Review of Forever Strong (2008) by Dalton V — 25 Mar 2010

People can say what they want about the fact that most Americans wouldn't know what rugby was if it ran them over...but that hardly matters. I know little about rugby, but I didn't have to to catch the point of this movie: when your life revolves around making yourself a star at any costs, those costs must be paid...but when you play for something more, you gain much more than you ever put into it in the first place.

The story is based on several real life stories, about a high school athlete who is doing everything right in the game but everything wrong in life. Ridden with guilt when his life takes a turn for the worse with his girlfriend along for the trip, he (at first begrudgingly, then eagerly) finds comfort, encouragement, and a challenge to make himself a better person, both for himself, and the new team he becomes a part of.

There's a lot of action, mystery, drama, and other types of films that I enjoy, but when a film gives me something more than a cheap thrill that I can take with me in real life, that's something spectacular. Well done.