The Senior

by Mike McGranaghan

The Senior is better directed than many faith-based films. That’s because the director is Rod Lurie, whose previous works include The Contender and The Outpost. He knows how to tell a story and create an emotional moment that doesn’t feel manipulative. But this also isn’t a garden variety faith-based film to begin with. There’s no overt religious messaging; the main character just happens to acquire a Bible partway through. The best way to describe the picture is as a family-friendly inspirational sports drama that holds wide appeal, regardless of whether or not you’re looking for faith content.

This is the true story of Mike Flynt (Michael Chiklis), a hotheaded guy in his late fifties who has spent decades beating himself up for getting kicked off his college football team. Upon discovering a loophole that would let him try out for the team if he registers to finish his senior year, Mike convinces skeptical wife Eileen (Mary Stuart Masterson) to let him go for it. The coach at Sul Ross State University, Sam Weston (Rob Corddry), is understandably reluctant to allow this AARP-adjacent student to audition. Mike is persistent, though, and before long, he’s proving his mettle enough to impress the (much) younger players and secure himself a spot on the team.

Story-wise, The Senior is similar to 2006’s Invincible, where Mark Wahlberg plays a schoolteacher-turned-unlikely member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Mike Flynt has plenty of hurdles to overcome if he wants to take the field. Scenes show him training harder and longer than his teammates, simply to keep up with them. The movie maintains a sense of humor about the scenario, with plenty of “old man” jokes made at Mike’s expense.

The portrait of determination works because the screenplay by Robert Eisele (The Great Debaters) nicely establishes the deep-seated reasons why Mike feels compelled to try something so improbable. Guilt he carries for letting his previous teammates down is made clear, as is the tenuous relationship with his father J.V. (James Badge Dale), a no-BS guy who instilled in him a “failure is not an option” ethic. This isn’t Al Bundy, pathetically reminiscing about his past football glory; it’s a man who needs a second chance in order to repair the parts of him that are broken.

Michael Chiklis was born to play Mike Flynt. Aside from closely resembling the actual man, he’s got an earnest quality that just leaps off the screen. The character could have come off as kooky or, even worse, delusional, but Chiklis’s spot-on performance instantly wins our rooting interest. He is well-paired with Mary Stuart Masterson. The actress avoids all the usual wife-of-the-protagonist tropes. In her hands, Eileen is a force to be reckoned with, as in the sequence where she sternly informs her husband that she expects to be consulted on major life decisions.

Gridiron scenes are skillfully staged by Lurie and his cinematography and editing teams. They’re sufficiently brutal to get you worrying about Mike’s physical health. Training montages achieve the same effect, emphasizing how closely he flirts with debilitating injuries.

The Senior takes a few liberties with the truth and adheres to a familiar feel-good template that brings no real surprises. That said, it does what it sets out to do, namely tell a rousing tale that reminds viewers it’s never too late to chase down your dream. Only a true cynic would have a problem with that.

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