The 5th Quarter

It's Football Season again! And Fox Faith just released their film, The 5th Quarter to Blu-ray/DVD this week.

Storyline: When a close-knit family is nearly broken by tragedy, hope is restored by their eldest son who carries the weight of victory on his shoulders in THE 5TH QUARTER.

One of our KIDS FIRST! youth film critics reviewed it this week: "I just finished watching The Fifth Quarter and I enjoyed it. It's about a boy named Luke who dies in an auto accident because of drunk driving. The story is really about how the family copes with the loss of their 15 year old son and brother.

I really like the character John Abbate, Luke's older brother, played by Ryan Merriman. The acting is superb. He couldn't have done a better job.

I would say that this movie is for kids 13 and up. There is one little tiny extremely short scene showing some surgery that is disturbing, but there is also a lot of talking and emotion and crying, of course. Any kid younger than 13 would not appreciate that. However, older kids will appreciate the amazing acting.

By Sam Connan, Age 13, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. Sam's review is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC90wSHTklg

I love inspirational sport movies - who doesn't? But they have to be inspirational, meaning something that lifts because it moves us genuinely. I found the 5th Qtr to be probably the most paint by numbers film in this genre I've ever seen.

I appreciate the story, I get why it should have moved me, and in places it does - but it is so "now feel this" and "now you should feel sad, now feel glad" that I am no longer a viewer, I become simply a mannequin devoid of my own choices. Fox Faith made this, and it should therefore have excellent production values and some real thinking behind it. But it sorely lacks power, even in those scenes where it should.

It is clichéd, from a dull script, to a musak score that assaults the senses, to frankly, and amazingly, dull football scenes. It has great values, real heart, but slushes it all away, through telling us how to feel all the time.

A sad waste of a good idea -honestly, wanted to love this, but could barely watch it in places. Inspirational? Not for this reviewer, I'm afraid.

I'm loving this movie so far and am more than half way through it. Don't pay attention to the haters.If you have a heart you will love this movie. It may not be perfect, but the message is clear. It may not be The Blind Side-but it's a different family.I can't imagine what it must be like to go through what this family went through. I'm a nurse and really appreciate a lot of the scenes especially the ones in the beginning of the film. At least give this movie a chance and make up your own mind. Don't let these negative reviews make up your mind for you without judging for yourself. Believe me, I've seen MANY movies and MANY of them I haven't even been able to get through the first fifteen minutes. This is a good movie. It may not be an Oscar winner, but it is a good movie about a true story, a real family and a community.

I had wanted to see this movie for a while, as I am a really big Aidan Quinn fan, so I was thrilled when I found a copy today! But my hopes were too high for the level of this movie. The story was solid, the acting was decent, but the script was obviously an afterthought to the football footage. The writers never really introduced the viewers to the Abbatte family (what was wrong with the daughter?), gave very little notice to the interactions and reactions of the family as a whole regarding their loss, and basically didn't give the actors much with which to present their characters or to move the story line. With such a good story and a high-caliber cast, this movie could have been a great one, but instead it pretty much just laid down with a whimper. Next time, guys, "FOCUS" on the story, not clips of football plays and cheerleaders. Really a sad treatment of a promising premise.

Being a pastor, I was excited to see another faith-based movie. The movie was inspirational with great values supporting faith, dealing with the death of a loved one, and overcoming tremendous obstacles. However, I was surprised at the amount of alcohol that was promoted in the movie, especially when the mother was shown drinking shots with her friend. When she couldn't get her breath, I didn't know if it was stress or taking too big of a swig. There is a time or two when vulgar language is used in the movie. So, I would recommend this movie for Christian families, however I do not know that I would approve of watching this film in church. Do not let the eccentricities keep you from watching. Although this movie is not at the level of spiritual prowess that Fireproof and Facing the Giants are at, it is still a great movie overall.