The Senior

Grade: B-

Being critical of an Angel Studios film can feel like beating up a puppy, but I’ve had mixed experiences with their output. I appreciate and respect what they do, and I’m glad they have a following. Their movies, understandably, tend to follow the same template. Tell a true story about a person who overcomes an obstacle and/or does something heroic, sprinkle in stuff about faith, crank up the score, have a random character narrate it in voice-over, don’t rock the boat too much with the language, and jerk easy tears. I gave The Senior a shot because it comes from a director I’ve known of and admired for a quarter century. It could never be accused of breaking new ground, but the story here is great, the actors bring sincerity to their roles, and the runtime is easily digestible. All these elements make The Senior one of the better Angels I’ve seen.

The title has a double meaning. Mike Flynt, the main character, never graduated college, as he got kicked out due to his short fuse temper getting him into fights. So, he has been a perpetual senior for closing in on 40 years – and, at age 59, he is about to be a senior citizen. At a recent class reunion party, he gets the urge to revisit his alma mater – and, feeling the weight of unfinished business, tries out and makes the team as the oldest college football linebacker ever.

The “aging football player who wants a re-do” piece immediately brought to mind a film from 1986 called The Best of Times. In it, Robin Williams and Kurt Russell (in their 30s) haven’t been able to move on from a disappointing outcome to a football game in high school, so they stage an elaborate reenactment (complete with classmates and spectators) that ends with Williams catching the ball this time. As per usual with Angel Studios, the cast of The Senior is primarily actors who are not as well known, with one or two who used to be very popular, but maybe had left people wondering whatever happened to them. Michael Chiklis plays title character Mike Flynt as a crotchety curmudgeon in the early scenes, then his physicality changes. As he joins the team, he is more youthful smiles and wide eyes. Mary Stuart Masterson does nice work as Eileen Flynt, his wife. Director Rod Lurie was the man behind the camera for The Contender, a political thriller that I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying for the last 25 years. We have the same birthday, and I’ve interacted with him a tiny bit on various social medias. His name attached to the project is what brought me to the movie.

The ending is routine. Of course, it all comes down to the last play of the last few seconds of the game. There is the Dramatic Late Arrival of the son who shows up to the game. Dad manages to see him in the crowded stands, and they share a look of mutual understanding. The credits have footage of some of the real people side-by-side with the actors. Somebody gives the usual spiel where they thank us for seeing it, and here’s a QR code so you can pay it forward with a ticket for someone else, etc. This won’t be your first rodeo if you’re an Angel Studios veteran moviegoer, but The Senior is appealing enough that I won’t beat up this puppy.

Grade: B-