Pickleball is the star of the sports comedy ‘The Dink’

The sports comedy 'The Dink' offers a lighthearted take on the rivalry between tennis and pickleball, drawing comparisons to 'Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.' The film follows Dusty, a once-promising tennis prodigy groomed by his domineering father, Chuck, who flamed out early in his career. Now teaching tennis to uninterested children, Dusty harbors a deep disdain for pickleball.

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It’s the tennis establishment versus pickleball enthusiasts at an uptight club in “The Dink,” a kind of spiritual descendant of “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.”

Dusty's life takes an unexpected turn when his doctor recommends pickleball for a wrist injury, a suggestion he finds worse than death. His perspective begins to shift as he starts playing with a group of older women, including Candace, Gail, and Judy. Actor Jake Johnson delivers a strong performance as the flawed protagonist, Dusty, whose character is humorously compared to Timothée Chalamet by one of his new friends.

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He called his son “The Hammer” long before he’d even told him his real name, we’re told in an amusing introduction.

The film boasts a strong supporting cast, with Ed Harris perfectly embodying the alpha dad. Mary Steenburgen and Cleo King also shine in their roles. The movie is further enriched by cameos from comedic actors like Ben Stiller, Patton Oswalt, Chloe Fineman, and Chris Parnell. Directed by Josh Greenbaum and written by Sean Clements, 'The Dink' successfully navigates the line between silliness and sincerity, largely avoiding making pickleball itself the sole target of its jokes.

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But as with so many sports prodigies, Dusty flamed out early (in a match against a young Andy Roddick, no less).