The Senior Senior

It's 1990, and Paul and Diane Pugh, both 28, are the struggling owners of a failing, boardwalk cotton candy shop in Asbury Park, New Jersey. They are cramped in their tiny apartment above the business and about to be squeezed further, as Diane is pregnant. Their one spare room is occupied by Paul's father, Ken, who is 64 and still a senior in high school, having been left back forty-five times. It's the beginning of a new school year for Ken and his situation is dire. The school's friendly, accommodating principal has died and been replaced by a posture-obsessed martinet, whose goal is Ken's expulsion. Making Ken's bad situation worse, the new principal, Vincent Cannatoona, informs him that his previous service credits have been deemed obsolete. He is given a deadline: by the end of the school year, Ken will have to earn a position on a sports team, in addition to achieving passing grades. On the home front, Diane seeks Ken's eviction, to assure space for the new baby. Besieged on all fronts, Ken takes comfort in oil painting, a hobby at which he excels. He also strikes up a friendship with the exotic owner of the fortune-telling parlor next door, Zera. She recognizes Ken's artistic talent and suggests a devious plan that, if victorious, will permanently get him out from under Mr. Cannatoona's thumb. However, the plan presents a moral dilemma for Ken, as it entails him creating a forgery of a famous artist's work. Ken overcomes his reservations and complies. Mr. Cannatoona takes the bait, assuring the plan's success. His future now secure, Ken moves in with Zera, reconciles with his son and embarks on an art career that is lucrative, but illegal.