The Senior is a based on the true story of Mike Flynt (Michael Chiklis) returning to Sul Ross State University to complete his degree and, more importantly, football career after being kicked out — 37 years prior. While the plot is heart-warming at the surface, Flynt is a hot-head not only on the field, but also off the field as a father. For the majority of the movie, it was hard to root for Flynt as it would mean defending the fact that he continually behaves like the aggressive 22-year-old who was kicked off the team in the first place.
Mike Flynt was not only dismissed from the football team, but also booted from his school for getting in to a whopping ten fights. Left with at least nine opportunities to learn to control his temper, yet he continually prioritized scuffles over being a teammate.
Michael Chiklis embodied the role of a tough-love father living in a state of constant regret and longing for his glory days. Writer Robert Eisele took quite a few creative liberties that differed from the version of events Flynt wrote in his book, causing the film to suffer as it replayed stereotypes of preceding sports dramas.
Director Rod Lurie seems to attempt to depict Flynt as a regretful man who is a victim of losing his teammates and family. Yet, the lack of acknowledgement for his actions that cost him his career and son in the first place make this narrative hard to believe.
In flashbacks, the viewer begins to understand why Mike’s relationship with his son, Micah (Brandon Flynn) was fractured. Like his father before him, Mike was hard on his son, even physically brutal in an effort to raise another athlete. Eventually, the more academic-focused Micah assumed the role of his father’s tutor to keep him from failing to complete his degree for the second time.
As the film concludes with Sul Ross State’s final game of the season, Flynt was predictably given his chance to play. Ultimately, he gave an inspirational halftime speech and went on to make a block on the game-winning 2-point conversion. With Flynt’s college football career finally ending after spanning four decades, his son joins him to make amends. Overall, this was another cliché with the anticipated ending, fully disregarding Flynt’s damaging failures as a father that led to years of resentment that cannot be undone. Despite being the protagonist, Mike Flynt is not much more than a washed-up narcissist who is celebrated for his own selfishness.
2/5 Stars.
If you like a classic feel-good football story like Rudy, this might be for you. While Michael Flynt ultimately achieved his goal of returning to the field, he was a deeply flawed protagonist unwilling to put work into any factors in his life aside from football, leaving viewers question if he deserved redemption. Unfortunately, in the sports drama genre, The Senior offered nothing unique.
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