The Dink
Published 2026-09-12 18:56:38
If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen
Film info
- Director
- Year / Run time 2026 ยท 1hr 42m
- Genre Comedy
- Cast
Dusty "The Hammer" Boyd, a washed-up tennis pro, could really use a win. On a quest to save a struggling country club and earn his father's respect, Dusty breaks a sacred vow and does the unthinkable: He plays pickleball.
Live blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 2:01 | Fastening racquets to the end of a kid's hand is a bit much! |
| 6:20 | "You will show up on time and you will not wear a headband." |
| 11:52 | What even is a cobbler? |
| 17:08 | I didn't know there was so much snobbery about pickleball. |
| 20:26 | I definitely need to know why the scoring is three figures. |
| 23:41 | One of my favourite things is when someone is freaking out and shouting to calm down but everyone else is calm. |
| 28:32 | That's actually Andy Roddick! |
| 32:33 | "I'll be honest, I don't know what you're looking for with this story." |
| 40:20 | Five More Minutes is a tune! |
| 49:51 | That makes me want to watch The Graduate again. |
| 55:58 | He showed up! With the hat! Cute! |
| 1:00:27 | "I just wanted a pickleball partner, dammit." |
| 1:06:02 | That sounds like a Final Destination death, right there. |
| 1:11:30 | PJ's questions on the story are incredible. |
| 1:18:37 | I guessed him playing for the other side, but not Roddick! |
| 1:21:28 | "It's pickleball, bitch." |
| 1:28:50 | "Well said, John McEnroe." |
Thoughts
Our film watching has dropped off drastically recently, so it needed to be an easy access (Apple) and easy genre (sports comedy) to break us back in gently. This was just the ticket, and with bonus Mary Steenburgen, I had high hopes.
I wasn't disappointed. The script is full of hilarious banter. The "I'll be honest, I don't know what you're looking for with this story," when she's telling a rambling back-and-forth anecdote about her ex-husband was a joy. There are small moments that add humour but also a layer of authenticity... like when he goes into incognito mode to research pickleball.
The cast are fantastic and have exactly the right chemistry. Ed Harris's rumbling voice works well for a disapproving and distant father ("You will show up on time and you will not wear a headband."), and Aaron Chen as overly supportive sidekick PJ hits the right balance between fawning and irritating. (Look out for the dive, I'm still laughing about it now.)
And of course, gorgeous Mary Steenburgen lights up the screen. She has a way of seeming strict, but approachable, wise but also someone you could just stay home with, watch movies and eat popcorn. I was briefly worried they were dipping into a rom-com, you know, older women are fine but this would be quite the age gap! Thankfully they acknowledged and side-stepped the issue quite deftly - she wasn't interested in him and he soon realised that wasn't really what he was looking for anyway.
The opening scenes feature uninterested tennis kids listening to old stories, and the closing moments are Andy Roddick (actually him!) saying he couldn't care less about any of the people there. That might suggest that it's a film full of people who don't care what's going on, but that couldn't be further from the truth - there's a lot of heart and passion about an emerging sport. It's eye-opening that pickleball is sneered at and this has made me want to find out why.
I loved every second of this movie. It was a five out of five because of the great cast, engaging script, and the twisting journey that Jake Johnson's Dusty goes on to find himself and his sport. Then John McEnroe turned up and elevated everything to the next level. I want him following me around, with an endless supply of snacks, narrating my life too!
Rating: 5 / 5
