THE DINK. Awash as we are in a new wave of underdog sports comedies, usually centered on has-beens or never-weres, it should come as no surprise that Pickleball should have shuffled into the crosshairs. The newfound passion of a generation, what was once a middle-school time-filler has become, in this age of idleness and catastrophe, one of the most popular sports and gathering points in the country, at least among the white-hairs. Because the game is an oddity with no bona fides or street-cred, though, one would have to wonder what tone a movie about it could take that wouldn’t alienate the core audience or its ardent skeptics (of which I am admittedly one), as The Dink clearly strives to.
Surprisingly enough, the answer is one of inclusion and reluctant acceptance, both of the game and its enthusiasts, carried off with enough front-loaded cynicism and weirdness to make it palatable to all parties concerned.
Dustin Boyd (Jake Johnson), a one-time tennis phenom with some questionable stories about what derailed his career, now spends his days teaching acerbic pre-adolescents and regaling his sidekick/yes-man PJ (Aaron Chen) with inflated tales of his once-greatness. Employed by his wealthy, pugnacious club owner father (Ed Harris), whose approval he futilely pines for, Dustin is as delusional as he is aggressively (just like dear old Dad) anti-Pickleball, a position that puts him at odds with the financial security of the club. When he becomes enamored with an enthusiast named Candace (Mary Steenburgen) after a characteristically aggressive meet-cute though, Dustin’s timorous but jealously guarded worldview comes up for re-evaluation.
Written by Sean Clements (a television comedy veteran) and directed by Josh Greenbaum (Will & Harper, 2024; Strays, 2023), The Dink works because it meets the audience on a level playing-field, allowing those of us with biases in either direction to laugh at ourselves and our presumably misguided counterparts. The movie acknowledges the silliness of the game itself, but also of professional sports orthodox fandom, while acknowledging the authenticity of feeling in which both are rooted. And, most importantly, it is actually funny, seasoned with just enough not-quite-blue humor to satisfy our snarky compunctions. It is definitively a crowd-pleasing exercise, but one clever enough not to pander or dismiss. PG13. 102M. APPLETV.
ARE WE GOOD? As an embarrassingly devout listener of Marc Maron’s podcast WTF? (now mothballed, leaving a cantankerous void), the timeline and subject of Steven Feinartz’s documentary are anything but new to me. I parasocially participated in Maron’s ascendance and tragic loss over the course of more than a thousand episodes, sat distantly with him as the pandemic decimated and rejuvenated him, and learned as much about the business of comedy from the podcast as from any other resource.
Further, I listened in as Maron crabbily described the production of the documentary in real-time, with his singular combination of self-loathing and egotism.
Which is to say, Are We Good? wasn’t likely to produce any novel revelations. But, for the faithful and the more casual fan (my wife included), the documentary does allow us to re-enter a comfortable space, wherein a crotchety old friend can warm us with his presence, educate us about his vocation and offer some unvarnished insights into his process, both professional and psychological. 97M. PRIME.
MADDIE’S SECRET. Writer/director/star John Early, who has been both a welcome presence in mainstream comedy and a standard-bearer of new-wave eccentricity for years now, possesses a sort of cracked charisma born for the screen. He can switch between bemused outside observer and center-frame oddball with apparent ease, always centered in devout dedication to the joke and, in the case of Maddie’s Secret, the pain, joy and love behind the joke.
Maddie Ralph (Early), an aspiring chef toiling as a dishwasher in a Los Angeles food-content sweatshop, unexpectedly gets a shot at the big show: Compelled at last to post one of her recipes to social media by her devoted editor partner Jake (Eric Rahill), Maddie becomes a sensation and is brought before the camera by her cretin boss Zach (Connor O’Malley). This puts her at odds with the reigning queen of Gourmaybe, Emily (Claudia O’Doherty) and with the buried truth of her relationship with food and her own body.
With unparalleled delicacy and an accomplished artist’s eye for detail, Early renders Maddie’s story as heartfelt satire, exploring subcultures and internal terrain like a gifted cartographer. The emotions at the center of the piece are as genuine and carefully rendered as the jokes are crafted, and the whole thing is carried off with elevated cinematic craft. In it are notes of early ’70s exploitation, ’80s arthouse slashers and after-school specials, all blended into a unique, delicious melange.
Maddie’s Secret never wanders astray, never casts unfair judgment; instead, it approaches its subjects with equanimity and tenderness while simultaneously garnishing them with cutting, never cruel humor and undeniable artistry. 100M. PRIME.
John J. Bennett (he/him) is a movie nerd who loves a good car chase.
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For showtimes, visit catheaters.com and minortheatre.com.
This article appears in BESTO! Best of Humboldt.