Borgarkeri
A bit overrated, but still an amazing film
TaryBiggBall
It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.
cricketbat
Forever Strong starts off good, but then it falls into a pit of sports movie clichés and isn't able to climb back out of it. This is a well-crafted movie with good acting, it just has a weak story that we've all seen a dozen times. It also tries very hard to make rugby seem cool and important, but I get the feeling that only rugby fans will buy into that. I wanted to like it, but this movie bored me.
maryoklah
A wonderful, inspiring, compelling and provocative story with an excellent look at the beauty, intensity and thrilling excitement of rugby!The beauty of the Maori inspired Haka is thrilling to watch. The inspiration of its values and the Maori idea of Manna (honor) and staying strong (kia kaha) is well portrayed.
SnoopyStyle
Rick Penning (Sean Faris) is a arrogant rugby star player for his demanding father-coach (Neal McDonough). Lars (Penn Badgley) is his best friend. He gets into a drunken accident. It's his 2nd DUI and his girlfriend is seriously hurt. He is sent to juvenile detention until he's 18 when he would continue his sentence in jail or paroled. Marcus Tate (Sean Astin) runs the facility. Rick is entitled, rebellious, bitter, isolated and volatile. His father is avoiding him. He teaches the other kids rugby. Marcus convinces him to join the Highland Rugby Team. Coach Larry Gelwix (Gary Cole) struggles to teach him to be a man.This is trying to be an inspirational sports redemption movie. I have never liked Sean Faris who always gives off a narcissistic entitled vibe. I figure he would be great at playing the villain but he keeps playing the misunderstood charmer. He is so great at being unlikeable that his character really annoyed the hell out of me. He does have a redemption story but even that is undermined. He gets a new leading lady in Arielle Kebbel and leaves the injured girl behind. That girl ends up saving his bacon in an important moment. Talking about that moment. What happened to the drug charges? If Rick isn't charged, wouldn't Lars get charged? Did the cops just dropped the case? WTF. Penn Badgley is also good at being a douche. Actually he would have been a much better lead in this movie because he has another gear playing sensitive.
Bob Shank
Having recently watched Clint Eastwood's 2009 US release of 'Invictus' (Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon et al) about how newly-installed President Nelson Mandella used the game of rugby at it's World Championship level to unite a badly torn South Africa in the 1990s, I was also inspired by this little-known independent film by Ryan Little on a smaller scale. I was glad to see the results were drawn-on and created-from real-life events (BTW, it is NOT a 'Hollywood production' as so many of you have incorrectly stated). It's a small budget film with credible actors who had the courage and took the time to portray this compilation of real events. If you didn't care for the 'accuracy' on the rugby field, the pregame Maori chants or actor flaws you're too narrowly focused and missed the whole point of the film. Shame on you. IMHO, it displayed exactly what it was intended to do - a depiction of the rehabilitation of wayward young men through the supreme efforts required in an extremely rugged sport ('...soccer's for kids, football's for wuss's, rugby's for men' - remember the line?). I was impressed with the efforts of all concerned to show it's possible to make directional - and good - changes in one's life through hard effort, intra-personal inspection, team unity and a willingness to listen to gentle and persistent instruction from those wiser than you. I genuinely enjoyed the film. And this one, and 'Invictus', have given me a totally new appreciation for the sport of rugby; I'm learning more as I study it and am looking forward to watching my first 'live' game. I'm thinking I could become a real fan...beats the heck out of lame US football.
