First published in the 2020 Summer Issue
Irish films, irrespective of their quality, often depict our unique culture in a way that’s engagingly relatable to us and charmingly unfamiliar to overseas viewers. Dating Amber (David Freyne, 2020) is one such film, except that it takes its premise and roots it in a conservative subculture — one that remains ingrained in Ireland. Thanks to lovely performances and inspired direction, Dating Amber delivers a heart-warming and admirably faithful look at what it really meant to be gay in Ireland in the ‘90s.
Off the bat, it must be said: Fionn O’Shea and Lola Petticrew are fantastic in this film. Their relationship is the heart of the entire film, as they hatch a scheme to hide their true sexuality from their schoolmates by pretending to be a couple. The film’s plot hinges on real platonic chemistry between its leads, and it’s to the benefit of Freyne’s beautiful screenplay that Eddie (O’Shea) and Amber’s (Petticrew) friendship is so believable. What makes the film’s stirring narrative resonate even more is that O’Shea and Petticrew are real-life besties and members of the LGBTQ community themselves. Supporting players like Sharon Horgan as Eddie’s forward-thinking mother and Barry Ward as his stern military father, add insight into the adult’s perspective, but it really is Eddie and Amber’s film.
Freyne’s delicate hand at depicting Ireland during more ignorant times could only come from a place of first-hand experience. Semi-autobiographical in nature, Freyne doesn’t shy away from showing the passive homophobia heard in secondary school yards. The film draws attention to those who throw around homophobic slurs as generic insults, offering unique insight into how some people’s intolerance comes from a place of misunderstanding homosexuality – a result of the strict confines of the archaic Catholic school curriculum. In highlighting this vicious cycle of offensive ignorance, Freyne accurately recreates the discomfort of being a closeted homosexual in such a toxic environment. Yet, the film also stretches beyond its theme of showcasing the realities of life as a closeted gay teen. It soars too as a study on the weight of societal expectations on young people, with Eddie struggling to come to terms with the pressure his father places on him to follow family tradition and join the army.
Playing into that theme is the film’s setting, with many scenes shot in and around the picturesque Curragh and its famous military barracks. This locale, in contrast to the surroundings of Dublin, provides some emotional heft to Eddie and Amber’s city-escape later on in the film. Seeing their reaction to the more liberal, gay-friendly atmosphere of the city further contextualises the narrative to its pre-marriage equality world.
By the time the credits rolled, I really was in awe. Dating Amber’s message of how important empathy can be in shaping one’s confidence in their own identity is not only effectively conveyed, but powerfully emphasised. Thanks to top-notch performances from its talented young cast and its realistic depiction of life for gay people in the ‘90s, Dating Amber succeeds as both a PSA on the importance of platonic love and a reminder of how far we’ve come as a country – as well as how far we have left to go. If not for the reasons I’ve listed above, watch this film to see Fionn O’Shea playing a much nicer guy than he was in Normal People (2020).
