The Dink

Take it from someone who knows—getting older really isn’t much fun. The things that used to be easy aren’t anymore, and for the most part, the sports you loved to play are now just injuries waiting to happen. Luckily for us, there are sports designed for our age group. There’s shuffleboard, swimming, and, of course, pickleball. Personally, the latter has never really appealed to me, but judging by all the pickleball courts popping up everywhere, I’d say Josh Greenbaum made a pretty smart choice with his new film, The Dink.

Dustin “The Hammer” Boyd (Jake Johnson) used to be kind of a big deal, but unfortunately, he got in his own way. Once upon a time, Dustin had a killer serve and was considered the next great tennis star. Then he stepped onto the court against a real player—Andy Roddick—who beat him so badly that Dustin quit tennis altogether. Fast forward to the present, and Dustin is now the tennis pro at his dad’s (Ed Harris) club, spending his days telling stories to PJ (Aaron Chen) and beating unsuspecting weekend players.

That seems to be the rest of his life until an old wrist injury flares up. His doctor’s orders? A lot less strain on the wrist…and to take up pickleball instead. To Dustin, this has to be a joke. He’s a tennis player, not a pickleball player. Eventually, though, he gives in and signs up, there he meets Candace (Mary Steenburgen), who is dealing with a few hurdles of her own. Together, they become the perfect team, helping each other through life’s setbacks while Dustin slowly—almost reluctantly—falls in love with the game.

Written by Sam Clements, The Dink isn’t a slur aimed at Johnson’s character. It’s actually a soft, controlled shot hit into the non-volley zone, and if you have no idea what that means, don’t worry—the movie will happily explain it. What The Dink really is, though, is another underdog story that reminds us you don’t have to be the champion to be a winner.

It would’ve been easy for the movie to make fun of pickleball, but that’s one thing The Dink wisely avoids. It never treats the sport—or the people who love it—as the punchline. Instead, it feels like a fun and entertaining way to learn about the game while watching a cast that’s clearly having a great time bringing it to life.

The Dink follows a familiar underdog formula, and while you’ll probably know exactly where it’s headed, it’s the journey that makes it worthwhile. A lot of that comes from its cast. Johnson and Steenburgen share warm, easy chemistry that occasionally flirts with romance but never feels the need to force it. Their relationship works so well because it mostly stays rooted in friendship.

The supporting cast also delivers, with Ed Harris leading the way. While not every cameo lands, nobody feels out of place or gives a weak performance. If there’s one area where the film comes up a little short, it’s that it plays things a bit too safely. The story rarely surprises, and the runtime could have been trimmed by ten or fifteen minutes.

Even so, The Dink still lands in the winner’s circle. It overcomes its familiar story beats with appealing performances, genuine emotional stakes, and plenty of laughs. More than anything, it’s a charming crowd-pleaser that just might convince you to give pickleball a shot…even if, like me, you’ve been avoiding it.

Brian Taylor

Member of the North Texas Film Critics Association, and lover of all things Cinema