While it might not be a “plague sweeping the country,” as Ed Harris’s character puts it, there’s a clear shift happening on courts worldwide. Once dominated by tennis on grass, hard, and clay, new sports like padel and even pickleball are emerging.
This emergence of new options is essentially the premise of Apple TV’s upcoming film, “The Dink.” The movie follows a former tennis pro who, after a wrist injury, is prescribed pickleball for rehabilitation. Initially hesitant and viewing the sport as inferior to tennis, he soon finds himself loving it and ultimately embroiled in an intense battle for the future of his family’s country club.
Starring Jake Johnson as Dusty Boyd, “The Dink” boasts an impressive cast, including the aforementioned Harris, as well as Mary Steenburgen, Andy Roddick, Patton Oswalt, Chloe Fineman, Chris Parnell, Aaron Chen, and even Ben Stiller.
Written by Sean Clements (“Workaholics”) and directed by Josh Greenbaum (“Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar”), with Ben Stiller himself producing, “The Dink” is backed by a wealth of comedic talent.
Set to premiere on Apple TV on July 24th, you can watch the trailer for “The Dink” and read the official synopsis below.
“Dusty Boyd (Jake Johnson), a former tennis prodigy on the decline, is relegated to coaching unruly kids at his father Chuck’s (Ed Harris) suburban country club. Desperate to earn his father’s approval, Dusty blindly supports Chuck’s vendetta against the new fad sweeping the club: pickleball. But when Dusty aggravates an old injury that prevents him from playing tennis, he resigns himself to the unthinkable for the sake of his rehab. Not only does he try pickleball, but partly thanks to his charming new partner, Candace (Mary Steenburgen), he finds himself genuinely enjoying it. Torn between two worlds, Dusty is forced to finally confront the ghosts of his past athletic failures, including his childhood rival, Andy Roddick (Andy Roddick). Ultimately, Dusty finds himself drawn into a desperate battle for the future of the club, his father’s affection, and his own identity.”