In Forever Strong, directed by Ryan Little, Rick Penning is the star player of his Rugby team. He is coached by his overbearing and over competitive father, Richard Penning. With little regard to sportsmanship, teamwork, or morals, Rick plays Rugby to win, with nothing else in mind. He is a troubled teenager, constantly being pushed to his limits by his father, disregarding rules or schoolwork. One day, after partying with his team and other high school friends, Rick makes the decision to drink and drive. With his girlfriend in the car, he loses control of the car and crashes into the side of the road. He severely injures his girlfriend, placing her in the hospital, and as a consequence, is sent to juvenile prison.  While he is serving time in prison, he is drafted onto the team he had previously versed and received a red card, Highland High. However, Highland does not operate the same way as his old team did in Arizona.  At first he resists change, hating everything about the values of the new team. However, after one of his innocent Highland teammates passes away from a drunk driving car accident, Rick is severely affected. With reality hitting Rick hard, he changes forever. From that point on, with the inspiration of players around him as well as the coach, he leads the team into the state championship. 
I knew of the actor, Penn Badgley (Lars who is Rick’s reckless friend) from John Tucker Must Die and Sean Faris (Rick Penning) from the Yours, Mine, and ours. I watched this movie because my teacher in Sports Medicine last year played it for the class. I cried during the movie because it was applicable to my life with knowing of people who have drank and drove. I also am heavily involved in soccer as a sport, and it is easy to forget that it is not always about winning.  However, I was not expecting to be inspired so much by this movie. Previously, most of the actors in this film have been in movies for a teenage girl audience, such as “Gossip Girl”, so I figured it was going to just be another one of those sports/romance movies. Much to my pleasant surprise, I was very wrong.
I think the biggest message of the movie is that at the end of the day, the better team is the one that reaches success on and off the field.  The Arizona team was only successful because they were cheaters. They made many foul plays and as a result had trouble in life. Richard Penning, Rick’s dad, was overly obsessed with the myopic view of the game. He no longer was the father of Rick, but became purely a coach, breeding his son to be a winner. As a result, Rick was not happy, nor successful. He was putting himself and others in society in danger by drinking and partying. However, the Highland team volunteered for charity, and worked on forming a brotherhood. They win when they deserve to win.
I think that it also shows how much the game and sports can change a person. Rick, when he was put with a real team, and a good coach he was taught character and honor. He was taught leadership, sportsmanship and teamwork. The game of Rugby is not an individual sport. He forms friendships that help build him up instead of tear him down. The defining moment for Rick was when his teammate was hit by a drunk driver. I think he realized the consequences of actions and what it felt like to be on the opposite end of the situation. That teammate was a role model for Rick and did nothing to deserve getting killed my a drunk driver. After this incident, Rick was inspired to be a better person with integrity. Before the last match of the movie, the climax with the state championship game against his old team and his father, Rick is named captain. He leads Highland to beat his old team fairly and with honor, even though the Arizona team attempts to hurt Rick, the star player. The movie ends in full circle, when Rick forgives his father for the way he treated him and also apologizes for disappointing him.
If I were to offer criticism, I would say that the movie at points is over dramatized. I liked that it had so many inspirational messages, but some of them were very cliche and very staged. I was very surprised at the end when I found out that it was based on a real story because the events seem unlikely. I also think that the acting was good in most parts, but at some parts, like when Rick is talking to his coach right before he was going to play the final game, was fake and too cheesy.
However, with that being said I still feel like this movie is one that should not be missed. The movie appeals to teenagers, parents, and families alike. It has something for everyone as well as life lessons that will stay with its audience. Forever Strong received a rating of 7.3/10 on IMdb. The Highland Rugby team is a real team, and was based on a real story told by the coach of the team, Larry Gelxix. I feel like not very many people know about the movie or are inspired to click on a movie about Rugby, but I have faith that once they watch it, they will love it as much as I did. It is an inspirational story that warms the heart.