Forever Strong (2008)

A rugby player is put up in a juvenile detention center. There he plays for the Highland Rugby team and ultimately plays against his father in the National Championships.

Director:

Ryan Little

Writers:

David Pliler, Dony West (song)

Stars:

Gary Cole, Sean Astin, Sean Faris

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Cole	...	Coach Larry Gelwix
Sean Astin	...	Marcus Tate
Neal McDonough	...	Coach Richard Penning
Sean Faris	...	Rick Penning
Julie Warner	...	Natalie Penning
Penn Badgley	...	Lars
Eliot Benjamin	...	Marty
Michael J. Pagan	...	Kurt
Nathan West	...	Quentin
Max Kasch	...	Griggs
Arielle Kebbel	...	Emily
Kepa Kruse	...	Tumo (as John Kepa Kruse)
Junior Salt	...	Peeta
Jeremy Earl	...	Sanchez
Larry Bagby	...	Coach Cal

Storyline

Rick Penning, the 17-year-old star player on his coach/father's rugby team, lands inside the Wasatch County Juvenile Detention Center following his second drunk driving conviction (and where his father leaves him to rot). Mistrust and dislike of the situation makes Rick anything but a model prisoner, but counselors at the center nonetheless hook him up with the Highland Rugby Team, a team renowned for its long string of successive state championships. Its coach, Larry Gelwix, has a surprisingly unexpected philosophy: train boys to be champions in life first, then on the field. Rick doesn't buy into this, which could earn him some time in State Prison if he doesn't turn his life and attitude around by the time he turns 18.

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Plot Keywords:

rugby | coach | father son relationship | drunk driver | montage | 

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Taglines:

The Greatest Victories are Born in the Heart

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving teen drug and alcohol use, and for some disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Official Movie Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 September 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Ryan Little Project

Filming Locations:

Springville, Utah, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$68,283 (USA) (3 October 2008)

Gross:

$630,649 (USA) (31 October 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Go Films, Picture Rock Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The events portrayed in this movie were based on actual events, and the main characters are based on, and named for, actual people who participated in those events.

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Quotes

Coach Larry Gelwix: Good decisions don't make life easy, but they do make it easiER.

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Crazy Credits

The coaching philosophies of Larry Gelwix has led the Highland Rugby team to a record of 361 wins, 9 losses. They continue to dominate in their sport today.

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Soundtracks

"Pimpin Hard"
Written by Malcolm Kirby Jr. (as Malcolm Kirby) (ASCAP), James H. Martin (ASCAP), & Robert Lee Miller (BMI)
Performed by B.A.S.K.O
Courtesy of Pigfactory USA LLC (ASCAP) & Monkeyfactory (BMI)

User Reviews

It's a movie not a rugby documentary

Now before people start having a breakdown about this movie (those who play rugby anyway) this is a film! It's been given the Hollywood treatment to entertain people and therefore those who play rugby (myself included) are naturally gonna pick holes in the choreography of the game in the film. Althogether it is a decent film and bring to the attention the morals and ideas behind the game of rugby.

The film is based on a real team, a real coach and his work helping guide kids in the right direction to be better people in the future, and also is based on real people who have played for the highland team. Its just a typical sports movie with a character who is misguided and eventually finds his way on the right track again through the rugby medium in this case. Is generally a feel good movie that is enjoyable but has flaws in terms of it's portrayal of the game. however, like i said it is a film under the Hollywood treatment.