Monday, October 10, 2011

The 5th Quarter ~ from tragedy, triumph



A tragic car accident injures Luke Abbate, a local high school athlete and youngest son of Maryanne Abbate (Andie MacDowell) and Steven Abbate (Aidan Quinn). His injuries include irreparable brain damage and a machine is the only thing keeping him alive. His older brother Jon Abbate (Ryan Merriman) is a star linebacker for Wake Forest University. Jon rushes to his brother’s side as the family makes the most difficult decision any family may have to make, whether to donate Luke’s organs.

The town, friends, and family overwhelm the Abbates with their concern, and life attempts to go one with each member trying to cope with the loss of Luke. The last quarter of the Wake Forest football games were renamed the 5th quarter in honor of Luke’s chosen jersey number. Jon has also changed his jersey number to 5 to honor Luke. The 5th Quarter becomes the motivation, combined with a new coaching scheme, which leads the Wake Forest Demon Deacons to their most successful season ever.

This movie will pull all the water from your eyes. It is a touching story of how we can make a difference in the lives of others, even at the end of our own, and how we can recover from blows that make us want to quit. It will definitely make you parents out there pause for a moment.

It’s worth the time to check this DVD out. Make sure you have a box of tissues. 

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