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‘The Dink’ Writer Sean Clements on His Funny, Heartfelt Tribute to the Pickleball Community: ‘I Got Adopted by This Whole Crew of Older Women’
Sean Clements’ new Apple TV+ comedy “The Dink” draws on his own experience of being welcomed into the pickleball community after injuries made returning to tennis difficult. The film uses tensions between tennis and pickleball players as its central conflict, while presenting the sport’s social, intergenerational appeal with humour and affection.
Starring Jake Johnson as injured former tennis professional Dusty Boyd, the PG-13 film follows his reluctant move into pickleball and the community he finds there, including a mentor played by Mary Steenburgen. Ed Harris plays Dusty’s father, who opposes pickleball’s expansion at his tennis club; the film premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday and includes a Ben Stiller cameo.
In short
- “The Dink” turns tennis-pickleball tensions into a warm comedy.
- Writer Sean Clements based it partly on personal experience.
- The Apple TV+ film stars Jake Johnson, Ed Harris and Mary Steenburgen.
Explained simply
Pickleball is a fast-growing bat-and-ball sport similar to tennis but played on a smaller court with lower nets and softer balls. In recent years it has become increasingly popular, particularly among older adults, sometimes creating tensions with traditional tennis communities as both sports compete for court space.
"The Dink" is a new comedy film on Apple TV+ inspired by screenwriter Sean Clements's own experience of joining the pickleball community after injuries made it difficult for him to continue playing tennis. The film follows a fictional character named Dusty Boyd, a former professional tennis player who reluctantly takes up pickleball after an injury and discovers an unexpected sense of community and belonging.
The film stars Jake Johnson as Dusty and features Mary Steenburgen as a mentor figure, with Ed Harris playing Dusty's father, who opposes pickleball's expansion at a tennis club. The story's central conflict explores the tension between traditional tennis and pickleball's growing popularity as a welcoming, intergenerational sport.
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