My Dad’s Christmas Date is a new Christmas film exclusive to Amazon Prime that features some familiar places…
Filmed in and around York, it originally had the working title Let There Be Love, and YorkMix reported on the filming process last year when shooting was taking place on the Shambles and by the Perky Peacock.
The film is directed by Mick Davis and stars Jeremy Piven, Olivia-Mai Barrett, Joely Richardson, and Roger Ashton-Griffiths. It is produced by York-based MRS Media and has a soundtrack by York duo Govardo – Dom Sky and Jack Rose.
My Dad’s Christmas Date is about dad David (Piven) and his 16-year-old daughter Jules (Barrett), struggling to reconnect after the death of their wife and mum. Jules hatches a plan to set her dad up on dates without him knowing – and that goes about as well as you expect.
The film has good central performances by Piven and Barrett, their father-daughter relationship is believable and pulls at your heartstrings as they struggle to understand each other while grieving a devastating loss.
My Dad’s Christmas Date is more like a film set at Christmas rather than a ‘Christmas film’. It has a more sombre and melancholic tone and covers the difficult themes of grief and loss.
But Christmas is also a time of family, reconciliation and forgiveness and this film definitely has that. Some of the conflict is forced and unnecessary, but if you like your Christmas films with a more serious tone check this one out.
And of course there’s the stunning setting of York as a backdrop for the film – just the beautiful shots of the city alone makes this film worth watching!
Take a look at some familiar locations below…
My Dad’s Christmas Date is available to watch exclusively on Amazon Prime.
York from above
Throughout the film there are beautiful aerial shots of York to transition from scene to scene. The aerial shots at night with all the lights twinkling are especially lovely.
York Art Gallery
One of David’s (Jeremy Piven) ‘dates’ is at York Art Gallery. Not a bad place for a first date!
Carousel at King’s Square
A familiar lovely sight is always when the carousel comes to King’s Square. In the film it’s mostly used through flashbacks to evoke nostalgia and a past that’s impossible to return to but the happy memories still remain. The familiar tune of a carousel may evoke similar feelings in us too!
York Castle Museum
The Victorian street of Kirkgate at the Castle Museum is always a delight to experience at Christmas, and the film captures the magical atmosphere perfectly, as David (Piven) is pulled into the dance.
Christmas Markets
The Christmas Markets were unable to go ahead this year, so it was lovely – if a little bittersweet – to see them in the film. My Dad’s Christmas Date opens with scenes of the Christmas Markets which will make you feel Christmassy in no time.
The riverside
The iconic Dame Judi Dench Walk is featured in the film, and is the setting for David and Sarah’s power-walking and heart-to-heart chats.
The Perky Peacock
The quirky coffee-shop next to Lendal Bridge is the location of an explosive argument between dad and daughter. They didn’t even order cake!
Shambles
There’s a fun – if slightly bizarre – montage in the Shambles which is lovely to look at. Even Scrooge makes an appearance!
St Peter’s School
A lot of the filming took place at St Peter’s School – the name is changed to St Mary’s Academy for the film. There are scenes in the chapel, science labs and canteen to name a few.
Yorkshire Museum and Museum Gardens
The stunning (and rainy) Museum Gardens and Yorkshire Museum is the location for where David and Jules have a turning point in their relationship and start to open up to each other.