The Forge (2024) Movie | Cameron Arnett | Priscilla Shirer | Aspen Kennedy | Review & Facts

e e e hello guys welcome to my channel in this video we are going to review the forge movies so join us as we dive into the world of movie review exploring the depths of the forge movie get ready to embark on an Epic Journey filled with interesting fact as we explore movie revieww and fact so whether you're a seasoned with movie review or just curious about the forge movie review so then hit that subscribe button and join our community don't forget to turn on notifications so you never miss out on our latest Adventures now let's dive in the Forge is a 2024 American Christian biblical drama film directed by Alex Kendrick and co-written by Steven Kendrick a sequel to war room it is the Kendrick Brothers 9th film and the six through their subsidiary Kendrick Brothers Productions their initial five films were created under Sherwood pictures it stars Cameron arnet Priscilla Shyer Asen Kennedy Karen abber cromby TC stallins BJ arnet Ken Beville Benjamin Watson Jonathan Evans Jerry Shyer and Tommy Woodard the film was released in the United States on August 23rd 2024 in November 2023 it was revealed that a Christian drama film directed by Alex Kendrick titled the forge had completed PR I photography from June to July in Albany Georgia Cameron arnet Priscilla Shyer Aspen Kennedy Karen abber cromi TC Stallings BJ arnet Ken bevel Benjamin Watson Jonathan Evans Jerry Shyer and Tommy Woodard round out the cast The Forge was distributed by Sony Pictures releasing on August 23rd 2024 five in the United States and Canada the film was released alongside blink twice and the crow and played in one 818 theaters in its opening weekend six the film made $2.4 million on its first day including $600,000 from Thursday night previews one it went on to debut at $6.7 million finishing fifth at the box office seven audiences pulled by cinemascore gave the film a rare average grade of a Plus on an A plus to f scale while those at post track gave the film an average of five out of five stars with 88% saying they would definitely recommend it the current golden age of faith-based entertainment owes much to the Kendrick Brothers although eviscerated by mainstream critics pioneering films like Facing the Giants and courageous helped establish Christian movies as a legitimate film genre since then companies like Angel Studios and Kingdom story group have taken the Baton and pushed the genre to Greater Heights with the forge the Kendrick Brothers show that while the industry has shifted around them they've remained the same for better and worse the forge has a positive message to share but it struggles to do so in a way that doesn't feel like a Sunday school lesson or a high budget Church skit films like the forge are difficult to review because they aren't like any other films in Hollywood the forge is technically a movie but it doesn't really do the things other films do while many Hollywood flicks have underlying themes or even overt messages the forge is not a movie with a message as much as it is a message delivered through a movie every cinematic element characters plot dialogue scenes are secondary to that message the movie arguably has more in common with a Bible study than it does with any of the other films sharing the theaters this week therefore perhaps the best way to approach this movie is to review it as two separate entities a film and a message every film should be measured by its artistic Merit and faith-based films are no exception arguably they should be held to an even higher standard but with a forge I suspect that many in its target audience will be indifferent toward its artistic quality and merely want to affirm or be affirmed by a message that aligns with their personal values if you belong to that latter group feel free to skip the next two paragraphs for everyone else it's going to be a bumpy ride I don't want to be excessively negative but I won't sugarcoat this setting aside the edifying and agreeable nature of its core message and very Pro Jesus and discipleship the forge is subpar by every metric it was seemingly created by pastors who love preaching rather than by storytellers who love or respect Cinema the forge employs film as a tool not an art form there's a mostly outgrown stereotype that faith-based movies are merely gospel tracks in Disguise the Kendrick Brothers heard that critique and said hold my Welch's grape juice the forge is essentially a gospel tract without the disguise in fact there is even a scene in which a character picks up a literal gospel tract and reads it out loud for the benefit of the audience the characters on screen aren't really talking to each other as much as they are mouthpieces for the film sermon the in- yourface sermonizing would be more digestible with a bit of sugar to help the medicine go down but amid the various scenes of characters imparting life lessons to one another nothing much actually happens the plot lacks tension the first brief hint of character drama doesn't occur until a full hour into the runtime there's also a surprising dirth of humor and little in the way of interesting camera shots or framing the film is predominantly dialogue driven frequently accompanied by tears and swelling music and not much as communicated visually or through action even prayer becomes a convenient gimmick to turn otherwise silent moments of internal struggle into expositional monologues for all its many shortcomings the film is not without its positives for those who skipped the last few paragraphs welcome back to its credit I think the Ford succeeds in being exactly the type of movie it sets out to be and audiences Hing for faith-based storytelling will likely leave the theater with satisfied bellies for viewers that want to see Christian values unambiguously and unapologetically declared in a movie the Kendrick Brothers have got you covered the forge may be more of a message than a film but its message is important although it doesn't exclude the obligatory Christian conversion Moment the movie sets itself apart by continuing that story to the what next phase of the Christian Journey as one character says people want salvation but not everyone wants to follow Jesus in discipleship it is not surprising that the film is being accompanied by a whole line of Bible study materials I pray those resources will Challenge and equip Christians not only to be discipled but to disciple others particularly the Next Generation overall the Kendrick Brothers have a worthy sermon to share with Christian audiences I just wish they had used a better vehicle than this film to deliver it like Luke Skywalker in the cave on dava most viewers will get out of this film exactly what they bring to it if you want entertainment featuring Christian people talking about agreeable Christian things then go see this film if you prefer films to be cinematic then this one won't be for you I believe there is still a place for the preach to the choir brand of films the Kendrick Brothers make but the forge feels like a missed opportunity there is so much more potential in cinema than simply providing Christians with one more Bible study to attend there is nothing beneath the surface about this film but there is no shortage of messages although it offers a scattershot of various Christian teaching topics forgiveness prayer salvation responsibility evangelism Etc the central focus is the importance of Christian discipleship the film attempts to provide a model for discipleship as a multi-generational structure in which those being discipled are equipped to make disciples themselves as one character declares there's a cost to discipleship the speaker demonstrates this lesson by giving up golf the young adult he is disciplined chooses to abstain from video games the film attempts to show that what you gain by following jesus' peace and purpose is far more satisfying than the Earthly things you surrender the film provides a template for viewers to find their own Forge of multi-generational men and presumably women who carry one another's burdens it's an edifying message but there's one aspect that rubbed me the wrong way no offense in intended toward Baby Boomers but there is a sort of Boomer fantasy about the film's perspective on the Next Generation it paints today's young adults with broad brush Strokes as apathetic and lazy Drifters who waste their time on trivial activities like video games and desperately need a lecture from the older generation to help them grow up growing up is important and guidance is needed but this film is more about talking to young people rather than talking with them the main character's Arc is essentially becoming a good Boomer who has little time for his passions or friends as he develops a routine of going to church and working long hours he becomes more responsible throughout the film but he also loses most of his personality along the way while well-intentioned it's a call to Conformity that doesn't meet young people where they are or acknowledge the complexity of their lives or the unique value they have to offer it reminded me of an older lady who used to volunteer with my youth group not out of love for teenagers but merely to straighten them out in a broader culture that has attempted to redefine minimalize or even villainize masculinity the forge offers a countercultural picture of biblical manhood it doesn't do so by minimizing women or by endorsing alpha male dominance but by giving men a tough love challenge to step up and take responsibility part of being a man is showing up while its depiction of young adults may turn off young adult viewers the film provides some important dad lessons to young men about how to give airm firm handshake maintain eye contact and show up on time Priscilla Shyer born December 31st 1974 is an American Author motivational speaker actress and Christian Media personality an evangelist her father is Dallas Mega Church Pastor Tony Evans and her brothers are motivational speaker and chaplain Jonathan Evans and musician Anthony Evans the daughter of Tony Evans senior pastor of oakcliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas Texas and Lois Evans one Priscilla grew up well acquainted with the Bible as a freshman at the University of Houston she intered with a Christian radio station soon listeners were calling the station inviting Priscilla to speak at their Bible study groups and other events soon she was invited to lead a weekly Bible study at the zig Ziggler Corporation and then to join its speaker team Priscilla has worked as an independent contractor for CBS and hosted a local television show but recently she has focused solely on Christian Ministry opportunities she calls an Graham Lots daughter of evangelist Reverend Billy Graham her Mentor in Ministry together the Shire is established going Beyond Ministries a speaking bureau featuring Priscilla the parents of three young boys the Shire share Ministry and family responsibilities while Priscilla continues to minister full-time Jerry manages his schedule and other business aspects of going Beyond Ministries one Priscilla speaks around the world that churches and other events including the lifee Christian resources sponsored going Beyond conference and deeper still three the event where she shares the stage with Beth more four and K Arthur five she has also authored several books two shyra graduated from Duncanville High School and Dallas Theological Seminary one earning a master's degree from the latter six in biblical studies seven in 1993 Sher was a freshman at the University of Houston to sh was was married in 1999 to Jerry Shyer former Hilton hotel's executive the couple has three sons six in 2013 shyra was a speaker at the 2013 Women of Faith conference 7 in 2015 shyra made her film debut in the Kendrick Brothers film war room one in October 2016 shyra was recognized as one of four prominent Women of Faith during the 10th anniversary of God's leading ladies Life Enrichment program at The Potter's House one Shire also featured at the 47 GMA Dove Awards Ken bevel is a former American Marine Corps officer pastor and actor who co-starred in the 2008 film fireproof and the 2011 film Courageous one he serves as the connections and local missions pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church based in Albany Georgia two and fireproof bevel portrays firefighter Michael Simmons 34 and portrays police officer Nathan Hayes and courageous Benjamin Seth Watson one born December 18th 1980 is an American former professional football player who is a tight end in the National Football League NFL he played college football for the Duke Blue Devils and Georgia Bulldogs Watson was selected by the New England Patriots with the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft and won Super Bowl Roman 39 with the Patriots over the Philadelphia Eagles in his rookie year he has also played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints Watson was born in norfol Virginia he attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill South Carolina and was a letterman in football and track in football as a senior he caught 31 passes for 515 yards the two-time All Region selection and Northwestern HS Student of the Year LED his team to the state championship in his Junior season he was also a member of his high school chapter of the fellowship of Christian athletes in track and field Watson was a standout Sprinter recording personal best times of 22.375 seconds in the 400 m Sonia affirms faith-based film The Forge had a disappointing start at the box office despite receiving five stars from movie A goers and a 100% recommendation on Rotten Tomatoes The Alex Kendrick directed movie with a production budget of $5 million gross doll 600k from Thursday previews a SP SP off of 2015 surprise hit war room is tracking to earn below $7.1 million in the opening weekend after a slow start at the box office the forge came in behind new entries blink twice and the crow which earned 820k And1 650k respectively from Thursday previews however it should be noted that war room which also earned 600k in previews came in higher earning $11.40 million in opening weekend this was mainly due to the faith-based titles target audience heading to theaters after Sunday church services war room made $67 million at the domestic box office however the followup 2019s Overcomer came in short with $8 million start after earning1 775k in Thursday night previews the film made $34 million at the domestic box office the forge has a 100% audience score from 214 Critics on Rotten Tomato with viewers praising the faith-based film film critic Jackie Cooper wrote The Forge is another winner for the Kendrick Brothers it is a faith-based film that delivers its message and entertains at the same time another audience member added excellent movie It's a Wonderful story about discipleship prayer and forgiveness go see it a third overly enthusiastic viewer echoed the statement writing this is an awesome movie I laughed I cried and I was on the edge of my seat all of my favorites from war room were outstanding again the young man who played Isaiah excellent the forge cast features Cameron arnet Priscilla Shyer Aspen Kennedy Karen abber cromby and TC stallins the focus of the forge on the modern plight of young men in society is laudable but the film's inability to empathize with these men or offer a compelling vision for their lives will turn them away from Christianity more than draw them to it before we had the Irwin Brothers I can only imagine or Dallas Jenkins The Chosen the Undisputed Kings of the faith-based film industry were the Kendrick Brothers with films like Facing the Giants and fireproof Alex and Steven Kendrick were Christian household names throughout the 2010s at their height the Kendrick's movie War Room was no one at the American box office the Kendrick Brothers films pioneered the faith-based inspirational drama that still defines the Christian film industry to this day their films would typically Center on a social issue whether it was marriage fireproof and War Room fatherhood courageous or abortion lifemark they would then have a character preach the gospel to the protagonist dealing with that problem and show them that the answer was to repent and make Jesus Christ their lord and savior the Kendrick films were often accused I think rightly of being more sermons than movies but there was no denying their popularity within Christian circles even even now with them being eclipsed by more popular Christian filmmakers they still have a loyal audience now with their latest film The Forge the Kendrick Brothers turned their attention to a social issue that has dominated social media in recent years the boy crisis the forge follows Isaiah a high school graduate living at home with his mom Cynthia Priscilla C Shyer playing the sister of her character from war room with no plans for the future after his mom threatens to charging him rent to live there Isaiah is taken Under The Wing by a man who promises to help him become the man God is calling him to be the film deserves credit for tackling the problems of wayward young men men in our society are falling behind in school dropping out of the workforce abandoning marriage and Parenthood and increasingly ending their lives so it's great to see faith-based industry films trying to address helping men achieve their potential furthermore the empathy shown to moms of such Sons is viid with Cynthia struggling with wanting the best for her son but being unable to draw it out of him because she's not a man and it's hard for a woman to call out the man and her son the scenes where she responds by seeking support from her friends and praying to God about it together are honest and heartfelt and when her son does turn around her shocking gratitude for how God has turned things around is genuinely moving once again the faith-based film industry does a great job of giving a far too rare voice to the experien of Christian moms but therein lies the problem this is clearly not a movie for the men who are lost this is a movie for their moms worse it's a movie that will probably not Inspire lost men to turn around but rather push them further away the film largely ignores putting us in Isaiah's point of view or understanding his perspective the movie starts out with a parade of scenes where Isaiah is a stereotypically frustrating young man he plays video games instead of doing his chores or looking for a job he rolls his eyes at his mom when she confronts him and whines when she threatens to charge him rent he obnoxiously tries to hit on a girl at a coffee shop and is disrespectful to her dad each of these scenes ends with an iroll or a lecture from the adults in the room whether that's his mom the coffee girl's father or an office receptionist why does Isaiah play so many video games why does he have so little ambition why doesn't he listen to his mom the film either ignores those questions or reduces them to because his dad left without digging much deeper the thing is we have pretty good information on why men today are struggling Dr Jonathan hate points out in the anxious generation that overprotectiveness of children has undercuts boys confidence Growing Up by keeping them from going on adventures without supervision which they can't gain confidence without having schools reward girls natural sit still and listen style of learning while punishing boys active Hands-On learning style as the American Psychological Association points out add that to men feeling stigmatized for their masculinity as Dr Richard Reeves's book of boys and men unpacks and many men don't see the point of trying to succeed a father can help if he and his son have a close relationship as Nancy pieres the toxic war on masculinity shows but they are still fighting against the current this results in a generation of boys who don't have the skills and confidence in themselves to succeed in the world and feel stigmatized for the parts of themselves they like therefore they Retreat into fantasy like video games or porn which do validate their masculine drives imagine if the forge had opened from Isaiah's point of view showing how demoralized he feels by his family school and Society showing why he has no ambition boys watching the movie would feel seen and understood and might then listen to the answer the movie was trying to give of course the answers the movie gives would not likely have reached boys either when Joshua Moore played by Cameron arnet takes Isaiah under his wing the movie spends a lot more time with more lecturing Isaiah about why God's way of living is better than it does letting Joshua and therefore for us experience it remember this learn by lecture rather than learn by doing is the same mistake schools make with Boys video games and movies aimed at men make themselves desirable by putting males in the shoes of someone who struggles and overcomes obstacles toward a great reward no lecturing required but because the Kendrick Brothers only know how to lecture rather than tell an exciting story they can't show how a life of responsibility can feel exciting and worthwhile the forge also lacks a compelling purpose that can drive a man to want to struggle to better himself what it pitches is essentially become a man other people will respect per Isaiah's description to more of what he wants or please God but the first is weak sauce and the second doesn't motivate you if God hasn't already captured your heart there are a couple of problems with getting respect from others as a motivator first it makes a man's motive conditional on others but it's also not the deepest desire of men in Dr David Gilmore's manhood in the making regularly cited by both Christians and non-christians men cross culturally Define their purpose as living up to the three PS of manhood protect provide and procreate procreate can also involve mentorship read this iconic speech from the show Breaking Bad one of the most popular shows for men in the past 30 years a man provides and he does it even when he's not appreciated or respected or even loved he simply Bears up and he does it because he's a man video games movies and toxic online influencers like Andrew tapate pitch a version of these principles to men which is a big part of their appeal but Christianity has a better version of this like King Peter and Narnia Christianity gives men the opportunity to be heroes for the glory of God to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven it's insane for the church to not Pitch this to men and to settle for being respected as a primary motivator Jordan Peterson in his video a message to the Christian churches which tried to show churches how they can appeal to young men as he has described how he pitches men's purpose within the biblical framework you have a woman to find a garden to walk in a family to nurture an ark to build a land to conquer a ladder to heaven to build and the utter catastrophe of Life To Face In Truth devoted to love and without fear how do male filmmakers talking about lost men not sympathize with them and it's a good question but it's a common observation of both the faith-based film industry and the western church the majority of leaders are men but the majority of the audience or congregants are women as books like why men hate going to church and the church impotent have argued this leads to a church culture that even as it retains power for its male leaders caters its content to meet the wants of its female members in the faith-based industry it's even more so since that audience leads directly to box office numbers but that creates a vicious cycle both in the church and movies where much of the Christian culture turns off men here's an example of the forge doing just that we know that men and women socially Bond differently as Dr Audrey Nelson observed in psychology today men tend to bond standing side by side accomplishing a task together women tend to socially bond by looking into each other's spaces and talking about their feelings Dr Tania Reynolds got more specific on the modern wisdom podcast explaining that women typically bond by sitting in a circle and expressing their deepest shameful Secrets while affirming each other which of these forms of social bonding does the movie affirm and which does it denigrate most examples of social bonding through a accomplishing goals side by side are treated negatively Isaiah playing basketball with his friends is a bad influence and playing video games and golf are Idols to be cut out what positive male Community does he replace it with eating dinner in a circle with other boys while talking about their shameful histories and affirming each other what does all this mean for the boy whose parents drag him to the theater to see this movie he'll feel like the Christian adults in his life don't understand him and don't want to when his parents laugh in the theater at Isaiah getting humiliated and cheer at him admitting that he was wrong he will know they are thinking about him and when the movie gives him a picture of the life he can have if he gives up his way of life now it will look boring and unappealing to him worst of all because this is portrayed as the Christian way to be a man he will see Christianity and Jesus himself as boring and unappealing to him when I reviewed the Kendrick brother produced movie lifemark I criticized it for its portrayal of the young man male protagonist I said that the way the movie showed him never getting very mad when bad things happen to him and any conflict he had with his family being diffused almost instantly was an unhealthy expectation to place on young men I was criticized mostly by Christian moms because that's what my son is like and my family is very healthy meanwhile I got private messages from young men who thank me for telling the truth even though they couldn't say they agreed with me publicly the good news is that more and more Christian sources are trying to address the needs of boys and men in a way they can hear culture critics like Aaron Ren and Jesse dvor Jack are Christians making content to speak to young men streaming services like lore and daily wire if you are politically conservative are trying to build entertainment Empires that appeal to the sensibilities of men while being often overtly religious and very often Christian while the forge deserves credit for wanting to address the real problems of struggling men and boys it fails to speak to the very people it says it wants to help Christian parents of such boys would be better off passing on this movie and following other sources for their boys and following the example of the movie Cynthia by praying for them instead the Kendrick Brothers latest release the forge is a Christian film that compellingly portrays discipleship and action it illustrates how relationships forged in Christ can lead to transformative Life Changes discipleship is more than a religious Duty it's a command from Jesus Christ to walk alongside others guiding them towards spiritual growth Matthew 4:19 what sets this movie apart is its emphasis on cultivating a relationship with God without overwhelming viewers with religion instead it encourages us to make room for God in every area of our lives and to live according to his word the sword of the spirit the story line is both powerful and relatable the film follows Joshua Cameron arnet a corporate executive and devout business owner who met toward Isaiah newcomer Aspen Kennedy a directionless high school graduate and Avid gamer struggling to find purpose Isaiah's background includes an optimistic single mother Cynthia Priscilla Shyer and a father noticeably absent from his life through Joshua's mentorship the forge beautifully showcases the power of forgiveness unconditional love and the strength that comes from living in alignment with one's god-given purpose though deeply frustrated by her teenage son's immaturity and selfishness s remains steadfast in her faith rather than resorting to criticism emasculation or enabling behavior that could damage his identity she leans into her prayer circle and trusts God for a breakthrough with unwavering resolve she believes that the manifestation of change and the revelation of his true potential will come in God's timing Shy's heartfelt performance is as Dynamic and impacting as her teaching in her Ministry she portrays Cynthia as a strong mother who embodies the beauty of being at at her Heavenly father's feet allowing him to rule sovereignly and free of Doubt additionally she makes a cameo as Cynthia's sister reprising her role as Elizabeth from war room in this brief appearance she reinforces that prayer must be persistent pray until something happens the forge highlights that true discipleship isn't about prti but living out one's faith in a way that inspires others to do the same as josha guides Isaiah the film depicts men stepping up and paying it forward by lifting others the movie emphasizes that when men Embrace vulnerability and open themselves to the Salvation of Jesus Christ they unlock deeper fulfillment in life through these acts of discipleship lives are transformed purpose is revealed and hearts are mended the faith-based genre has a target audience and those within that target audience love most of the films because of the power of the stories personally the movie can be hit or miss and it all falls in the LA of the writers and how they choose to to tell the stories on the one hand writers find these mostly true stories and bring them to life in a way that inspires and pulls at your heartstrings conversely they Hollywood eyes the films and you audibly sigh one of the things that the Kendricks get right is how they navigate Isaiah's struggles post High School throughout High School pressure begins to mount on kids making them question the next phase of their lives on the flip side as parents you want to see your kids succeed but you also want to guide them in the the right direction the balance can cause friction but it is captured perfectly within the forge another thing that the Kendricks got write was not over dramatizing the biblical aspects of the story they leaned heavily into the idea of God helping Isaiah get out of this post School Funk but they don't overdo it they know they are playing to a specific audience but attempt to bring outside viewers with how they tell the story although the writing of Isaiah isn't perfect Aspen Kennedy did a great job of selling the character you felt connected to the roots of the role the exaggerated aspect of faith-based films sees you wrap your head around outlandish and bad acting but within that Kennedy does breathe some heart into Isaiah the best moments feature the strong back and forth with Isaiah's mother Cynthia who Priscilla SE sh played Shire was a substantial addition that elevated Kennedy and the film although the film contains many high points the forge is stuck in the identical troops of this genre it is widely predictable sometimes cheesy and tries to do too much with a story that has a limited range ahead of watching I was shocked to see the film's runtime at 2 hours and while watching it you felt every bit of it you could have easily shaved off 30 minutes which would have gotten the point across if you were in the market for another faith-based film and these are the types of movies that make you go to the theater you should check this one out the forge is far from perfect but it does serve the purpose of what it is trying to sell to the audience although it beers on far too long I did find myself attached to A's story for everybody else you should skip this one as it might not be up your alley six the film made $2.4 million on its first day including $600,000 from Thursday night previews one it went on to debut at $6.7 million finishing fifth at the box office seven audiences pulled by cinemascore gave the film a rare average grade of a Plus on plus to f scale while those at postra gave the film an average of five out of five stars with 88% saying they would definitely recommend it the current golden age of faith-based entertainment owes much to the Kendrick Brothers although eviscerated by mainstream critics pioneering films like Facing the Giants and courageous helped establish Christian movies as a legitimate film genre since then companies like Angel Studios and Kingdom story group have taken the Baton and pushed the genre to Greater Heights with the forge the Kendrick Brothers show that while the industry has shifted around them they've remained the same for better and worse the forge has a positive message to share but it struggles to do so in a way that doesn't feel like a Sunday school lesson or a high budget Church skit films like the forge are difficult to review because they aren't like any other films in Hollywood the forge is technically a movie but it doesn't really do the things other films do while many Hollywood flicks have underlying themes or even overt messages the forge is not a movie with a message as much as it is a message delivered through a movie every cinematic element characters plot dialogue scenes are secondary to that message the movie arguably has more in common with a Bible study than it does with any of the other films sharing the theaters this week therefore perhaps the best way to approach this movie is to review it as two separate entities a film and a message every film should be measured by its AR artistic Merit and faith-based films are no exception arguably they should be held to an even higher standard but with a forge I suspect that many in its target audience will be indifferent toward its artistic quality and merely want to affirm or be affirmed by a message that aligns with their personal values if you belong to that latter group feel free to skip the next two paragraphs for everyone else it's going to be a bumpy ride I don't want to be excessively negative but I won't sugarcoat this setting aside the edifying and agreeable nature of its core message I'm very Pro Jesus and discipleship the forge is subpar by every metric it was seemingly created by pastors who love preaching rather than by storytellers who love or respect Cinema the forge employs film as a tool not an art form there's a mostly outgrown stereotype that faith-based movies are merely gospel tracks in Disguise the Kendrick Brothers heard that critique and said hold my Welch's grape juice the forge is essentially a gospel tra without the disguise in fact there is even a scene in which a character picks up a literal gospel tract and reads it out loud for the benefit of the audience the characters on screen aren't really talking to each other as much as they are mouthpieces for the film sermon the iny face sermonizing would be more digestible with a bit of sugar to help the medicine go down but amid the various scenes of characters imparting life lessons to one another nothing much actually happens the plot lacks tension the first brief hint of character drama doesn't occur until a full hour into the runtime there's also a surprising dir of humor and little in the way of interesting camera shots or framing the film is predominantly dialogue driven frequently accompanied by tears and swelling music and not much is communicated visually or through action even prayer becomes a convenient gimmick to turn otherwise silent moments of internal struggle into expositional monologues for all its many shortcomings the film is not without its positives for for those who skipped the last few paragraphs welcome back to its credit I think the forge succeeds in being exactly the type of movie it sets out to be and audiences hungering for faith-based storytelling will likely leave the theater with satisfied bellies for viewers that want to see Christian values unambiguously and unapologetically declared in a movie the Kendrick Brothers have got you covered the forge may be more of a message than a film but its message is important although it doesn't exclude the obligatory Christian conversion Moment the movie sets itself apart by continuing that story to the what next phase of the Christian Journey as one character says people want salvation but not everyone wants to follow Jesus in discipleship it is not surprising that the film is being accompanied by a whole line of Bible study materials I pray those resources will Challenge and equip Christians not only to be discipled but to disciple others particularly the Next Generation overall the Kendrick Brothers have a worthy sermon to share with Christian audiences I just wish they had used a better vehicle than this film to deliver it like Luke Skywalker in the cave on Dava most viewers will get out of this film exactly what they bring to it if you want entertainment featuring Christian people talking about agreeable Christian things then go see this film if you prefer films to be cinematic then this one won't be for you I believe there is still a place for the preach to the choir brand of films the Kendrick Brothers make but the forge feels like a missed opportunity there is so much more potential in cinema than simply providing Christians with one more Bible study to attend there is nothing beneath the surface about this film but there is no shortage of messages although it offers a scattershot of various Christian teaching topics forgiveness prayer salvation responsibility evangelism Etc the central focus is the importance of Christian discipleship the film attempts to provide a model for discipleship as a multigenerational structure in which those being discipled are equipped to make disciples themselves as one character declares there's a cost to discipleship speaker demonstrates this lesson by giving up golf the young adult he is disciplined chooses to abstain from video games the film attempts to show that what you gain by following jesus' peace and purpose is far more satisfying than the Earthly things you surrender the film provides a template for viewers to find their own Forge of multi-generational men and presumably women who carry one another's burdens it's an edifying message but there's one aspect that rubbed me the wrong way no offense intended toward Baby Boomers but there is a sort of Boomer fantasy about the film's perspective on the Next Generation it paints today's young adults with broad brush Strokes as apathetic and lazy Drifters who waste their time on trivial activities like video games and desperately need a lecture from the older generation to help them grow up growing up is important and guidance is needed but this film is more about talking to young people rather than talking with them the main character's Arc is essentially becoming a good Boomer who has little time for his passions or friends as he develops a routine of going to church and working long hours he becomes more responsible throughout the film but he also loses most of his personality along the way while well-intentioned it's a call to Conformity that doesn't meet young people where they are or acknowledge the complexity of their lives or the unique value they have to offer it reminded me of an older lady who used to volunteer with my youth group not out of love for teenagers but merely to straighten them out in a broader culture that has attempted to redefine minimalize or even villainize masculinity the forge offers a countercultural picture of biblical manhood it doesn't do so by minimizing women or by endorsing alpha male dominance but by giving men a tough love challenge to step up and take responsibility part of being a man is showing up while its depiction of young adults may turn off young adult viewers the film provides some important dad lessons to young men about how to give a firm handshake maintain eye contact and show up on time Priscilla Shyer born December 31st 1974 is an American Author motivational speaker actress and Christian Media personality an evangelist her father is Dallas Mega Church Pastor Tony Evans and her brothers are motivational speaker and chaplain Jonathan Evans and musician Anthony Evans the daughter of Tony Evans senior pastor of oakcliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas Texas in Lois Evans one Priscilla grew up well acquainted with the Bible as a freshman at the University of Houston she interned with a Christian radio station soon listeners were calling the station inviting Priscilla to speak at their Bible study groups and other events soon she was invited to lead a weekly Bible study at the zig Ziggler Corporation and then to join its speaker team team Priscilla has worked as an independent contractor for CBS and hosted a local television show but recently she has focused solely on Christian Ministry opportunities she calls an Graham Lots daughter of evangelist Reverend Billy Graham her Mentor in Ministry together the Shire is established going Beyond Ministries a speaking bureau featuring Priscilla the parents of three young boys the Shire of share Ministry and family responsibilities while Priscilla continues to minister time Jerry manages his schedule and other business aspects of going Beyond Ministries one Priscilla speaks around the world at churches and other events including the lifee Christian resources sponsored going Beyond conference and deeper still three the event where she shares the stage with Beth Mo four and K Arthur five she has also authored several books two sh graduated from Duncanville High School and Dallas Theological Seminary one earning a master's degree from the latter six in biblical studies seven in 1993 shy was a freshman at the University of Houston to Shyer was married in 1999 to Jerry Shyer former Hilton hotel's executive the couple has three sons six in 2013 shyro was a speaker at the 2013 Women of Faith conference 7 in 2015 shyro made her film debut in the Kendrick Brothers film war room one in October 2016 shy was recognized as one of four prominent Women of Faith during the 10th anniversary of God's leading ladies Life Enrichment program at The Potter's House one Shire also featured at the 47th GMA Dove Awards Ken Beville is a former American Marine Corps officer pastor and actor who co-starred in the 2008 film fireproof and the 2011 film Courageous one he serves as the connections and local missions pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church based in Albany Georgia two and fireproof the portrays firefighter Michael Simmons 34 and portrays police officer Nathan Hayes and courageous Benjamin Seth Watson one born December 18th 1980 is an American former professional football player who is a tight end in the National Football League NFL he played college football for the Duke Blue Devils and Georgia Bulldogs Watson was selected by the New England Patriots with the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft and won Super Bowl Roman 39 with the Patriots over the Philadelphia Eagles in his rookie year he has also played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints Watson was born in norfol Virginia he attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill southc Carolina and was a letterman in football and track in football as a senior he caught 31 passes for 515 yards the two-time All Region selection and Northwestern HS Student of the Year LED his team to the state championship in his Junior season he was also a member of his high school chapter of the fellowship of Christian athletes in track and field Watson was a standout Sprinter recording personal best times of 22.375 3 seconds in the 400 m Sunny affirms faith-based film The Forge had a disappointing start at the box office despite receiving five stars from mov a goers and a 100% recommendation on Rotten Tomatoes the Alex Kendrick directed movie with a production budget of $5 million gross dollar 600k from Thursday previews a spinoff of 2015 surprise hit war room is tracking to earn below $7.1 million in the opening weekend after a slow start at the box office the forge came in behind new entries blink twice and the crow which earned $1 820k And1 650k respectively from Thursday previews however it should be know noted that war room which also earned 600k in previews came in higher earning $11.40 million in opening weekend this was mainly due to the faith-based title's target audience heading to theaters after Sunday church services war room made $67 million at the domestic box office however the followup 2019s Overcomer came in short with 8 million doll start after earning $1 775k in Thursday night previews the film film made $34 million at the domestic box office the forge has a 100% audience score from 214 Critics on Rotten Tomatoes with viewers praising the faith-based film film critic Jackie Cooper wrote The Forge is another winner for the Kendrick Brothers it is a faith-based film that delivers its message and entertains at the same time another audience member added excellent movie It's a Wonderful story about discipleship prayer and forgiveness go see it a third overly enthusiastic viewer echoed the statement writing this is an awesome movie I laugh I cried and I was on the edge of my seat all of my favorites from war room were outstanding again the young man who played Isaiah excellent the forge cast features Cameron arnet Priscilla Shyer Aspen Kennedy Karen abber cromi and TC Stallings the focus of the forge on the modern plight of young men in society is laudable but the film's inability to empathize with these men or offer a compelling vision for their lives will turn them away from Christianity more than draw them to it before we had the Irwin Brothers I can only imagine or Dallas Jenkins The Chosen the Undisputed Kings of the faith-based film industry were the Kendrick Brothers with films like Facing the Giants and fireproof Alex and Steven Kendrick were Christian household names throughout the 2010s at their height the Kendrick's movie War Room was no one at the American box office the Kendrick Brothers films pioneered the faith-based inspirational drama that still defines the Christian film industry to this day their films would typically Center on a social issue whether it was marriage fireproof and War Room fatherhood courageous or abortion lifemark they would then have a character preach the gospel to the protagonist dealing with that problem and show them that the answer was to repent and make Jesus Christ their lord and savior the Kendrick films were often accused I think rightly of being more sermons than movies but there was no denying their popularity within Christian circles even now with them being eclipsed by more popular Christian filmmakers they still have a loyal audience now with their latest film The Forge the Kendrick Brothers turned their attention to a social issue that has dominated social media in recent years the boy crisis the forge follows Isaiah a high school graduate living at home with his mom Cynthia Priscilla C Shyer playing the sister of her character from war room with no plans for the future after his mom threatens to start charging him rent to live there Isaiah is taken Under The Wing by a man who promises to help him become the man God is calling him to be the film deserves credit for tackling the problems of wayward young men men in our society are falling behind in school dropping out of the workforce abandoning marriage and Parenthood and increasingly ending their lives so so it's great to see faith-based industry films trying to address helping men achieve their potential furthermore the empathy shown to moms of such Sons is vivid with Cynthia struggling with wanting the best for her son but being unable to draw it out of him because she's not a man and it's hard for a woman to call out the man and her son the scenes where she responds by seeking support from her friends and praying to God about it together are honest and heartfelt and when her son does turn around her shock and gratitude for how God has turned things around is genuinely moving once again the faith-based film industry does a great job of giving a far too rare voice to the experiences of Christian moms but therein lies the problem this is clearly not a movie for the men who are lost this is a movie for their moms worse it's a movie that will probably not Inspire lost men to turn around but rather push them further away the film largely ignores putting us in Isaiah's point of view or understanding his perspective the movie starts out with a parade of scenes where Isaiah is a stereotypically frustrating young man he plays video games instead of doing his chores or looking for a job he rolls his eyes at his mom when she confronts him and whines when she threatens to charge him rent he obnoxiously tries to hit on a girl at a coffee shop and is disrespectful to her dad each of these scenes ends with an IR roll or a lecture from the adults in the room whether that's his mom the coffee girl's father or an office reception why does Isaiah play so many video games why does he have so little ambition why doesn't he listen to his mom the film either ignores those questions or reduces them to because his dad left without digging much deeper the thing is we have pretty good information on why men today are struggling Dr Jonathan hate points out in the anxious generation that overprotectiveness of children has undercuts boys confidence Growing Up by keeping them from going on adventures without provision which they can't gain confidence without having school's reward girls natural sit still and listen style of learning while punishing boys active Hands-On learning style as the American Psychological Association points out add that to men feeling stigmatized for their masculinity as Dr Richard Reeves's book of boys and men unpacks and many men don't see the point of trying to succeed a father can help if he and his son have a close relationship as Nancy pieres the toxic war on masculinity shows but they are still fighting against the current this results in a generation of boys who don't have the skills and confidence in themselves to succeed in the world and feel stigmatized for the parts of themselves they like therefore they Retreat into fantasy like video games or porn which do validate their masculine drives imagine if the forge had opened from Isaiah's point of view showing how demoralized he feels by his family school and Society showing why he has no no ambition boys watching the movie would feel seen and understood and might then listen to the answer the movie was trying to give of course the answers the movie gives would not likely have reached boys either when Joshua Moore played by Cameron arnet takes Isaiah under his wing the movie spends a lot more time with more lecturing Isaiah about why God's way of living is better than it does letting Joshua and there for us experience it remember this learn by lecture rather than learn by doing is the same mistake schools make with Boys video games and movies aimed at men make themselves desirable by putting males in the shoes of someone who struggles and overcomes obstacles toward a great reward no lecturing required but because the Kindred Brothers only know how to lecture rather than tell an exciting story they can't show how a life of responsibility can feel exciting and worthwhile the forge also lacks a compelling purpose that can drive a man to want to struggle to better himself what it pitches is a eventually become a man other people will respect per Isaiah's description to more of what he wants or please God but the first is weak sauce and the second doesn't motivate you if God hasn't already captured your heart there are a couple of problems with getting respect from others as a motivator first it makes a man's motive conditional on others but it's also not the deepest desire of men in Dr David Gilmore's manhood in the making regularly cited by both Christians and non-christians Men cross culturally Define their purpose as living up to the three PS of manhood protect provide and procreate procreate can also involve mentorship read this iconic speech from the show Breaking Bad one of the most popular shows for men in the past 30 years a man provides and he does it even when he's not appreciated or respected or even loved he simply Bears up and he does it because he's a man video games movies and toxic online influencers like and tap pitch a version of these principles to men which is a big part of their appeal but Christianity has a better version of this like King Peter and Narnia Christianity gives men the opportunity to be heroes for the glory of God to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven it's insane for the church to not Pitch this to men and to settle for being respected as a primary motivator Jordan Peterson in his video a message to the Christian churches which tried to show churches how they can appeal to young men as he has described how he pitches men's purpose within the biblical framework you have a woman to find a garden to walk in a family to nurture an ark to build a land to conquer a ladder to heaven to build and the utter catastrophe of Life To Face In Truth devoted to love and without fear how do male filmmakers talking about lost men not sympathize with them and it's a good question but it's a common observation of both the faith-based film industry and the western church the majority of leaders are men but the majority of the audience or congregants are women as books like why men hate going to church and the church impotent have argued this leads to a church culture that even as it retains power for its male leaders caters its content to meet the wants of its female members in the faith-based industry it's even more so since that audience leads directly to box office numbers but that creates a vicious cycle both in the church and movies where much of the Christian culture turns off men here's an example of the forge doing just that we know that men and women socially Bond differently as Dr Audrey Nelson observed in Psychology today men tend to bond standing side by side accomplishing a task together women tend to socially bond by looking into each other's faces and talking about their feelings Dr Tania Reynolds got more specific on the modern wisdom podcast explaining that women typically bond by sitting in a circle and expressing their deepest shameful Secrets while affirming each other which of these forms of social bonding does the movie affirm and which does it denigrate most examples of social bonding through accomplishing goals side by side are treated negatively Isaiah playing basketball with his friends is a bad influence and playing video games and golf are Idols to be cut out what positive male Community does he replace it with eating dinner in a circle with other boys while talking about their shameful histories and affirming each other what does all this mean for for the boy whose parents drag him to the theater to see this movie he'll feel like the Christian adults in his life don't understand him and don't want to when his parents laugh in the theater at Isaiah getting humiliated and cheer at him admitting that he was wrong he will know they are thinking about him and when the movie gives him a picture of the life he can have if he gives up his way of life now it will look boring and unappealing to him worst of all because this is portrayed as the Christian way to be a man he will see Christianity and and Jesus himself as boring and unappealing to him when I reviewed the Kendrick brother produced movie lifemark I criticized it for its portrayal of the young male protagonist I said that the way the movie showed him never getting very mad when bad things happened to him and any conflict he had with his family being diffused almost instantly was an unhealthy expectation to place on young men I was criticized mostly by Christian moms because that's what my son is like and my family is very healthy me meanwhile I got private messages from young men who thank me for telling the truth even though they couldn't say they agreed with me publicly the good news is that more and more Christian sources are trying to address the needs of boys and men in a way they can hear culture critics like Aaron Ren and Jesse dorj are Christians making content to speak to young men streaming services like lore and daily wire if you are politically conservative are trying to build entertainment Empires that appeal to the sensibilities of men while being often over overtly religious and very often Christian while the forge deserves credit for wanting to address the real problems of struggling men and boys it fails to speak to the very people it says it wants to help Christian parents of such boys would be better off passing on this movie and following other sources for their boys and following the example of the movie Cynthia by praying for them instead the Kendrick Brothers latest release the forge is a Christian film that compellingly portrays discipleship in action it illustrates how relationships forged in Christ can lead to transformative Life Changes discipleship is more than a religious Duty it's a command from Jesus Christ to walk alongside others guiding them towards spiritual growth Matthew 4:19 what sets this movie apart is its emphasis on cultivating a relationship with God without overwhelming viewers with religion instead it encourages us to make room for God in every area of our lives and to live according to his word the sword of the spirit the story line is both powerful and relatable the film follows Joshua Cameron arned a corporate executive and devout business owner who mentors Isaiah newcomer Aspen Kennedy a directionless high school graduate and Avid gamer struggling to find purpose Isaiah's background includes an optimistic single mother Cynthia Priscilla Shyer and a father noticeably absent from his life through Joshua's mentorship the forge beautifully showcases the power of forgiveness unconditional love and the strength that comes from living in alignment with one's god-given purpose though deeply frustrated by her teenage son's immaturity and selfishness Cynthia remains steadfast in her faith rather than resorting to criticism emasculation or enabling behavior that could damage his identity she leans into her prayer circle and trusts God for a breakthrough with unwavering resolve she believes that the manifestation of change and the revelation of his true potential will come in God's timing shy heartfelt performance is as Dynamic and impacting as her teaching in her Ministry she portrays Cynthia as a strong mother who embodies the beauty of being at her Heavenly father's feet allowing him to rule sovereignly and free of Doubt additionally she makes a cameo as Cynthia's sister reprising her role as Elizabeth from war room in this brief appearance she reinforces that prayer must be persistent pray until something happens the forge highlights that true discipleship isn't about prizz but living out one's faith in a way that inspires others to do the same as josha guides Isaiah the film depicts men stepping up and paying it forward by lifting others the movie emphasizes that when men Embrace vulnerability and open themselves to the Salvation of Jesus Christ they unlock deeper fulfillment in life through these acts of discipleship lives are transformed purpose is revealed and hearts are mended the faith-based genre has a target audience and those within that target audience love most of the films because of the power of the stories personally the movie can be hit or missed and it all falls in the lap of the writers and how they choose to tell the stories on the one hand writers find these mostly true stories and bring them to life in a way that inspires and pulls at your heartstrings conversely they Hollywood eyes the films and you audibly sigh one of the things that the Kendricks get right is how they navigate Isaiah's struggles post High School throughout High School pressure begins to mount on kids making them question the next phase of their lives on the flip side as parents you want to see your kids succeed but you also want to guide them in the right direction the balance can cause friction but it is captured perfectly within the forge another thing that the Kendricks got right was not overdramatizing the biblical aspects of the story they lean heavily into the idea of God helping Isaiah get out of this post School Funk but they don't overdo it they know they are playing to a specific audience but attempt to bring outside viewers with how they tell the story although the writing of Isaiah isn't perfect Aspen Kennedy did a great job of selling the character you felt connected to the roots of the role the exaggerated aspect of faith-based films sees you wrap your head around outlandish and bad acting but within that Kennedy does breathe some heart into Isaiah the best moments feature the strong back and forth with Isaiah's mother Cynthia who Priscilla C sh played Sher was a substantial Edition that elevated Kennedy and the film although the film contains many high points the forge is stuck in the identical troops of this genre it is widely predictable sometimes cheesy and tries to do too much with a story that has a limited range ahead of watching I was shocked to see the film's runtime at 2 hours and while watching it you felt every bit of it you could have easily shaved off 30 minutes which would have gotten the point across if you were in the market for another faith-based film and these are the types of movies that make you go to the theater you should check this one out the forge is far from perfect but it does serve the purpose of what it is trying to sell to the audience although it beers on far too long I did find myself attached to aasa's story for everybody else you should skip this one as it might not be up your alley every cinematic element characters plat dialogue scenes are secondary to that message the movie arguably has more in common with a Bible study than it does with any of the other films sharing the theaters this week therefore perhaps the best way to approach this movie is to review it as two separate entities a film and a message every film should be measured by its artistic Merit and faith-based films are no exception arguably they should be held to an even higher standard but with a forge I suspect that many in its target audience will be indifferent toward its artistic quality and merely want to affirm or be affirmed by a message that aligns with their personal value use if you belong to that latter group feel free to skip the next two paragraphs for everyone else it's going to be a bumpy ride I don't want to be excessively negative but I won't sugarcoat this setting aside the edifying and agreeable nature of its core message I'm very pro- Jesus and discipleship the forge is subpar by every metric it was seemingly created by pastors who love preaching rather than by storytellers who love or respect Cinema the forge employs film as a tool not an art form there's a mostly outgrown stereotype that faith-based movies are merely gospel tracks in Disguise the Kendrick Brothers heard that critique and said hold my Welch's grape juice the forge is essentially a gospel tract without the disguise in fact there is even a scene in which a character picks up a literal gospel tract and reads it out loud for the benefit of the audience the characters on screen aren't really talking to each other as much as they are mouthpieces for the film sermon the in- your phas sermon ing would be more digestible with a bit of sugar to help the medicine go down but amid the various scenes of characters imparting life lessons to one another nothing much actually happens the plot lacks tension the first brief hint of character drama doesn't occur until a full hour into the runtime there's also a surprising dir of humor and little in the way of interesting camera shots or framing the film is predominantly dialogue driven frequently accompanied by tears and swelling music and not much as communicated vision visually or through action even prayer becomes a convenient gimmick to turn otherwise silent moments of internal struggle into expositional monologues for all its many shortcomings the film is not without its positives for those who skipped the last few paragraphs welcome back to its credit I think the forge succeeds in being exactly the type of movie it sets out to be an audience is hungering for faith-based storytelling will likely leave the theater with satisfied bellies for viewers that want to see Christian values unambiguously and unapologetically declared in a movie the Kendrick Brothers have got you covered the forge may be more of a message than a film but its message is important although it doesn't exclude the obligatory Christian conversion Moment the movie sets itself apart by continuing that story to the what next phase of the Christian Journey as one character says people want salvation but not everyone wants to follow Jesus in discipleship it is not surprising that the film is being accompanied by a whole line of Bible study materials I pray those resources will Challenge and equip Christians not only to be discipled but to disciple others particularly the Next Generation overall the Kendrick Brothers have a worthy sermon to share with Christian audiences I just wish they had used a better vehicle than this film to deliver it like Luke Skywalker in the cave on daaba most viewers will get out of this film exactly what they bring to it if you want entertainment featuring Christian people talking about agreeable Christian things then go see this film if you prefer films to be cinematic then this one won't be for you I believe there is still a place for the preach to the choir brand of films the Kendrick Brothers make but the forge feels like a missed opportunity there is so much more potential in cinema than simply providing Christians with one more Bible study to attend there is nothing beneath the surface about this film but there is no shortage of messages although it offers a scattershot of various Christian teaching to topics forgiveness prayer salvation responsibility evangelism Etc the central focus is the importance of Christian discipleship the film attempts to provide a model for discipleship as a multi-generational structure in which those being discipled are equipped to make disciples themselves as one character declares there's a cost to discipleship the speaker demonstrates this lesson by giving up golf the young adult he is disciplined chooses to abstain from video games the film attempts to show that what you gain by following jesus' peace and purpose is far more satisfying than the Earthly things you surrender the film provides a template for viewers to find their own Forge of multi-generational men and presumably women who carry one another's burdens it's an edifying message but there's one aspect that rubbed me the wrong way no offense intended toward Baby Boomers but there is a sort of Boomer fantasy about the film's perspective on the Next Generation it paints today's young adults with broad brush Strokes as apathetic and lazy Drifters who waste their time on trivial activities like video games and desperately need a lecture from the older generation to help them grow up growing up is important and guidance is needed but this film is more about talking to young people rather than talking with them the main character's Arc is essentially becoming a good Boomer who has little time for his passions or friends as he develops a routine of going to church and working long hours he becomes more respons I throughout the film but he also loses most of his personality along the way while well-intentioned it's a call to Conformity that doesn't meet young people where they are or acknowledge the complexity of their lives or the unique value they have to offer it reminded me of an older lady who used to volunteer with my youth group not out of love for teenagers but merely to straighten them out in a broader culture that has attempted to redefine minimalize or even villainize masculinity the forge offers a counter cultural picture of biblical manhood it doesn't do so by minimizing women or by endorsing alpha male dominance but by giving men a tough love challenge to step up and take responsibility part of being a man is showing up while its depiction of young adults may turn off young adult viewers the film provides some important dad lessons to young men about how to give a firm handshake maintain eye contact and show up on time Priscilla Shyer born December 31st 1974 is is an American Author motivational speaker actress and Christian Media personality an evangelist her father is Dallas Mega Church Pastor Tony Evans and her brothers are motivational speaker and chaplain Jonathan Evans and musician Anthony Evans the daughter of Tony Evans senior pastor of oakcliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas Texas and Lois Evans one Priscilla grew up well acquainted with the Bible as a freshman at the University of Houston she intered with a Christian radio station soon listeners were calling the station inviting Priscilla to speak at their Bible study groups and other events soon she was invited to lead a weekly Bible study at the zig Ziggler Corporation and then to join its speaker team Priscilla has worked as an independent contractor for CBS and hosted a local television show but recently she has focused solely on Christian Ministry opportunities she calls Anne Graham Lots daughter of evangelist Reverend Billy Graham her Mentor in Ministry together the Shire is established going Beyond Ministries a speaking bureau featuring Priscilla the parents of three young boys the Shire share Ministry and family responsibilities while Priscilla continues to minister full-time Jerry manages his schedule and other business aspects of going Beyond Ministries one Priscilla speaks around the world at churches and other events including the LifeWay Christian resources sponsored going Beyond conference and deeper still three the event where she shares the the stage with Beth Mo four and K Arthur five she has also authored several books two shyra graduated from Duncanville High School in Dallas Theological Seminary one earning a master's degree from the latter six in biblical studies seven in 1993 Shyer was a freshman at the University of Houston to Sher was married in 1999 to Jerry Shyer former Hilton hotel's executive the couple has three sons six in 2013 shyra was a speaker at the 2013 Women of Faith conference 7 in 2015 shyra made her film debut in the Kendrick Brothers film war room one in October 2016 shyra was recognized as one of four prominent Women of Faith during the 10th anniversary of God's leading ladies Life Enrichment program at The Potter's House one Shire also featured at the 47th GMA Dove Awards Ken bevel is a former American Marine Corps officer pastor and actor who co-starred in the 2008 film fireproof and the 2011 film courageous when he serves as the connections and local missions pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church based in Albany Georgia two and fireproof bevel portrays firefighter Michael Simmons 34 and portrays police officer Nathan Hayes and courageous Benjamin Seth Watson W born December 18th 1980 is an American former professional football player who is a tight end in the National Football League NFL he played played college football for the Duke Blue Devils and Georgia Bulldogs Watson was selected by the New England Patriots with the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft and won Super Bowl Roman 39 with the Patriots over the Philadelphia Eagles in his rookie year he has also played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints Watson was born in Norfolk Virginia he attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill South Carolina and was a letterman in football and track in football as a senior he caught 31 passes for 515 yards the two-time All Region selection and Northwestern HS Student of the Year LED his team to the state championship in his Junior season he was also a member of his high school chapter of the fellowship of Christian athletes in track and field Watson was a standout Sprinter recording personal best times of 22.375 seconds seconds in the 400 m son airms faith-based film The Forge had a disappointing start at the box office despite receiving five stars from movie A goers and a 100% recommendation on Rotten Tomatoes The Alex Kendrick directed movie with a production budget of $5 million gross dollar 600k from Thursday previews a spinoff of 2015 surprise hit war room is tracking to earn below $7.1 million in the opening weekend after a slow start at the the box office the forge came in behind new entries blinked twice and the crow which earned 820k And1 650k respectively from Thursday previews however it should be noted that war room which also earned 600k in previews came in higher earning $11.40 million in opening weekend this was mainly due to the faith-based titles target audience heading to theaters after Sunday church services war room made $67 million at the domestic box office however the followup 2019s Overcomer came in short with $8 million start after earning $1 775k in Thursday night previews the film made $34 million at the domestic box office the forge has a 100% audience score from 214 Critics on Rotten Tomatoes with viewers praising the faith-based film film critic Jackie Cooper wrote The Forge is another winner for the Kendrick Brothers it is a faith-based film that delivers its message and entertains at the same time another audience member added excellent movie It's a Wonderful story about discipleship prayer and forgiveness go see it a third overly enthusiastic viewer echoed the statement writing this is an awesome movie I laughed I cried and I was on the edge of my seat all of my favorites from war room were outstanding again the young man who played Isaiah excellent the forge cast features Cameron arnet Priscilla Shyer Aspen Kennedy Karen abber cromi and TC Stallings the focus of the forge on the modern plight of young men in society is laudable but the film's inability to empathize with these men or offer a compelling vision for their lives will turn them away from Christianity more than draw them to it before we had the Irwin Brothers I can only imagine or Dallas Jenkins The Chosen the Undisputed Kings of the faith-based film industry were the Kendrick Brothers with films like Facing the Giants and fireproof Alex and Steven Kendrick were Christian household names throughout the 2010s at their height the Kendrick's movie War Room was no one at the American box office the Kendrick Brothers films pioneered the faith-based inspirational drama that still defines the Christian film industry to this day their films would typically Center on a social issue whether it was marriage fireproof and war room fatherhood courageous or abortion lifemark they would then have a character preach the gospel to the protagonist dealing with that problem and show them that the answer was to repent and make Jesus Christ their lord and savior the Kendrick films were often accused I think rightly of being more sermons than movies but there was no denying their popularity within Christian circles even now with them being eclipsed by more popular Christian filmmakers they still have a loyal audience now with their latest film the forge the Kendrick Brothers turned their attention to a social issue that has dominated social media in recent years the boy crisis the forge follows Isaiah a high school graduate living at home with his mom Cynthia Priscilla C shyra playing the sister of her character from war room with no plans for the future after his mom threatens to start charging him rent to live there Isaiah is taken Under The Wing by a man who promises to help him become the man God is calling him to be the film deserves credit for tackling the problems of wayward young men men in our society are falling behind in school dropping out of the workforce abandoning marriage and Parenthood and increasingly ending their lives so it's great to see faith-based industry films trying to address helping men achieve their potential furthermore the empathy shown to moms of such Sons is vivid with Cynthia struggling with wanting the best for her son but being unable to draw it out of him because she's not a man and it's hard for a woman to call out the man and her son the scenes where she responds by seeking support from her friends and praying to God about it together are honest and heartfelt and when her son does turn around her shocking gratitude for how God has turned things around is genuinely moving once again the faith-based film industry does a great job of giving a far too rare voice to the experiences of Christian moms but therein lies the problem this is clearly not a movie for the men who are lost this is a movie for their moms worse it's a movie that will probably not Inspire lost men to turn around but rather push them further away the film largely ignores putting us in Isaiah's point of view or understanding his perspective the movie starts out with a parade of scenes where Isaiah is a stereotypically frustrating young man he plays video games instead of doing his chores or looking for a job he rolls his eyes at his mom when she confronts him and whines when she threatens to charge him rent he obnox iously tries to hit on a girl at a coffee shop and is disrespectful to her dad each of these scenes ends with an eye roll or a lecture from the adults in the room whether that's his mom the coffee girl's father or an office receptionist why does Isaiah play so many video games why does he have so little ambition why doesn't he listen to his mom the film either ignores those questions or reduces them to because his dad left without digging much deeper the thing is we have pretty good information on why men today are struggling Dr Jonathan hate points out in the anxious generation that overprotectiveness of children has undercuts boys confidence Growing Up by keeping them from going on adventures without supervision which they can't gain confidence without having schools reward girls natural sit still and listen style of learning while punishing boys active Hands-On learning style as the American Psychological Association points out add that to men feeling stigmatized for their masculine it as Dr Richard Reeves's book of boys and men unpacks and many men don't see the point of trying to succeed a father can help if he and his son have a close relationship as Nancy pieres the toxic war on masculinity shows but they are still fighting against the current this results in a generation of boys who don't have the skills and confidence in themselves to succeed in the world and feel stigmatized for the parts of themselves they like therefore they Retreat into fantasy like video games or porn which do validate their masculine drives imagine if the forge had opened from Isaiah's point of view showing how demoralized he feels by his family school and Society showing why he has no ambition boys watching the movie would feel seen and understood and might then listen to the answer the movie was trying to give of course the answers the movie gives would not likely have reached boys either when Joshua Moore played by Cameron arnet takes Isaiah under his wing the movie spends a lot more time with more lecturing Isaiah about why God's way of living is better than it does letting Joshua and there for us experience it remember this learn by lecture rather than learn by doing is the same mistake schools make with Boys video games and movies aimed at men make themselves desirable by putting males in the shoes of someone who struggles and overcomes obstacles toward a great reward no lecturing required but because the Kendrick Brothers only know how to lecture rather than tell an excit exting story they can't show how a life of responsibility can feel exciting and worthwhile the forge also lacks a compelling purpose that can drive a man to want to struggle to better himself what it pitches is essentially become a man other people will respect at per Isaiah's description to more of what he wants or please God but the first is weak sauce and the second doesn't motivate you if God hasn't already captured your heart there are a couple of problems with getting respect from others as a motivator first it makes a man's motive conditional on others but it's also not the deepest desire of men in Dr David Gilmore's manhood in the making regularly cited by both Christians and non-christians men cross culturally Define their purpose as living up to the three PS of manhood protect provide and procreate procreate can also involve mentorship read this iconic speech from the show Breaking Bad one of the most popular shows for men in the past 30 years a man provides and he does it even when he's not appreciated or respected or even loved he simply Bears up and he does it because he's a man video games movies and toxic online influencers like Andrew tap pitch a verion of these principles to men which is a big part of their appeal but Christianity has a better version of this like King Peter in Narnia Christianity gives men the opportunity to be heroes for the glory of God to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven it's insane for the church to not Pitch the this to men and to settle for being respected as a primary motivator Jordan Peterson in his video a message to the Christian churches which tried to show churches how they can appeal to young men as he has described how he pitches men's purpose within the biblical framework you have a woman to find a garden to walk in a family to nurture an ark to build a land to conquer a ladder to heaven to build and the utter catastrophe of Life To Face In Truth devoted to love and without fear how do male filmmakers talking about lost men not sympathize with them and it's a good question but it's a common observation of both the faith-based film industry and the western church the majority of leaders are men but the majority of the audience or congregants are women as books like why men hate going to church and the church impotent have argued this leads to a church culture that even as it retains power for its male leaders caters its content to meet the wants of its female members in the faith-based industry it's even more so since that audience leads directly to box office numbers but that creates a vicious cycle both in the church and movies where much of the Christian culture turns off men here's an example of the forge doing just that we know that men and women socially Bond differently as Dr Audrey Nelson observed in Psychology today men tend to bond standing side by side accomplishing a task together women tend to socially bond by looking into each other's face faces and talking about their feelings Dr Tania Reynolds got more specific on the modern wisdom podcast explaining that women typically bond by sitting in a circle and expressing their deepest shameful Secrets while affirming each other which of these forms of social bonding does the movie affirm and which does it denigrate most examples of social bonding through accomplishing goals side by side are treated negatively Isaiah playing basketball with his friends is a bad influence and playing video games games and golf are Idols to be cut out what positive male Community does he replace it with eating dinner in a circle with other boys while talking about their shameful histories and affirming each other what does all this mean for the boy whose parents drag him to the theater to see this movie he'll feel like the Christian adults in his life don't understand him and don't want to when his parents laugh in the theater at Isaiah getting humiliated and cheer at him admitting that he was wrong he will know they are thinking about him and when the movie gives him a picture of the life he can have if he gives up his way of life now it will look boring and unappealing to him worst of all because this is portrayed as the Christian way to be a man he will see Christianity and Jesus himself as boring and unappealing to him when I reviewed the Kendrick brother produced movie lifemark I criticized it for its portrayal of the young male protagonist I said that the way the movie showed him never getting very mad when bad things happen to him and any conflict he had with his family being diffused almost instantly was an unhealthy expectation to place on young men I was criticized mostly by Christian moms because that's what my son is like and my family is very healthy meanwhile I got private messages from young men who thank me for telling the truth even though they couldn't say they agreed with me publicly the good news is that more and more Christian sources are trying to address the needs of boys and men in a way they can hear culture critics like Aaron Ren and Jesse dvor back are Christians making content to speak to young men streaming services like lore and daily wire if you are politically conservative are trying to build entertainment Empires that appeal to the sensibilities of men while being often overtly religious and very often Christian while the forge deserves credit for wanting to address the real problems of struggling men and boys it fails to speak to the very people it says it wants to help Christian parents of such boys would be better off passing on this movie and following other sources for their boys and following the example of the movie Cynthia by praying for them instead the Kendrick Brothers latest release the forge is a Christian film that compellingly portrays discipleship in action it illustrates how relationships forged in Christ can lead to transformative Life Changes discipleship is more than a religious Duty it's a command from Jesus Christ to walk alongside others guiding them towards spiritual growth Matthew 4:19 what sets this movie apart is it emphasis on cultivating a relationship with God without overwhelming viewers with religion instead it encourages us to make room for God in every area of our lives and to live according to his word the sword of the spirit the story line is both powerful and relatable the film follows Joshua Cameron arnet a corporate executive and devout business owner who mentors Isaiah newcomer Aspen Kennedy a directionless high school graduate and Avid gamer struggling to find purpose Isaiah's back includes an optimistic single mother Cynthia Priscilla Shyer and a father noticeably absent from his life through Joshua's mentorship the forge beautifully showcases the power of forgiveness unconditional love and the strength that comes from living in alignment with one's god-given purpose though deeply frustrated by her teenage son's immaturity and selfishness Cynthia remains steadfast in her faith rather than resorting to criticism emasculation or enabling behavior that could damage his identity she leans into her prayer circle and trusts God for a breakthrough with unwavering resolve she believes that the manifestation of change and the revelation of his true potential will come in God's timing Shy's heartfelt performance is as Dynamic and impacting as her teaching in her Ministry she portrays Cynthia as a strong mother who embodies the beauty of being at her Heavenly father's feet allowing him to rule sovereignly and free of Doubt additionally she makes a cameo as Cynthia's sister reprising her role as Elizabeth from war room in this brief appearance she reinforces that prayer must be persistent pray until something happens the forge highlights that true discipleship isn't about prz but living out one's faith in a way that inspires others to do the same as josha guides Isaiah the film depicts men stepping up and paying it forward by lifting others the movie emphasizes that when men Embrace vulnerability and open themselves to the Salvation of Jesus Christ they unlock deeper fulfillment in life through these acts of discipleship lives are transformed purpose is revealed and hearts are mended the faith-based genre has a target audience and those within that target audience love most of the films because of the power of the stories personally the movie can be hit or miss and it all falls in the lap of the writers and how they choose to tell the stories on the one hand writers find these mostly true stories and bring them to life in a way that inspires and pulls at your heart strength conversely they Hollywood eyes the films and you audibly sigh one of the things that the Kendricks get right is how they navigate Isaiah's struggles post High School throughout High School pressure begins to mount on kids making them question the next phase of their lives on the flip side as parents you want to see your kids succeed but you also want to guide them in the right direction the balance can cause friction but it is captured perfectly within the forge another thing that the Kendricks got WR was not overd dramatizing the biblical aspects of the story they lean heavily into the idea of God helping Isaiah get out of this post School Funk but they don't overdo it they know they are playing to a specific audience but attempt to bring outside viewers with how they tell the story although the writing of Isaiah isn't perfect Aspen Kennedy did a great job of selling the character you felt connected to the roots of the role the exaggerated aspect of faith-based films sees you wrap your head around outlandish and bad acting but within that Kennedy does breathe some heart into Isaiah the best moments feature the strong back and forth with Isaiah's mother Cynthia who Priscilla C sh played sh was a substantial addition that elevated Kennedy and the film although the film contains many high points the forge is stuck in the identical troops of this genre it is widely predictable sometimes cheesy and tries to do too much with a story that has a limited range ahead of watching I was shocked to see the film's run time at 2 hours and while watching it you felt every bit of it you could have easily shaved off 30 minutes which would have gotten the point across if you were in the market for another faith-based film and these are the types of movies that make you go to the theater you should check this one out the forge is far from perfect but it does serve the purpose of what it is trying to sell to the audience although it beers on far too long I did find myself attached to A's story for everybody else you should skip this one as it might not be up your alley if you belong to that latter group feel free to skip the next two paragraphs for everyone else it's going to be a bumpy ride I don't want to be excessively negative but I won't sugarcoat this setting aside the edifying and agreeable nature of its core message I'm very Pro Jesus and discipleship the forge is subpar by every metric it was seemingly created by pastors who love preaching rather than by storytellers who love or respect Cinema the forge employs film as a tool not an art form there's a mostly outgrown stereotype that faith-based movies are merely gospel tracks in Disguise the Kendrick Brothers heard that critique and said hold my Welch's grape juice the forge is essentially a gospel tract without the disguise in fact there is even a scene in which a character picks up a literal gospel tract and reads it out loud for the benefit of the audience the characters on screen aren't really talking to each other as much as they are mouthpieces for the film sermon the in- your phase sermonizing would be more digestible with a bit of sugar to help the medicine go down but amid the various scenes of characters imparting life lessons to one another nothing much actually happens the plot lacks tension the first brief hint of character drama doesn't occur until a full hour into the runtime there's also a surprising dir of humor and little in the way of interesting camera shots or framing the film is predominantly dialogue driven frequently accompanied by tears and swelling music music and not much is communicated visually or through action even prayer becomes a convenient gimmick to turn otherwise silent moments of internal struggle into expositional monologues for all its many shortcomings the film is not without its positives for those who Skip the last few paragraphs welcome back to its credit I think the forge succeeds in being exactly the type of movie it sets out to be an audiences hungering for faith-based storytelling will likely leave the theater with satisfied bellies for viewers that want to see Christian values unambiguously and unapologetically declared in a movie the Kendrick Brothers have got you covered the forge may be more of a message than a film but its message is important although it doesn't exclude the obligatory Christian conversion Moment the movie sets itself apart by continuing that story to the what next phase of the Christian Journey as one character says people want salvation but not everyone wants to follow Jesus in discipleship it is not surprising that the film is being accompanied by a whole line of Bible study materials I pray those resources will Challenge and equip Christians not only to be discipled but to disciple others particularly the Next Generation overall the Kendrick Brothers have a worthy sermon to share with Christian audiences I just wish they had used a better vehicle than this film to deliver it like Luke Skywalker in the cave on Dava most viewers will get out of this film exactly what they bring to it if you want entertainment featuring Christian people talking about agreeable Christian things then go see this film if you prefer films to be cinematic then this one won't be for you I believe there is still a place for the preach to the choir brand of films the Kendrick Brothers make but the forge feels like a missed opportunity there is so much more potential in cinema than simply providing Christians with one more Bible study to attend there is nothing beneath the surface about this film but there is no shortage of messages although it offers a scattershot of various Christian teaching topics forgiveness prayer salvation responsibility evangelism Etc the central focus is the importance of Christian discipleship the film attempts to provide a model for discipleship as a multi-generational structure in which those being discipled are equipped to make disciples themselves as one character declares there's a cost to discipleship the speaker demonstrates this lesson by giving up Gul the young adult he is disciplined chooses to abstain from video games the film attempts to show that what you gain by following jesus' peace and purpose is far more satisfying than the Earthly things you surrender the film provides a template for viewers to find their own Forge of multi-generational men and presumably women who carry one another's burdens it's an edifying message but there's one aspect that rubbed me the wrong way no offense intended toward Baby Boomers but there is a sort of Boomer fantasy about the film's perspective on the next generation it paints today's young adults with broad brush Strokes as apathetic and lazy Drifters who waste their time on trivial activities like video games and desperately need a lecture from the older generation to help them grow up growing up is important and guidance is needed but this film is more about talking to young people rather than talking with them the main character's Arc is essentially becoming a good Boomer who has little time for his passions or friends as he develops a routine of going to church and working long hours he becomes more responsible throughout the film but he also loses most of his personality along the way while well intention it's a call to Conformity that doesn't meet young people where they are or acknowledge the complexity of their lives or the unique value they have to offer it reminded me of an older lady who used to volunteer with my youth group not out of love for teenagers but merely to straighten them out in a broader culture that has attempted to redefine minimalize or even villainize Mas Ulin the forge offers a countercultural picture of biblical manhood it doesn't do so by minimizing women or by endorsing alpha male dominance but by giving men a tough love challenge to step up and take responsibility part of being a man is showing up while its depiction of young adults may turn off young adult viewers the film provides some important dad lessons to young men about how to give a firm handshake maintain eye contact and show up on time Priscilla Shyer born December 31st 1974 is an American Author motivational speaker actress and Christian Media personality an evangelist her father is Dallas Mega Church Pastor Tony Evans and her brothers are motivational speaker and chaplain Jonathan Evans and musician Anthony Evans the daughter of Tony Evans senior pastor of oakcliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas Texas and Lois Evans one Priscilla grew up well acquainted with the Bible as a freshman at the University of Houston she intered with a Christian radio station soon listeners were calling the station inviting Priscilla to speak at their Bible study groups and other events soon she was invited to lead a weekly Bible study at the zig Ziggler Corporation and then to join its speaker team prisilla has worked as an independent contractor for CBS and hosted a local television show but recently she has focused solely on Christian Ministry opportunities she calls Anne Graham Lotz daughter of evangelist Reverend Billy Graham her mentor and Ministry together the Shire is established going Beyond Ministries a speaking bureau featuring Priscilla the parents of three young boys the Shire of share Ministry and family responsibilities while Priscilla continues to minister full-time Jerry manages his schedule and other business aspects of going Beyond Ministries one Priscilla speaks around the world at churches and other events including the LifeWay Christian resources sponsored going Beyond conference and deeper still three the event where she shares the stage with Beth Mo four and K Arthur five she has also authored several books two shy graduated from Duncanville High School in Dallas Theological Seminary W earning a master's degree from the latter 6 in biblical studies seven in 1993 Shyer was a freshman at the University of Houston to sh was married in 1999 to Jerry Shyer former Hilton hotel's executive the couple has Three Sons six in 2013 shyro was a speaker at the 2013 Women of Faith conference seven in 2015 shyra made her film debut in the Kendrick Brothers film war room one in October 2016 shyra was recognized as one of four prominent Women of Faith during the 10th anniversary of God's leading ladies Life Enrichment program at The Potter's House one Shire also featured at the 47 GMA Dove Awards Ken bevel is a former American Marine core officer pastor and actor who co-starred in the 2008 film fireproof and the 2011 film courageous when he serves as the connections and local missions pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church based in Albany Georgia two and fireproof Beville portrays firefighter Michael Simmons 34 and portrays police officer Nathan Hayes and courageous Benjamin Seth Watson W born December 18th 1980 is an American former professional football player who is a tight end in the National Nation Football League NFL he played college football for the Duke Blue Devils and Georgia Bulldogs Watson was selected by the New England Patriots with the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft and won Super Bowl Roman 39 with the Patriots over the Philadelphia Eagles in his rookie year he has also played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints Watson was born in norfol Virginia he attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill South Carolina and was a letterman in football and track in football as a senior he caught 31 passes for 515 yards the two-time All Region selection and Northwestern HS Student of the Year LED his team to the state championship in his Junior season he was also a member of his high school chapter of the fellowship of Christian athletes in track and field Watson was a standout Sprinter recording personal best times of 22.375 00 M and 50.3 seconds into the 400 m Sonia fromm's faith-based film The Forge had a disappointing start at the box office despite receiving five stars from movie A goers and a 100% recommendation on Rotten Tomatoes The Alex Kendrick directed movie with a production budget of $5 million gross do 600k from Thursday previews a spin off of 2015 surprise hit war room is tracking to earn below $7.1 million in in the opening weekend after a slow start at the box office the forge came in behind new entries blinked twice and the crow which earned dollar 820k And1 650k respectively from Thursday previews however it should be noted that warro which also earned 600k in previews came in higher earning $11.40 million in opening weekend this was mainly due to the faith-based titles target audience heading to theaters after Sunday church services war room made $67 million at the domestic box office however the followup 2019s Overcomer came in short with $8 million start after earning $1 775k in Thursday night previews the film made $34 million at the domestic box office the forge has a 100% audience score from 214 Critics on Rotten Tomatoes with viewers praising the faith-based film film critic Jackie Cooper wrote the Forge is another winner for the Kendrick Brothers it is a faith-based film that delivers its message and entertains at the same time another audience member added excellent movie It's a Wonderful story about discipleship prayer and forgiveness go see it a third overly enthusiastic viewer echoed the statement writing this is an awesome movie I laughed I cried and I was on the edge of my seat all of my favorites from war room were outstanding again the young man who played Isaiah excellent the forge cast features Cameron arnet Priscilla Shyer Aspen Kennedy Karen abber cromi and TC Stallings the focus of the forge on the modern plight of young men in society is laudable but the film's inability to empathize with these men or offer a compelling vision for their lives will turn them away from Christianity more than draw them to it before we had the Irwin Brothers I can only imagine or Dallas Jenkins the chosen the Undisputed Kings of the faith-based film industry were the Kendrick Brothers with films like Facing the Giants and fireproof Alex and Steven Kendrick were Christian household names throughout the 2010s at their height the Kendrick's movie War Room was no one at the American box office the Kendrick Brothers films pioneered the faith-based inspirational drama that still defines the Christian film industry to this day their films would typically Center on a social issue whether it was marriage fireproof and War Room fatherhood courageous or abortion lifemark they would then have a character preach the gospel to the protagonist dealing with that problem and show them that the answer was to repent and make Jesus Christ their lord and savior the Kendrick films were often accused I think rightly of being more sermons than movies but there was no denying their popularity within Christian circles even now with them being eclipsed by more popular Christian filmmakers they still have a loyal audience now with their latest film The Forge the Kendrick Brothers turned their attention to a social issue that has dominated social media in recent years the boy crisis the forge follows Isaiah a high school graduate living at home with his mom Cynthia priscila C shyra playing the sister of her character from war room with no plans for the future after his mom threatens to start charging him rent to live there Isaiah is taken Under The Wing by a man who promises to help him become the the man God is calling him to be the film deserves credit for tackling the problems of wayward young men men in our society are falling behind in school dropping out of the workforce abandoning marriage and Parenthood and increasingly ending their lives so it's great to see faith-based industry films trying to address helping men achieve their potential furthermore the empathy shown to moms of such Sons is vivid with Cynthia struggling with wanting the best for her son but being unable to draw it out of him because she's not a man and it's hard for a woman to call out the man and her son the scenes where she responds by seeking support from her friends and praying to God about it together are honest and heartfelt and when her son does turn around her shock and gratitude for how God has turned things around is genuinely moving once again the faith-based film industry does a great job of giving a far too rare voice to the experiences of Christian moms but therein lies the problem this is clearly not a movie for the the men who are lost this is a movie for their moms worse it's a movie that will probably not Inspire lost men to turn around but rather push them further away the film largely ignores putting us in Isaiah's point of view or understanding his perspective the movie starts out with a parade of scenes where Isaiah is a stereotypically frustrating young man he plays video games instead of doing his chores or looking for a job he rolls his eyes at his mom when she confronts him and whines when she threats to charge him rent he obnoxiously tries to hit on a girl at a coffee shop and is disrespectful to her dad each of these scenes ends with an iroll or a lecture from the adults in the room whether that's his mom the coffee girl's father or an office receptionist why does Isaiah play so many video games why does he have so little ambition why doesn't he listen to his mom the film either ignores those questions or reduces them to because his dad left without digging much deeper the thing is we have pretty good information on why men today are struggling Dr Jonathan hate points out in the anxious generation that overprotectiveness of children has undercuts boys confidence Growing Up by keeping them from going on adventures without supervision which they can't gain confidence without having school's reward girls natural sit still and listen style of learning while punishing boys active Hands-On learning style as the American Psychological Association points out add that that to men feeling stigmatized for their masculinity as Dr Richard Reeves's book of boys and men unpacks and many men don't see the point of trying to succeed a father can help if he and his son have a close relationship as Nancy pieres the toxic war on masculinity shows but they are still fighting against the current this results in a generation of boys who don't have the skills and confidence in themselves to succeed in the world and feel stigmatized for the parts of themselves they like therefore they Retreat into fantasy like video games or porn which do validate their masculine drives imagine if the forge had opened from Isaiah's point of view showing how demoralized he feels by his family school and Society showing why he has no ambition boys watching the movie would feel seen and understood and might then listen to the answer the movie was trying to give of course the answers the movie gives would not likely have reached boys either when Joshua Moore played by Cameron AR it takes Isaiah under his wing the movie spends a lot more time with more lecturing Isaiah about why God's way of living is better than it does letting Joshua and therefore for us experience it remember this learn by lecture rather than learn by doing is the same mistake schools make with Boys video games and movies aimed at men make themselves desirable by putting males in the shoes of someone who struggles and overcomes obstacles toward a great reward no lecturing required but because the Kendrick Brothers only know how to lecture rather than tell an exciting story they can't show how a life of responsibility can feel exciting and worthwhile the forge also lacks a compelling purpose that can drive a man to want to struggle to better himself what it pitches is essentially become a man other people will respect per Isaiah's description to more of what he wants or please God but the first is weak sauce and the second doesn't motivate you if God hasn't already captured your heart there are a couple of problems with respect from others as a motivator first it makes a man's motive conditional on others but it's also not the deepest desire of men in Dr David Gilmore's manhood in the making regularly cited by both Christians and non-christians men cross culturally Define their purpose as living up to the three PS of manhood protect provide and procreate procreate can also involve mentorship read this iconic speech from the show Breaking Bad one of the most popular shows for men in the past 30 years a man provides and he does it even when he's not appreciated or respected or even loved he simply Bears up and he does it because he's a man video games movies and toxic online influencers like Andrew tapate pitch a version of these principles to men which is a big part of their appeal but Christianity has a better version of this like King Peter and Narnia Christianity gives men the opportunity to be heroes for the glory of God to bring about the kingdom of heaven it's insane for the church to not Pitch this to men and to settle for being respected as a primary motivator Jordan Peterson in his video a message to the Christian churches which tried to show churches how they can appeal to young men as he has described how he pitches men's purpose within the biblical framework