Belushi created on Saturday Night Live.
Sources (1)
- Wikipedia: The Blues Brothers (film)Lead and PlotReference checked
Context reviewed
