Jul 26, 2026 4:00pm IST
‘The Dink’ Review: Jake Johnson’s Charm Scores For This Soft, Sweet And Timely Comedy
A washed-up tennis prodigy shedding his lofty attitude to fall in love with the looked-down-upon sport of pickleball sounds like a simple, predictable underdog sports comedy. But there’s something rather meta about Josh Greenbaum’s “The Dink,” starring Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen and Ed Harris. It’s as if the film is winking at you, the audience, to demand more drama, spectacle or edge from its 102-minute runtime than just easygoing, wholesome fun. And it’s a timely reminder that we all need to take a chill pill.
And who better to deliver that lesson than “New Girl”’s Nick Miller, Jake Johnson? His goofy charm is cranked up to the full as he plays Dusty Boyd, a former tennis champ nicknamed 'The Hammer'. He had a bright career ahead of him until an accident changed his life. While he blames his on-court rival, Andy Roddick (a fun touch getting the former American professional tennis player to play himself!), for ruining his pro career, Dusty continues trying hard to win his father and ex-coach Chuck’s (a perfectly cast Ed Harris) approval.
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To an outsider (and secretly, to himself as well), Dusty’s life looks pretty pathetic. He sucks at relationships. He remains a junior tennis coach at his father’s suburban country club, teaching tennis to young bratty kids who do not care for his “greatness,” even though he can still play pretty well. He drives a classic muscle car (a Buick) to underline his machismo. His best friend, PJ (a fantastic Andy Chen), is a sycophant who hangs on to his every exaggerated story about his pro days.
When Dusty reaggravates an old injury, his doctor (a fun Ben Stiller cameo) prescribes him pickleball. He tries it too, and finds himself enjoying the breezy sport that favors finesse over intensity. He flourishes in the company of his fellow pickleball players, especially his doubles partner, a much older divorcée, Candace (an equally charming Mary Steenburgen). She makes him confront truths about himself that he had dared not touch since his teenage years, and gets him to hit the shots life throws at him not like a hard hammer but like a normal human being in touch with his emotions and softer side.
Any misgivings Dusty still has about his new persona and favorite sport arise from the fact that his tennis-supremacist father and his posse of yes-men at the country club look down upon pickleball. Despite its growing popularity, they are trying to edge it out after the president of the pickleball club (a delightful Patton Oswalt) demands more courts. This leads to the ultimate climax showdown between champions of both sports: A duel in accordance with club rules between… well, it’s probably obvious at this point, but no spoilers.
"The Dink" is named after the soft, low, off-pace shot in both tennis and pickleball, where the ball lands close to the net. The film, too, lands rather close to one's expectations. It works because the cast delivers comedic timing on the dot and the charm-off between Johnson and Steenburgen produces sweet chemistry that has you smiling from ear to ear.
And yet, despite what might seem like an unambitious underdog story, "The Dink" goes beyond just sports. Its climax is no “Challengers” ft. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, but it’s not what it wants to be either. Instead, several life lessons get breezily delivered, without feeling preachy: Not every passion or hobby needs to be turned into a profession or monetised. Not every relationship between a man and woman must be romantic. Your friends don't always have to see you as the epitome of perfection, because then, they are your fans and not real friends.
Dusty's try-hard alpha male behaviour stems from his desperate need for daddy's approval, a man who was never his parent but always his coach. The film plays off their tender moment of reconciliation in a rushed, comedic way that could've been done better. But it could just as well be implying that not every relationship can be completely fixed either.
"The Dink" has another meta nod up its sleeve at the movie business today. In an era when films need big budgets, stacked casts, and a distinctive X-factor to make an impact, there is space for smaller, less ambitious films like "The Dink" that just want to deliver smiles, some easy life lessons, and a sweet happy ending.
“The Dink” is currently streaming on Apple TV.
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