When film-maker Josh Greenbaum first stepped onto a pickleball court, he discovered an accessible pastime that could quickly turn intense, generating not just sweat but a range of emotions within minutes.
His conclusion: pickleball had all the right ingredients for comedy.
Greenbaum drew on that observation to direct The Dink, an Apple TV+ film premiering this Friday on the streaming platform.
"I think part of what's so funny about it is how quickly something that starts as casual fun can become deeply competitive and also weirdly emotional," the 47-year-old director said.
The Dink brings together Dusty (Jake Johnson), a former tennis prodigy who spends his time reminiscing about past glories, much to the chagrin of his father (Ed Harris), and Candace (Mary Steenburgen), a divorcee who discovers a passion for pickleball in this new phase of her life.
The film, which features former tennis champion Andy Roddick, is about reinvention, ego, friendship "and trying to find purpose," Greenbaum said.
"You have these two lost souls, obviously from different generations, who are trying to figure out who they are and redefine themselves, and they help one another do so," he said.
Written by Sean Clements and produced by Ben Stiller, the film also explores intergenerational conflict.
"Maybe in this version, tennis represents the way things have been done, and pickleball represents a new way," said Greenbaum, who also directed Will & Harper, the 2024 documentary chronicling a cross-country road trip between two old friends.
At the heart of The Dink is pickleball, a sport played with paddles and a perforated plastic ball that has become hugely popular in the United States, attracting schoolchildren, seniors and A-list Hollywood celebrities alike.
The film takes its name from the controlled "dink" shot, in which players gently arc the ball over the net.
The "unique" relationship between tennis and pickleball provided fertile ground for comedy, the director said.
"There's a contentiousness between the two sports at the moment, and I think a lot of it's driven by the fact that they're fighting over limited resources," said Greenbaum, who was defeated in his first pickleball match by opponents in their sixties.
"It's just a sport that makes you laugh, that helps you make friends, that lets you share something together, and that you can get better at, even at my age," said 73-year-old Steenburgen, herself an avid player.
Greenbaum and his cast believe The Dink will inspire more people to take up the sport.
But Johnson, whose character finds a second chance through pickleball, hopes the film ultimately encourages viewers to "do what makes them happy, no matter what."— AFP
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