The Dink
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is Ira Glass of This American Life. Do you know our show? Okay, well, either way, I'm going to tell you about it. We make stories that hopefully pull you in at the beginning with funny moments and feelings and people in surprising situations, and then you just want to find out what is going to happen and cannot stop listening. That's right. I'm talking about stories that make you miss appointments. This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts. What do you call like a collection of pickleball courts?
I don't know. Courts? I don't know. A barrel? A barrel. A jar of pickleballs. The very silly sports comedy is a classic genre. Major League, Happy Gilmore, Dodgeball. And now that pickleball is everywhere, it only makes sense that it has its very own silly comedy. The Dink features a washed up underachiever, a looming contest with huge stakes, and a surprising dose of heart. I'm Linda Holmes, and joining me today on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour is my fellow host, Aisha Harris. Hello, Aisha. Hello, Linda. And also with us is one of the hosts of NPR's Code Switch podcast, Jean Demby. Hello, Jean. Hello, Jean.
What is The Dink and why is pickleball getting a sports-comedy film?
What's good, y'all? I'm so glad to be here. I love to have you here to talk about other things, but especially sports. Yes, we'll go. So the movie The Dink features Jake Johnson as Dusty. He was once a promising young tennis player, but after an injury years ago during a match against Andy Roddick, who appears as himself, Dusty's professional tennis aspirations were doomed. Now he kicks around the tennis club owned by his controlling dad, played by Ed Harris, giving lessons to kids and hating his life. The club becomes embroiled in a conflict between its tennis establishment and the upstarts who want to play the one game Dusty respects the least, pickleball. He meets a pickleball player named Candace, played by Mary Steenburgen.
Hey, you should play again. You could be a great pickleballer.
A great pickleballer? I pass.
Why? Just because the name sucks and it looks kind of dorky and most people out there are out of shape and have never played a sport before?
Yes, those are the exact reasons.
Surprisingly, the two become friends and Dusty's loyalties are soon divided. A match looms in which pickleball and tennis will fight it out and Dusty may have to choose between his father and his new pals. The movie is streaming on Apple TV. Aisha, I'm going to start with you. How did you like The Dink? Well, I don't think I'm particularly known for my sports commentary or sports thoughts ever, so it's fun to be on this episode. But I do enjoy a fun sports movie, and this is fun. I found it utterly delightful. You know, as someone who... I remember having to play, weirdly enough, I remember having to play pickleball as like a section of our gym class.
Oh, wow. Are you serious?
Yes. We did have to play it in gyms. And I hadn't thought about it until years later when it suddenly became this thing. And I was like, I remember having to play this in high school. I've marveled at the fact that this has become such a, especially among millennials, such a big sport that people love to play. And I have not picked up a pickleball racket since. So it was fun to kind of watch the Jake Johnson character slowly become less and less put off by this. But all of the feelings that he has, as that clip says, it's a dumb name. It's a silly name. And it's low effort. You can understand why people, once they reach a certain age, tend to flock to it. But it also has a respect for the sport. So I enjoyed it.
I thought it was pleasant. And lots of funny little moments and asides that kept this movie It never felt long to me. Like it moves along and it's fun and delightful. That is the word I will describe for this movie for me. Yeah. How about you, Gene? What'd you think? So now I'm like, wait, why is it called Pickleball? Yeah, I don't know.
Who are the main characters in The Dink and what’s Dusty's backstory?
I don't know. I thought this was an incredibly dumb movie. And I mean that in the most affectionate way possible. Like, there were so many stupid jokes in this movie that I cracked out loud laughing at.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–1:09
2
What is The Dink and why is pickleball getting a sports-comedy film?
1:09–3:55
3
Who are the main characters in The Dink and what’s Dusty's backstory?
3:55–6:02
4
How does Dusty first react to pickleball and Candace’s invitation?
6:02–14:04
5
Why do the hosts describe the movie as ‘sitcom-y’ and how does the humor land?
14:04–21:10