It’s the story of a dad hitting mid-life, realizing he’s lost a bit of his spark, and fumbling through ways to connect with his teenage son. Ethan used to glide through life, talented in sports, confident, the kind of guy who never had to try that hard. Now he’s 45, wandering Costco aisles with his wife, quietly questioning what’s missing.

His son Matthew is 17, reserved, stoic, smart in his own way but uninterested in school or college. He finds meaning in pickleball, something Ethan, a serious tennis player, dismisses as a knockoff game. Ethan doubts his son’s choices, and Matthew stays silent, pushing further away.

Graduation is the pivot point. Matthew crosses the stage without flash, already half-gone, while Ethan feels both pride and panic.

it’s a father and son at a crossroads: one man questioning his purpose in middle age, the other just starting out, reluctant to explain himself, both staring past each other.

Can pickleball bring them together?