When it comes to typical sports dramas, the plot usually begins with a team of underdogs who end up reaching the finals after conquering insurmountable obstacles. Forever the Moment is no different from its predecessors, but the film does a fine job of overcoming its awfully predictable story by offering enough genuine emotional uplift and good, tasteful humor. Inspired by the true story of the 2004 Olympics Korea Women's National Handball Team, the story begins with a team of exuberant players celebrating their victory at the women's handball league's championship game in front of empty stands. Clearly handball is not one of Korea's most popular sports. And not a moment too soon, the cold reality sinks in for these athletes when their team is forced to disintegrate due to lack of funding. To make matters worse, post-handball life isn't all it's cut out to be as these women quickly find themselves struggling to make ends meet. Some like double-crowned Olympian Mi Sook (Moon So Ri) finds a job at a supermarket to support her young child and debt-ridden husband.

Determined to take one last shot at chasing her dream, Mi Sook accepts the scouting offer from Hye Kyung (Kim Jung Eun), her former on-court rival who is recruiting older players to salvage the struggling national team for the upcoming Olympics. But soon trouble brews on the court as the friction between the younger and the older players intensifies. A top management decision relieves Hye Kyung from the coaching position (though she remains as a player), replacing her with Seung Pil (Uhm Tae Woong), an arrogant, hard-nosed world-class player whose colossal ego and strict European-style regiment do not sit well with the older players. The film stays its course by depicting their hardship with good-natured humor and plenty of heart - the key ingredient that pulls the movie together. Revealing life beyond the training camp, the story touches on the players' daily bumps and grinds: here we see two professional "mommy" athletes, Mi Sook and Hye Kyung, who have to juggle their games with other impending matters like child care and marriage troubles. Yet, the film doesn't try to patronize the woes of Korean ajummas (a generic term for married older women); but simply celebrates their gutsy, optimistic attitudes and integrity - a theme that reverberates throughout the film.

The team hits a major stumbling block when they lose to a high school boys team in an embarrassing trial match. Some fingers point to one singular player for messing up the game, but Hye Kyung is quick to remind the girls about the true meaning of team play to which the team agrees (a proof that not all women are so catty). As a matter of fact, the actresses actually look like they've bonded well during the shooting and it is this beautiful female synergy that truly anchors the film (and blind outs some occasional clichés too).

In what everyone conceded was a million-to-one shot, these brave women reach the Olympics final and give their best in a series of rollercoaster games that ultimately lead to a climatic overtime decision. The film ends with a powerful emotional punch by featuring the actual interview and game footage from the 2004 Athens Olympics. But as compelling and remarkable as the finale is, it is really the characters' personal triumphs that make this film a sheer pleasure to watch.