The Forge Parent Guide

With high school behind him, 19-year-old Isaiah Wright (Aspen Kennedy) is drifting through life, spending his time on video games and basketball. He’s lazy and irresponsible, and his long-suffering mother (Priscilla C. Shirer) has had enough. After yet another example of his self-absorption, she gives him an ultimatum: he’s got 30 days to find a job and start paying rent or she’s going to throw him out.

Luckily for Isaiah, his desultory job search brings him into the orbit of Joshua Moore (Cameron Arnett), owner of a company that manufactures fitness equipment. Isaiah lands a part-time job with twice-a-week mentoring sessions from the boss – sessions that teach him to respect others, look people in the eye, and think about the future.

Joshua Moore is more than just a man who cares about the professional development of his employees. He’s founder of The Forge, a group of devout men who gather together to “mold and shape the character of disciples”. Once Isaiah has a “come to Jesus” moment, Joshua brings him into the group and Isaiah embarks on a journey of spiritual growth and development.

The Forge is clearly made for Christians and it’s so clean it could probably be watched at church. In fact, church is probably a better place than a theater because this movie is high on religious content but low on entertainment. (In fact, it feels like a glossier, much longer version of the films I watched in teen Sunday School). The pacing is ponderous, the tone is preachy, and the ending is never in doubt. That doesn’t mean the movie is terrible, it just means that it’s been designed for a very specific audience that shares its beliefs and will appreciate its earnestness.

I find it difficult to imagine that The Forge is going to attract non-Christian viewers, unless they’re particularly keen on understanding the beliefs of their Christian neighbors (particularly evangelicals). As for Christian audiences, this film serves as an always-useful reminder that Christianity is more than a social identity or a geographic marker for Sunday mornings. Joshua’s guidance is a boon for Isaiah as he travels the painful road to forgiveness and learns about discipleship, self-sacrifice, community service, selflessness, persistence, gratitude, and kindness.

I might quibble and complain that the movie’s glossy montage of conversion and discipleship discounts the hard work of changing one’s life and habits and enduring in the face of hardship. Also, the movie’s scenes of fervent prayer set a good example for fellow believers, but they don’t address the spiritual challenges of experiencing undeserved suffering or seeing prayers left unanswered.

Despite my issues with this movie, I think it’s a valuable watch for one group in particular – Christians with pastoral or leadership responsibilities in their congregations. It’s easy to come up with an interesting lesson or compelling sermon. It’s infinitely harder to reach out to people one by one and encourage conversion and discipleship. The Forge, despite its faults, provides an interesting template for those who really want to “walk the talk” and encourage their adherents to do the same.