The Devil's Advocate (1997) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Kevin defended Mr. Gettys despite knowing of his guilt because winning has become his defining identity. The summary reveals that Kevin has never lost a case, making his courtroom success a core part of who he is. When the reporter warned him a guilty verdict was inevitable, Kevin chose to discredit the young victim during cross-examination rather than withdraw, prioritizing his undefeated streak over moral integrity. This decision sets up the film's central theme of how ambition corrupts one's soul.

• kevin lomax
• mr gettys
• guilty client
• defense attorney

John Milton is revealed to be Satan himself and Kevin's biological father. The film drops hints throughout: he manipulates events from behind the scenes, refers to himself as 'the tempter,' and operates a law firm that enables corruption. When Kevin confronts him, Milton chillingly reveals he orchestrated Kevin's entire life, from engineering the Gettys case to driving Mary Ann to madness, to bring his son to New York and use him to father the Antichrist.

Foreshadowing: Milton refers to Eddie Barzoon as 'God's special little creature' and tells Kevin early on that he 'could have anything', hints at his true identity.

• john milton
• satan
• devil
• father
• reveal

Mary Ann's visions of demons were either real supernatural sightings or a psychological breakdown triggered by her isolation in New York. The film presents both interpretations: Mary Ann genuinely perceives evil forces (including seeing Pam transform into a demon at the hospital), while Kevin and others dismiss her as mentally ill. The narrative suggests that Milton, as Satan, may have been directly tormenting her to break Kevin's will and isolate him further from moral support.

• mary ann
• demons
• visions
• mental breakdown
• supernatural

Eddie Barzoon was the firm's managing attorney who grew jealous of Kevin and threatened to expose the firm's illegal activities to the U.S. Attorney. He was brutally murdered by vagrants who, from Mary Ann's perspective, appeared as demons. The attack was either orchestrated by Milton (as Satan) or a coincidence that Milton simply allowed to happen, further destabilizing Mary Ann's mental state and removing a threat to his plans.

• eddie barzoon
• murder
• death
• demons

Kevin had Mary Ann committed after she told him at the church that Milton had assaulted her. Kevin refused to believe her claims, dismissing them as paranoid delusions caused by her deteriorating mental state. This tragic decision isolated Mary Ann from the one person who could have helped her, directly contributing to her suicide. It represents Kevin's complete abandonment of his marriage in favor of his career and his inability to see the truth about Milton.

• mary ann
• committed
• psychiatric
• hospital
• kevin decision

Milton wanted Kevin to father the Antichrist with his co-worker Christabella Andreoli. As revealed in their final confrontation, Milton orchestrated Kevin's entire life to bring him to New York, corrupt him morally, and ultimately use his bloodline, since Milton is Kevin's father, to produce the antichrist. Milton offered Kevin unlimited power and wealth in exchange, essentially tempting him with the ultimate Faustian bargain.

• milton
• antichrist
• christabella
• father
• satanic plan

The ending is deliberately ambiguous. After Milton offers Kevin power to father the antichrist, Kevin defiantly shoots himself, appearing to reject his heritage. However, the film then cuts back to Kevin in the Gainesville courtroom during the Gettys trial recess, suggesting the entire New York arc may have been a vision or alternative timeline. The final shot reveals the reporter is Milton in disguise, saying 'Vanity, definitely my favorite sin,' implying Kevin may still be trapped in Milton's design regardless of which reality is 'real.'

• ending
• ambiguous
• suicide
• reality
• alternative timeline

Kevin ignored Mary Ann's warnings because he had become completely consumed by his career ambitions and didn't want to jeopardize his rising success. When Mary Ann first mentioned seeing demons and claiming Milton assaulted her, Kevin dismissed her as mentally unstable rather than confront the possibility that his boss was evil. This reflects the film's theme that Kevin's ambition has blinded him to moral truths and allowed Milton to isolate him from anyone who could warn him.

• kevin
• mary ann
• neglect
• ambition
• career

Alice Lomax is Kevin's mother and Milton's former lover, making her the mother of Satan's child. She kept Kevin's paternity secret, raising him as a single mother in Florida while Milton went on to become a powerful Manhattan attorney. Alice appears in New York near the film's end to reveal the truth to Kevin, though her motivations remain ambiguous, some viewers see her as another pawn in Milton's plan, while others wonder if she genuinely wanted Kevin to escape his fate.

• alice lomax
• mother
• milton
• relationship
• secret

The Alexander Cullen case served to further corrupt Kevin and isolate him from Mary Ann. By successfully defending a billionaire who murdered his wife and child, Kevin entrenched himself deeper in the firm's morally bankrupt world. The case consumed his time, pushing Mary Ann toward isolation and madness. It also gave Milton additional leverage over Kevin, as proceeding with a case he knew was wrong demonstrated Kevin's complete abandonment of his moral compass.

• alexander cullen
• case
• murder
• billionaire
• defense