Dating Amber

{{Infobox film

| name = Dating Amber

| image = Dating Amber poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = David Freyne

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Rachael O'Kane
John Keville

}}

| writer = David Freyne

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music =

| cinematography = Ruairí O'Brien

| editing = Joe Sawyer

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Screen Ireland{{cite web|url=https://lumiere.obs.coe.int/movie/90792#|title=Dating Amber|website=Variety|first=Guy|last=Lodge|date=18 June 2020|access-date=8 March 2025}}
Altitude Film Entertainment
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland
Atomic 80 Production
Wrong Men
Voo
BeTV

}}

| distributor = {{Plainlist|

Wildcard Distribution (Ireland and United Kingdom){{cite web|url=https://lumiere.obs.coe.int/movie/90792#|title=Dating Amber|website=Lumiere|access-date=8 March 2025}}{{efn|Theatrical release only.}}
Samuel Goldwyn Films (United States)

}}

| released = {{Film date|2020|06|04|Amazon Prime Video; United Kingdom and Ireland|2020|06|29|Ireland; theatrical|2020|07|03|United Kingdom; theatrical|2020|11|11|United States|df=yes}}

| country = {{Plainlist|

Ireland
United Kingdom
United States
Belgium

}}

| runtime = 92 minutes

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Dating Amber (originally titled Beards) is a 2020 coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by David Freyne. The film features two closeted teenagers in 1990s Ireland who decide to start a fake relationship. The film was produced with assistance from Fis Éireann - Screen Ireland, RTÉ, Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BeTV Belgium and BNP Paribas Fortis Film Fund (France). The film was distributed in Ireland through Wildcard.

It was released on Amazon Prime Video in Ireland and the UK on 4 June 2020, followed by a theatrical release in Ireland.{{Cite web|url=http://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4293411&tpl=archnews&force=1|title = Dating Amber is now available on Amazon Prime Video in Ireland & UK | the Irish Film & Television Network}} The film was released in the USA on 11 November 2020.{{Cite web|url=http://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4293710&tpl=archnews&force=1|title = Dating Amber and Wolfwalkers to be released in the US this Friday; strong Irish film roster selling at AFM 2020 | the Irish Film & Television Network}}

Plot

The film is set in 1995 in The Curragh, Ireland, where teenagers Eddie and Amber are treated like outsiders and are distraught over persistent homophobic abuse. They decide to join forces and hide their sexuality from the rural Irish town in which they live by pretending to be a heterosexual couple.

Amber wants to escape a life overshadowed by the suicide of her father to lead a lesbian punk lifestyle in a more liberal environment. She is saving money to move to London by surreptitiously renting out caravans to teenage couples in need of some privacy on a park her mother runs. Eddie is not so confident of his sexuality and intends to follow his insensitive and often absent father into the Irish Army as is expected of him.

On trips to Dublin the faux couple begin to absorb its gay culture. Eddie is seen passionately kissing another man in a gay bar by someone from their home town. This causes Eddie to panic and attack him and other witnesses to his kiss. Meanwhile, Amber begins a secret relationship with Sarah, a girl she also meets in the gay bar in Dublin.

Amber comes out to her mother, who meets Sarah and understands that her daughter wants and needs to be with her girlfriend. She is then outed to the town through the local priest, after her mother goes to confession, breaking his vow of silence on a technicality.

Initially Eddie cannot accept that his pretense with Amber is over, and goes so far as insulting her publicly. He then tries to establish a heterosexual relationship with schoolmate Tracey prior to joining the army.

When Eddie is about to enlist and board a bus for basic training, Amber appears and offers him her savings to help him escape living a lie. He hesitantly accepts his sexuality and the money to buy a train ticket to another life. Eddie opens the box containing the money, revealing half of a photo booth picture strip inside. The movie ends with both of them smiling, finally accepting who they really are.

Cast

{{cast listing|

Fionn O'Shea as Eddie Cotter
Lola Petticrew as Amber Keenan
Sharon Horgan as Hannah Cotter
Barry Ward as Ian Cotter
Simone Kirby as Jill Keenan
Evan O'Connor as Jack Cotter
Ian O'Reilly as Kevin "Kev" Burn
Emma Willis as Tracey Brennan
Anastasia Blake as Janet
Lauryn Canny as Sarah
Shaun Dunne as Cian
Adam Carolan as Geoff
Peter Campion as Sweeney
Arian Nik as Adam
Andrew Bennett as Captain Rory

}}

Production

David Freyne wrote and directed the film with Rachael O'Kane and John Keville of Atomic 80 producing in co-production with Belgian company Wrong Men. The film received funding and production support from Screen Ireland and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. Will Clarke, Andy Mayson, and Mike Runagall of Altitude, Dearbhla Regan of Screen Ireland, and Rory Dungan of Wildcard executive produced. Principal photography took place in summer 2019.{{Cite journal|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/375945/|title=David Freyne's comedy Dating Amber in post-production|journal=Cineuropa|first=Davide|last=Abbatescianni|date=1 August 2019|access-date=5 June 2020}}{{Cite journal|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/david-freynes-dating-amber-to-debut-on-amazon-prime-video-in-june/5149863.article|title=David Freyne's 'Dating Amber' to debut on Amazon Prime Video in June|journal=Screen Daily|date=15 May 2020|access-date=5 June 2020}}

Release

Wildcard released the film in Ireland and Altitude handled UK and some international distribution; this announcement came with a first look promotional image.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/altitude-boards-irish-comedy-beards-with-fionn-oshea-sharon-horgan-exclusive/5141547.article|title=Altitude boards Irish comedy 'Beards' with Fionn O'Shea, Sharon Horgan (exclusive)|journal=Screen Daily|first=Tom|last=Grater|date=29 July 2019|access-date=5 June 2020}} It was announced along with a trailer in May 2020 that the film would premiere on Amazon Prime Video available in the UK and in Ireland in June before a later Irish theatrical release on 3 July.{{Cite journal|url=https://lovindublin.com/entertainment/watch-first-look-at-new-irish-movie-dating-amber|title=WATCH: First look at new Irish movie Dating Amber|journal=Lovin Dublin|first=Sarah|last=Finnan|date=15 May 2020|access-date=5 June 2020}}

Samuel Goldwyn Films acquired the North American rights.{{Cite journal|url=https://deadline.com/2020/08/samuel-goldwyn-david-freyne-lgbtq-comedy-dating-amber-1203003148/|title=Samuel Goldwyn Acquires David Freyne's LGBTQ+ Teen Comedy 'Dating Amber'|journal=Deadline|first=Dino-Ray|last=Ramos|date=4 August 2020|access-date=19 September 2020}} The company released a trailer for the film in September. Dating Amber was showcased at the Canadian Inside Out Film and Video Festival in October.{{Cite journal|url=https://deadline.com/2020/09/inside-out-lgbt-film-festival-the-boys-in-the-band-panel-the-obituary-of-tunde-johnson-cowboys-virtual-edition-1234573324/|title=Inside Out LGBT Film Festival to Feature 'The Boys in the Band', 'The Obituary of Tunde Johnson', 'Cowboys' and More for Virtual Edition|journal=Deadline|first=Dino-Ray|last=Ramos|date=9 September 2020|access-date=19 September 2020}} The film was available in North America digitally and on-demand from 13 November.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.rte.ie/amp/1157380/|title=Irish coming out comedy 'Dating Amber' heads to the US|journal=RTÉ|date=5 August 2020|access-date=19 September 2020}} It has since been available to stream on HBO Max.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hbomax.com/feature/urn:hbo:feature:GYEZp5QWk18IGqQEAAAAQ|title=Watch Dating Amber|website=HBO Max|access-date=16 July 2021}}

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The website's critics consensus reads, "Dating Amber colors outside the rom-com lines to tell a sweetly poignant story about friendship and self-acceptance."{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dating_amber|title=Dating Amber (2020)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date|df=dmy}}}}

=Awards and nominations=

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Award

!Category

!Recipient(s)

!Result

!Ref.

rowspan="3" | 2020

| rowspan="2" | NewFest

| Jury Award for International Narrative Feature

| rowspan="3" | David Freyne

| {{runner-up}}

| rowspan="2" | {{Cite web|url=https://newfest.org/festival/jury-and-awards/|title=Jury & Awards|website=NewFest|access-date=16 June 2021|archive-date=23 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623135144/https://newfest.org/festival/jury-and-awards/|url-status=dead}}

Audience Award for Narrative Feature

| {{won}}

Camerimage

| Best Directorial Debut

| {{nom}}

rowspan="8" | 2021

| rowspan="8" | IFTA Film & Drama Awards

| Best Film

| Dating Amber

| {{nom}}

| rowspan="8" | {{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2021/0615/1228137-normal-people-iftas-wolfwalkers-dating-amber-herself/|title = Normal People receives 15 IFTA nominations|date = 15 June 2021|last1 = Crowley|first1 = Sinéad|website = RTÉ.ie}}

Director – Film

| rowspan="2" | David Freyne

| {{nom}}

Script – Film

| {{nom}}

Lead Actor – Film

| Fionn O'Shea

| {{nom}}

Lead Actress – Film

| Lola Petticrew

| {{nom}}

Supporting Actor – Film