When Andie MacDowell was approached to play one of the lead roles in the movie "The 5th Quarter," she wasn't familiar with the true story behind the film.
"I hadn't had any true attachments to Wake," said MacDowell, a South Carolina native who now lives in Asheville.
But she quickly learned about the Abbate family and what they had been through. In February 2006, 15-year-old Luke Abbate accepted a ride home from a classmate and was killed in a car wreck in Georgia. His family was devastated, and his brother Jon — a football player at Wake Forest University — asked to change his jersey number to 5, to match Luke's high school jersey.
Spurred on by the desire to win in honor of Luke, Jon and his teammates went on the most successful season in Wake's history, winning the ACC championship. The Abbate family, who live in the suburbs of Atlanta, were in the stands for each game, in section five, lifting their hands in a five-fingered salute in honor of Luke's number — and the fact that the organs that he donated went to five people.
The family has gone on to form a foundation named after Luke to increase awareness of the importance of organ donation and to warn about the dangers of reckless driving. The story inspired filmmaker Rick Bieber, who talked with the Abbates about making a movie about that championship season and how they dealt with their grief.
Because Winston-Salem figured so heavily in Jon Abbate's life, they decided to shoot the movie here. The movie was filmed in 2008, two years after Luke's death.
The parents, Steven and Maryanne Abbate, were on the set "practically the whole time we were making the film," said MacDowell, who played Maryanne.
"It was apparent this was more than just a movie to them. They had gone through a great deal of suffering and a huge loss that was still raw. They were dealing with revealing their deepest family secrets, and how they dealt with the loss of their child.
"That's not something you resolve in two years. It's something you carry with you for the rest of your life."
She said that she was also awed by the way the family managed to work through their grief and raise attention to the need for organ donation. "It's a beautiful thing they've been able to do with their great loss," she said. "And it's a great story about how supportive Wake Forest was to the Abbates."
Maryanne Abbate said that she was impressed with MacDowell's desire to get all the details right. "Andie was so warm and open to talking," she said. "I think she felt a great sense of responsibility."
When the Abbates were on the set, "I tried to stay very obscure and behind-the-scenes," Maryanne said.
They avoided the set once, during the filming in Davidson County of the car wreck.
"I couldn't watch that scene," said Steven Abbate, Luke and Jon's father. "We didn't go that night. It was too hard."
In the film, Steven is played by Aidan Quinn. Ryan Merriman plays Jon Abbate, with Stefan Guy as Luke, and Matt McGrath and Mandy Manis as their other siblings, Adam and Rachel. Musician Stacy Earl, who provided the theme song for the film, plays Maryanne's sister. Mike Harding plays Coach Jim Grobe, who provides guidance for Jon.
When MacDowell was shooting the film, she said, "I would go home at night and write poetry and be in my room alone, and be in awe of the perseverance of all families that lose children, and think about this family and what strength they had to share their lives.
"It's life-affirming. Here's this kid who died, but he saved people's lives."
Maryanne said that she was "very grateful" for the diligence that MacDowell and the other actors took in making the film.
"They captured the essence of our story," Maryanne said. "She was my voice."
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Want to help?
To make a donation to the Luke Abbate 5th Quarter Foundation, go to www.lukeabbate5thquarter.org.
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