Para Sempre Vencedor

Like most sports movies which have come out in the past, this movie is similar in respects, that it is based on fact. What sets this movie apart is that its about a rugby team, a sport that not too many Americans are familiar with. Set that aside, this movie is very rewarding piece of film noir. It reminds me of "We Are Marshall" , but with a smaller budget and an independent movie feel. Its a fine effort by director Ryan Little to bring us a story about a rebellious teen played by Sean Farris (Never Back Down), as Rick Penning that finds himself in an odd place, both on and off the field. Despite a few plot lines holes, this film has heart, rewarding each of its viewers with good characters that we can identify with. Also good performances by supporting actors Gary Cole as coach Larry Gelwix & Neal McDonough as coach Penning(Ricks dad). I felt myself go through a lot of different emotions watching movie, in the end I was left with a feeling of faith in mankind & a hope for the future for my children, especially if there are coaches out there like Gelwix.

From Goff on Rugby: "Salt Lake City is a destination point for many young people of Polynesian extraction, especially those of the Mormon faith, and there are many. Despite the fact that many Highland detractors assume anyone with a Pacific-sounding name is in the country temporary, that's not true." "Highland High School has, for years, been designated as an English as a Second Language school, and as such gets many kids whose parents were born overseas. And often the kids were too. Some of them play rugby."

http://rugbyimports.com/web/newsarchives/052405.htm

So, if the rugby club has a considerable percentage of Pacific Islanders, is it more believable for them to be doing the Haka? While the All Blacks have made the Haka famous, it's not exclusive to NZ. Other Pacific islands (Tonga, Samoa)perform a Haka as well.

It's not a requirement to be Maori to be selected as an All Black, but you will be expected to perform the Haka. Highland does perform the Haka, and has done the version(KaMaTe)made famous by the All Blacks. I don't know if it's appropriate for them to do so, but they do, so in that respect the movie is accurate.

Unfortunately, if the story line is mediocre, it may do more harm than good for the image of rugby in the USA. Haka or not, people will just see a lame movie with rugby as the main plot device. Won't know 'til I see it.

I just watched it last night and it was great.I can see why some ppl have ill feelings towards it from a rugby fan and maori culture point of view but other than that I have no idea what's so negative about it. The movie is great. It has a lot of heart. Very inspiring and encouraging to all ages. Great family movie! They did a pretty good job considering that it was a budget movie. I love movies based on true stories/events. I was raised around rugby all my life, it is a great game but I was never really taken to it because (please forgive me if I offend anyone, nothing personal this is just how I saw it) I thought, their trainings are not as ruthless or hard, the players are not as disciplined and don't seemed as serious like other sportmen and it looked like it's all just muscle and blooming tackling each other etc. But after watching Forever strong, I was like, wow! I was proud! It did good things for rugby (well it changed my view of rugby) and also the New Zealnd Haka. I actually cried. I am not even New Zealander and I was proud of their culture. Didn't even know what the chant meant until this movie. The movie is NOT about rugby techniques or rugby, it's not even about New Zealand All Blacks or the Haka or etc......Mother of pearls!!!!! hahaha SHUX!

So to all you beautiful negative ppl, You are missing the point! I am sure if they had the means, it would have been better, the haka is in there because that was part of Highland Rugby culture, tradition or what ever you want to call it.

So any new members on this site such as myself, please don't be put off by those negative comments. See it for yourself! Must see movie! There is a lot you can learn from this movie, ppl of all ages. It definitely makes you want to be a better person and be humble! This movie reminded me of a lot of things that I already know and was raised with but I kinda lost along the way! Loved it! Happy reading ppls and All the best!

Muawha!

I've not seen the movie so can't comment on whether it's any good or not, but I can say that Haka *are* unique to New Zealand. Saying it's not exclusive to NZ is like saying the Star Spangled Banner isn't exclusive to the USA - sure it can be performed by others, but it doesn't have the same meaning as it does to those who 'own' it. Haka is the Maori term for a group vocal/dance which can be a greeting, acknowledgement, or challenge ('war dance').

Similar dances are performed by many cultures around the world and, across the Pacific, a number of specific ones are used by rugby teams before international matches. These all have different names, i.e. in Samoa it's the Siva tau, Tonga have the Kailao, Fiji have the Cibi. Ka Mate is the Maori haka made famous by the All Blacks and is considered intellectual property of the Ngati Toa iwi as it was gifted to them by the NZ government very recently (they've been contesting ownership of the dance for some years, tho).

The issue with it being included in this film has nothing to do with the real Highlands rugby team performing Ka Mate - that's a separate issue. The problem was the makers of the film not asking permission to use it in the film and making money from it - much like any recording artist would expect to be asked/remunerated if their song was part of the soundtrack to a film.

Personally, I feel that if a team wishes to perform another culture's dance they should at least understand where it comes from, what it means, and faithfully reproduce it - preferably with permission. Otherwise - feel free to come up with your own! Make something original and special to your own team and circumstances.

First of all, I know almost nothing about rugby, so although I found the rugby-aspect of this movie to be interesting it could have been any sport and I think I would have enjoyed it just as much. The fact that it as about rugby didn't make it any better or worse for me.

What made this movie great is the story itself, based on actual events that have occurred over the last 30 years with the Highland Rugby club. Coach Gelwix is the kind of coach that most every parent would like their children to have, someone who cares more about the person than the sport (even though they have won 17 national championships and have only lost 9 games in over 30 years!). The more I have learned about the coach and team the more I like this movie and its message.

I have seen other sports movies that seemed great at first, but then I researched the details only to find that most of those movies were 10% fact and 90% fiction, with the 10% of facts being greatly exaggerated. Not so with Forever Strong. It may seem too good to be true, but that's what's so amazing about it. If it were fiction it would just be an enjoyable story and nothing more. Instead, the movie is inspirational and makes you want to be a better person.

Don't miss this movie because of a few negative reviews by professional critics. I have been reading some of their reviews and most of them have given the movie horrible reviews. These are generally the same critics who rave about movies that most people hate. In fact, I would be worried if some of these critics had given the movie good reviews because I almost always disagree with their opinions.

Go see this movie and post your review (positive or negative)! Currently most of the audience reviews are enthusiastically positive (here and on Rotten Tomatoes and similar sites), and I am interested to see if this trend continues. Thanks!