THE 5TH QUARTER

Year: 2010
USA: Rocky Mountain Pictures
Cast: Ryan Merriman, Aidan Quinn, Andie McDowell, Andrea Powell, Jillian Batherson, Anessa Ramsey, Bonnie Johnson, Michael Harding, Patrick Stogner, William Smith Yelton, Maureen Mountcastle, Stefan Guy, Jon Stafford, Kendrick Cross, R Keith Harris
Director: Rick Bieber
Country: USA
USA Rated: PG-13 for some thematic elements
USA Release Date: 25 March 2011 (Limited Release)


Synopsis

In February 2006, young Luke Abbate (Stefan Guy) accepted a ride home from a fellow student following his high-school team practice. The driver lost control of the car driving recklessly at nearly 90 miles an hour when it crashed. Luke suffered irreparable brain damage, and died in the hospital two days later â€" four days before his sixteenth birthday.

While in the hospital, the Abbate family made the difficult decision to permit the doctors to utilize Luke’s organs in a nationwide organ transplant program. Five recipients were quickly identified.

Following his brother’s death, Jon (Ryan Merriman) considered giving up his football career â€" but knew that doing so would not properly honor the younger brother who loved and idolized him. With the approval of head coach Jim Grobe (Michael Harding), Jon changed his number from his long-standing 40, to his brother’s number 5 and dedicated the new season to the memory of his brother.

The Abbate family founded The Luke Abbate 5th Quarter Foundation for the purposes of educating young people nationwide to the dangers and life-altering consequences of irresponsible driving.