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Penn Badgley (Gossip Girl’s Dan Humphrey) fans might want to head to the movie theaters to see Badgley’s new feel-good rugby movie Forever Strong, which will open on Friday, September 26.
Though not the lead character, Badgley plays a villainous role as a competitive rugby player and best friend Lars.
When life on the edge lands intense rugby player Rick Penning (Sean Faris, Never Back Down) in jail, prison ward Marcus Tate (Sean Astin, Lord of the Rings, Fifty First Dates) offers him a chance to get back to the game by playing for his rival, Highland Rugby.
Reluctantly, Rick joins the Highland team where he must adopt a unique code of conduct from Coach Gelwix (Gary Cole, Office Space) enforces, or finish out the season behind bars.
More stills from the movie after the jump
Egos clash as tough competitors struggle to become a team, but eventually Rick embraces his new team members just as he is released from jail and sent back home to rejoin his former team, coached by his overbearing father (Neal McDonough, Minority Report, The Guardian, Walking Tall).
When he returns home, he is pressured by his father and best friend Lars (Badgley) to reveal Highland secrets.
Heading to a face-off with Highland at the national championship, Rick is forced to choose where his loyalties lie.
In Forever Strong, Badgley is reunited with John Tucker Must Die co-star Arielle Kebbel, who plays Emily in the movie.
Based on actual events, the movie plays tribute to real-life Coach Larry Gelwix, whose motto is “Be forever strong on the field, so you can forever be strong off field.”
If you get a chance to see Forever Strong, please let me know what you think.
Here are some stills from the movie:
I loved Forever Strong! I loved the rugby and the story. Penn was great, it was a very different role for him. I could have done without all of the spitting though. That’s just nasty. It was very cool that it is based on an actual coach and team. I’d love to hear what filming was like for the actors and if they liked rugby. Looked pretty rough!