Forever Strong

There's something disheartening about seeing real-life stories and their inevitable complexities put through the Hollywood sausage machine and transformed into bland parables about a privileged, wayward young bucks redeemed by wise, infinitely patient mentors and the self-abnegating spirit of team sports.

Despite all the macho posturing, the corny story is just as sappy as anything on Lifetime.

The movie is well shot and edited, the rugby scenes are enjoyable (if likely puzzling to the uninitiated) and "Strong's" earnestness excuses at least some of its predictability.

Though director Ryan Little puts together a clean, professional package, at bottom this is a nearly-two-hour scrum of therapeutic direct encounters.

This inspirational sports drama unfolds in such generic fashion that it feels contrived more often than it rings true.

A mawkish drama hobbled by a thoroughly unpleasant and uncharismatic lead performance.

If the script serves any purpose at all, it is to allow jocks to show off their buff bodies. They're hot, but not worth 12 bucks at the box office.

Weathering Our Storms The 2008 film, “Forever Strong,” directed by Ryan Little teaches us multiple life lessons and morals and truly helps us take a step back and look at our life from a different perspective. Often times in life, we are faced with challenges. Some are more difficult than others and we have to make a decision to confront them or let them knock us down and fill us with despair. This movie teaches us that there is nothing too difficult or too overbearing to overcome, even if it’s drugs or alcohol, which is one of the most common challenges people, especially teens, are facing today. I hope that what you are about to read will help you consider how you can better change your life for the better. Too many people are setting for drugs and alcohol instead of realizing their true potential in life and the things that really matter. I truly believe that the message Little wanted to deliver to all of us is that having the courage to have humility, love, loyalty, and the desire to put the lives of others first, can ultimately change each one of us for the better and we can eventually see the bigger picture in life and find great joy. By truly applying the lessons and morals found in this film, lives can be changed forever.

The story is predictably corny and the main character has a bad attitude for most of the movie. It kind of makes the film annoying.