By J Lee Grady — Originally published in Charisma
Just say the phrase “Christian movie,” and you’ll hear plenty of snarky comments. Most secular viewers don’t want to be preached at in theaters, so they aren’t going to praise a faith-based film no matter how good its production values are. And film critics rarely give five stars to anything that reflects Christian spirituality.
- Advertisement -
But Hollywood is paying more attention to Christian films these days because the scripts are better, the acting has improved, the religious cheesiness has been minimised and (most of all) profits are up because more people want wholesome, faith-based entertainment. Consider, for example, that the 2023 movie Jesus Revolution had a production budget of only $15 million (R271 770 million), yet it made $54 million (R978 258-million) for Lionsgate Films.
- Advertisement -
Compare that to this year’s Megalopolis, a film by Hollywood heavyweight Francis Ford Coppola that cost $120 million (R2.1-billion) to produce but made only $9 million (R163 052-million) at the box office. Ouch. And the overhyped Joker: Folie à Dieu, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, cost $200 million (R3.6 billion) to make and only hauled in $215 million (R3.8 billion) for Warner Brothers.
Christian filmmakers are perfecting their craft, and it showed in 2024 with such movies as Cabrini (about Catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini), Bonhoeffer, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (from Dallas Jenkins, the creator of The Chosen TV series) and Reagan (starring Dennis Quaid as the 40th US president). What was the best faith-based movie of the year? I might be biased because of my love for personal discipleship, but my choice would be The Forge, the newest release from the Georgia-based Kendrick Brothers.
- Advertisement -
Set in the same film universe as War Room, a Kendrick Brothers movie about the power of prayer from 2015, The Forge tells the story of Isaiah Wright (Aspen Kennedy), a fatherless teen who takes a job at a fitness equipment factory in Charlotte, North Carolina, and ends up finding Jesus through the influence of his successful boss, Joshua Moore (Cameron Arnett).
Wright’s mother, Cynthia, a hairdresser (Priscilla Shirer), prays for her son and watches his miraculous transformation as he gets baptised, sheds old habits, takes responsibility, forgives his deadbeat father, apologises to people he has offended and embraces responsibility and real faith. Cynthia also invites her own mentor, a feisty prayer warrior named Miss Clara (Karen Abercrombie) to pray for her son and to encourage him in his newfound faith.
The film’s title is a reference to the mentoring group that Isaiah’s boss convenes every two weeks. The men share a meal, talk about the Bible, pray for each other and make it their goal to invest their time and faith in younger disciples. They are following the advice of Moore, who urges them: “Be a fountain, not a drain.” As far as I know, it’s the first time the biblical principle of relational discipleship has been dramatised on screen. For that reason alone, The Forge should be required viewing in every church.
The evangelistic message of The Forge is anything but subtle, thanks to the Baptist faith of writer/director Alex Kendrick. When Wright sits on his bed and prays a sinner’s prayer after reading a Gospel tract, some people will complain about the preachiness. That’s okay, because other people will pray along with the young man. This movie spreads the authentic Gospel of Jesus as few films ever have.
I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve sensed the Holy Spirit’s anointing on a movie. (One of those few films was last year’s Jesus Revolution.) I definitely felt God’s hand on The Forge. In fact, I cry in the same three places in the film every time I watch it. It’s especially moving to watch how Wright opens his heart to the Holy Spirit and asks him to help him let go of his anger and forgive his father.
When I paid close attention to the closing credits of The Forge I realised why I was so moved: There were 42 intercessors praying in the studio when the film was made. Their names are listed as “inner circle prayer warriors” and “on-set prayer warriors.” This might also explain why it did so well at the box office. The movie cost $5 million (R90.5-million) to make; to date it has already grossed more than $40 million (R724 723 million).
The Forge is now streaming on several platforms including Amazon, Apple TV and Pure Flix. It’s rated PG for thematic elements, and it has no objectionable language. The movie is also great for kids. When I showed it to my two grandsons, ages 8 and 10, they sat spellbound through the full two hours and four minutes. Then the younger one remarked: “That was the best movie I’ve ever seen.”
Please help us to keep on publishing news that brings Hope in Jesus:
>> Donate >> Become a Super Subscriber
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/gatewaynews100
COMMENTING GUIDELINES
You are welcome to engage with our articles by making comments [in the Comments area below] that add value to a topic or to engage in thoughtful, constructive discussion with fellow readers. Comments that contain vulgar language will be removed. Hostile, demeaning, disrespectful, propagandistic and off-topic comments may also be moved. This is a Christian website and if you wish to vent against Christian beliefs you have probably come to the wrong place and your comments may be removed. Ongoing debates and repetitiveness will not be tolerated. You will also disqualify yourself from commenting if you engage in trolling.
