The Dink
Game. Set. Match... and pass the pickleball paddle.
24 Jul 2026 
Russ Matthews Some sporting rivalries are built on decades of tradition. Others are simply fuelled by bruised egos. The Dink happily serves up both, poking fun at the ongoing battle between tennis purists and the ever-growing army of pickleball enthusiasts. The result is a ridiculous sports comedy that never pretends to be anything more than an excuse to make audiences laugh.
Jake Johnson stars as a washed-up tennis professional whose career—and relationship with his father—has never quite lived up to expectations. When the family country club faces collapse, he is forced to commit what he once considered unthinkable: trading his tennis racquet for a pickleball paddle. What follows is a familiar underdog story filled with eccentric opponents, awkward romances, bruised pride and plenty of opportunities to laugh at just how seriously people take recreational sport.
Director Josh Greenbaum understands exactly what sort of film he is making. Drawing inspiration from comedies like Dodgeball, The Graduate, Urban Cowboy and Failure to Launch, The Dink never strives for subtlety. Instead, it embraces broad humour, quirky characters and enough sporting clichés to keep audiences smiling throughout.
Johnson is perfectly cast as the reluctant hero, delivering his trademark blend of dry wit, self-deprecating humour and underlying vulnerability. His chemistry with Mary Steenburgen and the ever-reliable Ed Harris gives the film surprising emotional weight, while Ben Stiller pops up to remind everyone that few actors understand absurd comedy quite like he does. Tennis legends Andy Roddick and John McEnroe also appear, adding a knowing wink for sports fans.
Fortunately, the film realises that the rivalry between tennis and pickleball is only the backdrop. Beneath the jokes lies a story about purpose, belonging and the lingering desire to earn a father’s approval. While these themes never become overly sentimental, they provide enough heart to stop the comedy from feeling completely disposable.
That’s not to say The Dink breaks any new ground. The jokes can be predictable, the story follows a familiar sporting formula, and its mature language and humour mean it won’t appeal to every audience. Yet there is something refreshingly good-natured about a film willing to laugh at itself and everyone involved.
It may never become the Rocky of racquet sports, but The Dink proves that sometimes an enjoyable Friday night at the movies doesn’t require originality—just a few laughs, a little heart and the willingness to embrace the ridiculous.
REEL DIALOGUE: Why do we long for a father’s approval?
One of the unexpected strengths of The Dink is that beneath all the jokes, tournaments and sporting rivalries is a man desperately trying to earn his father’s respect. It’s a longing most people understand.
Whether our relationship with our earthly father has been wonderful, absent, complicated or painful, many of us carry a deep desire to hear the words, “I’m proud of you.”
The Bible explains that this desire points to something even greater.
God created us for relationship with Him—not merely as our Creator, but as our loving heavenly Father. Through Jesus Christ, we are not required to earn His affection by winning tournaments, proving ourselves or living perfect lives. Instead, we are invited into His family by grace.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”
1 John 3:1 (ESV)
Our identity is not found in success, sporting achievement or the approval of others. It is found in knowing that, through Christ, we are already deeply loved by our heavenly Father.
Perhaps that’s the greatest victory any of us could hope for.
Where to look for more details: 1 John 3:1; Romans 8:15–17; Luke 15:11–32; Ephesians 1:4–5.
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