"One of the 50 Coolest Websites...they simply tell it like it is" - TIME
The Forge | 2024 | PG | – 1.1.1
Why is “The Forge” rated PG? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “thematic elements.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes one kiss between a husband and his wife, brief flirting, discussions of a car accident that killed someone, discussions of wanting to punch someone, and many instances of religious exclamations and words of prayer. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.
A woman (Priscilla C. Shirer) gives her nineteen-year-old son (Aspen Kennedy), who seems to lack purpose in life, an ultimatum to find a job or find another place to live. The young man’s search for a job turns into a journey of self-discovery when the man who hires him (Cameron Arnett) begins to mentor him in the study of Christianity. Directed by Alex Kendrick. A few lines of dialogue are spoken in Spanish without translation. [Running Time: 2:04].
The Forge SEX/NUDITY 1
– A husband and his wife embrace and hold hands in a few scenes and they share a brief kiss in one scene.
► A young man tries to flirt with a young woman who is working as a barista (he smiles at her, bites his lip and says that he isn’t there for coffee); the young woman is not receptive, and her father enters the room and kicks the young man out of the coffee shop (please see the Violence/Gore category for more details). In a post-credit scene, a young man and a woman physically bump into each other and stop to talk; he eventually asks her to get coffee with him and she accepts. A young man tells another man that his father cheated on his mother, and when she found out, she was deeply hurt.
► A few posters advertising exercise equipment feature shirtless men (their bare chests are briefly visible).
The Forge VIOLENCE/GORE 1
– A man kicks a young man out of his coffee shop, without physical contact, but they stand threateningly in front of each other and argue before the young man leaves. A young man tells an older man how angry he is at his father; he raises his voice, slams his hands on his chair a few times and says that he wanted to punch his father in the face, punching his own hand as he says it. A young man sees his estranged father, stares at him angrily, and then throws a clipboard on the ground and storms off.
► A man tells a young man about how much he hated the man who was responsible for his son’s death, that he wanted to “get him back” and for him to “rot in his cell”; he tells the young man that hate is poison and that vengeance is God’s work, not theirs. A woman tells a young man about her son, who died at seventeen, when he was in a car that was struck by a drunk driver; the accident is discussed in several later scenes. A young man reads his religious mentor’s journal, which describes the Devil prowling like a hungry lion, looking for someone to devour. Several discussions of religion include references to Jesus “dying for our sins.” A man makes a joke about a passage from the Bible jumping off the page and “punching him in the face.” A man makes a joke about “going for that knock-out punch,” in reference to working all night to complete a project. A woman asks her son if he’s “shooting robots” again in a video game.
► A man gives a young man a sword (it is real and sharp) and tells him to hold it out straight; when he struggles with its weight, others help him to hold it up.
► In a few scenes, someone plays video games and we can hear the sounds of gunfire; in one scene, gunfire and an explosion are visible in the video game and a young man says over a microphone, “He got me,” referring to the game.
The Forge LANGUAGE 1
– Name-calling (crazy, lazy), exclamations (oh my goodness), many religious exclamations and words of prayer (e.g. God, Lord, Jesus, Christ, God help me, Lord help me, thank you God, thank you Lord, praise the Lord, oh God). | profanity glossary |
The Forge SUBSTANCE USE
– A man describes his father having a drinking problem and promising to quit but never doing so, and there are several discussions about a drunk driver.
The Forge DISCUSSION TOPICS
– Meaning in life, prayer, Christianity, showing respect, family struggles, alcoholism, death of a child, drunk driving accidents, loss and grief, business struggles.
The Forge MESSAGE
– People thrive when they find community and people who support them; religion is one way that people find such support.
CAVEATS
Be aware that while we do our best to avoid spoilers it is impossible to disguise all details and some may reveal crucial plot elements.
We've gone through several editorial changes since we started covering films in 1992 and older reviews are not as complete & accurate as recent ones; we plan to revisit and correct older reviews as resources and time permits.
Our ratings and reviews are based on the theatrically-released versions of films; on video there are often Unrated, Special, Director's Cut or Extended versions, (usually accurately labelled but sometimes mislabeled) released that contain additional content, which we did not review.
Mufasa: The Lion King - 1.4.2
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - 1.3.3
The Piano Lesson - 3.5.4
Homestead - 1.5.4
how to
support us
PLEASE DONATE
We are a totally independent website with no connections to political, religious or other groups & we neither solicit nor choose advertisers. You can help us keep our independence with a donation.
NO MORE ADS!
Become a member of our premium site for just $1/month & access advance reviews, without any ads, not a single one, ever. And you will be helping support our website & our efforts.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
We welcome suggestions & criticisms -- and we accept compliments too. While we read all emails & try to reply we don't always manage to do so; be assured that we will not share your e-mail address.
how to
support us
PLEASE DONATE
We are a totally independent website with no connections to political, religious or other groups & we neither solicit nor choose advertisers. You can help us keep our independence with a donation.
NO MORE ADS!
Become a member of our premium site for just $2/month & access advance reviews, without any ads, not a single one, ever. And you will be helping support our website & our efforts.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
We welcome suggestions & criticisms -- and we will accept compliments too. While we read all emails & try to reply we do not always manage to do so; be assured that we will not share your e-mail address.
