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

Oh, ye of little faith. This film had flaws as almost any film does but, there have been several criticisms about some less than stellar acting. It is true to some extent. Truth be known, several participants were the real people in the real world of the events that took place from the actual story. I am always amazed by the reviews that seem so opposite from agreement. This film dealt with the tragedy that sometimes befalls only some families and it shows that families can work thru their sorrows. I rate this film 7 stars because I know a similar tragedy and I pray that you never have to walk with this tragedy in your life. Quinn does an outstanding performance that conveyed the pain and suffering of a father as did the rest of the main cast. This is a heart wrenching story to watch but one with a valuable lesson to share.

I don't understand the negative reviews. Please watch this movie and see for yourself. I thought the actors did a fantastic job. I have never seen a father's love portrayed so beautifully as Aiden Quinn showed in this movie. Men do not often show such tenderness but he brought such an endearing character to life for me. Andie McDowell was the perfect choice to play the mother in this film. You could just tell how proud she was of her three sons and how hard she was holding on for the entire family. I fell in love with all three of the sons and felt the two surviving sons each brought a unique reaction to the tragic loss of their brother. Bring a box of tissues and let all of your teenage children watch this! We need to teach our children how one bad decision can alter the rest of our lives and the lives of others that we care about.

Sorry but have to agree with many of the other posters on here. This movie had everything to be a great movie and started out really good, but lost something as it went on. I watched it based on the trailer and the fact that Aidan Quinn was in it (love him!) but I have to say I was a little disappointed in it. It seems like they had a great beginning and a decent ending but the middle lacked something. As far as the acting goes, you have to remember that these actors are trying to portray real life people as closely as they can and that may seem why the acting was a bit off. This is a very good movie for teens to watch so they can see the dangers of reckless driving and the importance of being responsible.

This film does an excellent job of portraying how the unexpected death of a young teen affects his family, friends, and community. Have the tissues handy. Wish they had done a better job of including a sister and another brother into the story. Watch through the ending, when they share actual statistics of the Wake Forest football team in 2006. Also how the family moved forward to help others through a group they formed to educate about the organ donor program and the dangers of reckless driving. Yes I recommend it, James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 2/15/2021