Sports are aspirational.

Root, root, root for the home team.

Whether athlete or fan, we revel in the glory days of defeating rivals, whether they be across town, league, state, country or nation.

We imagine ourselves out there on the playing field. It’s not called fantasy football for nothing.

Sports, and especially football, is an exercise in anger management. Or not.

We enshrine sports in song: “Centerfield,” John Fogerty; “Glory Days,” Bruce Springsteen; “The Boxer,” Simon and Garfunkel; “There Used To Be A Ballpark Here,” Frank Sinatra; “We Are The Champions,” Queen, and, of course, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer.

Sports is about achievement, perseverance and resilience. It’s about underdogs. It’s about grit. It’s about determination. It’s about comebacks: “Gonna Fly Now” (the “Rocky” movie theme), Bill Conti.

Sports is about spectacular catches, amazing fielding, colossal blocks and clutch plays. It’s about hope. It’s about ambition. It’s about adulation. It’s about hero worship. It’s about the human condition: “Don’t Stop Believin,’” Journey.

It’s about competition. It’s about rules. It’s about teamwork. It’s about pain and suffering. It’s about gutting it through, toughing it out. It’s about coaching and being coached. It’s about walk-on songs. It’s about fair play. It’s about becoming a good sport.

Sports is about fans, about you and me. It’s about community. It’s tribal. It’s about fandom: a sports nation. Friends and families bond. Strangers become buddies.

Sports is about stadium anthems. It’s about arena rock: “We Will Rock You,” Queen. May the best team win.

Sports plays well in song. It translates even better onto the big screen in theaters, in restaurants and in the home. Fans have front-row seats.

The great thing about sports is that there’s always another story to tell. Another game. Another day. It’s immortal. It’s eternal. It’s forever.

Each game unfolds with new heroics. New drama. Sometimes a great notion of comedy. A comedy or errors. Or bad officiating.

Not to mention sports commentary and play-by-play. A story of victory. A story of athleticism. More than Ws and Ls: “The Winner Takes It All,” ABBA.

ABC-TV’s “Wide World of Sports” (1961-1997) announcer Jim McKay perhaps put it best: “the thrill of victory ... and the agony of defeat.”

Sports and especially sports-themed movies are nothing less than affirmations of the American Dream.

Name the titles and unreel the movies in your mind: “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner” (1962), “Rocky” (1976), “The Bad News Bears” (1976), “Raging Bull” (1980), “Hoosiers” (1986), “Bull Durham” (1988), “A League of Their Own” (1992), “Million Dollar Baby” (2004).

Add to the list of memorable sports films “The Senior.”

“The Senior” is based on the true story of Mike Flynt, a grandfather who at age 59, tries out for his former Texas college football team with the goal of completing his degree at Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Tex.

Flynt, a construction foreman, has nagging doubts decades after he got kicked off the football team and out of college because of getting into fights.

Flynt had never completed his senior year. He wants to finish his college football eligibility.

Flynt made NCAA history as the oldest college football player.

Michael Chiklis (two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for “The Shield”; winner, lead actor, drama, “The Shield,” 2002) plays Mike Flynt with pugnacious determination. He runs down the field like a refrigerator on wheels. His facial expressions and entire body language say, “Tackle me, Just try.”

Flynt’s wife Eileen is played effectively by Mary Stuart Masterson (“Some Kind Of Wonderful,” 1987; “Fried Green Tomatoes,” 1991; “Benny & Joon,” 1993).

In supporting roles are Brandon Flynn as Mike’s son Micah Flynt, Rob Corddry as college football coach Sam Weston, and Terayle Hill as Jamal Johnson and Corey Knight as Jeremy Cartwright, college football players.

“The Senior” is directed by Rod Lurie (director: “The Outpost,” 2019; “Resurrecting the Champ,” 2007; “The Last Castle,” 2001; “The Contender,” 2000); from a screenplay by Robert Eisele (screenplay, “The Great Debaters,” 2007). In his films, Lurie explores the mindset of greatness.

Among the producers of “The Senior” is Mark Ciardi, who has produced acclaimed sports movies, including: “The Rookie” (2002), “Miracle” (2004), “The Game Plan” (2007), “Secretariat” (2010), ”Million Dollar Arm” (2014), “McFarland, USA” (2015), “The Way Back” (2020) and “American Underdog” (2021), the latter about NFL MVP and Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.

“The Senior” tells a story of greatness, of second chances and of the requirements for redemption. It’s about staying true to one’s tenets and overcoming the challenges of making one’s dreams come true.

It’s also about becoming a good sport. Mike Flynt finally learns that, on and off the football field.

“The Senior,” MPA rated PG (Parental guidance suggested: Some material may not be suitable for children) for thematic content, violence, language and a suggestive reference; Genre: Sports, Drama; Run time. Distributed by Angel.

Credit Reader Anonymous: “The Senior” includes an introduction by the real-life Mike Flynt and an end credits sequence of photos and footage of Mike Flynt on and off the field and with the cast. The movie includes a QR code for movie-goers who can “pay-it-forward” for other viewers. The film was lensed at Scarborough-Handley Field stadium, Fort Worth, Tex., in March 2022. The soundtrack includes “The Rubberband Man” (1976), written by Linda Creed and Thom Bell and recorded by The Spinners

Unreel, Oct. 3:

Lehigh Valley legend, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, is receiving Oscar-nomination buzz for his title role in “The Smashing Machine.”

The Sports Biography film (MPA Rated R; Run time: 2 hours, 3 minutes) is based on the true story of Mixed Martial Arts fighter and UFC champion Mark Kerr (played by Dwayne Johnson).

Johnson (“Jumanji” franchise, “Moana”; “Jungle Cruise”; WWE wrestler “The Rock”) graduated in 1990 from Freedom High School, Bethlehem Area School District, where he played defensive tackle on the Patriots’ football team and was on the track and field and wrestling teams.

Kerr’s wife in “The Smashing Machine” is played by Johnson’s “Jungle Cruise” co-star Emily Blunt (Oscar nominee, supporting actress, “Oppenheimer,” 2023).

Benny Safdie directs “The Smashing Machine” from his own screenplay. Safdie co-directed the acclaimed “Uncut Gems” (2019), nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards, winning male lead for Adam Sandler.

“The Smashing Machine” was nominated as best film and Safdie won the Silver Lion as best feature film director at the 2025 Venice Film Festival.

Also opening Oct. 3:

“Bone Lake,” MPA rated R; 1 hour, 34 minutes. Mercedes Bryce Morgan directs Alex Roe, Maddie Hasson, Marco Pigossi and Andra Nechita in the Horror film. A couple’s vacation is interrupted when they must share accommodations with a mysterious couple.

“Good Boy,” MPA rated PG-13; 1 hour, 12 minutes. Ben Leonberg directs Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman and Indy the dog in the Comedy Thriller. A dog detects supernatural forces in his family’s new home.

“Coyotes,” MPA rated R; 1 hour, 32 minutes. Colin Minihan directs Mila Harris, Brittany Allen, Justin Long and Kate Bosworth in the Comedy Horror film. A family is trapped in their Hollywood Hills home by wildfires and coyotes.

Movie opening dates from Internet Movie Database as of Sept. 28 are subject to change.

Theatrical Movies Domestic Weekend Box Office, Sept. 26-28: “One Battle After Another,” with Paul Thomas Anderson directing Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor and Benicio Del Toro in the Crime, Comedy, Action film, battled to No.1, opening with $22.4 million in 3,634 theaters.

““Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie,” with Kristen Wiig, Gloria Estefan and Kyle Mooney in the DreamWorks Live Action Computer Generated Imagery Animation, Fantasy Comedy, opened at No. 2 with $13.7 million in 3,500 theaters.

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Infinity Castle - Part 1: Akaza Returns” dropped two places from its two-weeks at No. 1 to No. 3 with $7.1 million in 2,984 theaters, $118.1 million, three weeks.

4. “The Conjuring: Last Rites” dropped one place, $6.8 million in 3,083 theaters, $161.4 million, four weeks. 5. “The Strangers: Chapter 2,” director Renny Harlin’s Horror film, $5.9 million in 2,690 theaters, opening. 6. “Him” dropped four places, $3.6 million in 3,168 theaters, $20.7 million, two weeks. 7. “The Long Walk” dropped two places, $3.4 million in 2,297 theaters, $28.8 million, three weeks. 8. “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” dropped four places, $3.3 million in 2,829 theaters, $38.9 million, three weeks. 9. ”Spider-Man,” “Spider-Man 2, “Spider-Man 3” re-releases, $2.2 million in 1,485 theaters. 10. “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” $1.2 million in 3,330 theaters, $5.9 million, two weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Sept. 28 is subject to change.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes